Hello all,
Everything I search for this just relates to using LTL for FBA shipments. I need to know if it is possible to ship LTL shipments for FBM orders (NOTHING TO DO WITH FBA). I cannot find anything regarding this or even what the chargeback rules would be. I cannot ship this into FBA and LTL is the only way to ship it to customers due to how large and heavy the product is. Any help would be appreciated!
Yes, it is possible. However, you cannot (as far as I am aware) buy such shipping through Amazon as you would with USPS or UPS. You would have to arrange for and purchase such shipping on your own and confirm the order manually.
Unless you’re going to make a ton of money on this product, I don’t think selling anything on Amazon that requires freight shipping is worth the hassle or the risk.
Just something to think about, I do think it’s possible though.
Yeah, I currently use my own shipping labels for all shipments already.
I assume chargeback rules would be exactly the same regardless if it was LTL or any other shipping method then?
Yes, it would be the same. Either you have legitimate tracking or you don’t, and any legitimate LTL carrier will have tracking.
We already sell the same product direct from our website using LTL. Obviously I’m more worried about chargebacks and I don’t even know how return shipping would work on a return with that kind of weight. Haha.
Well, I was hoping since LTL literally requires the customer to be home that it might favor the seller more than say UPS Ground. I can always hope right? 
Amazon doesn’t issue return labels for items that heavy since they would try to use UPS and UPS won’t take a pallet. You would have to arrange that with the buyer when they request a return. As for chargebacks, those are decided by the bank or card issuer, and I can’t speak to their criteria. I assume that the fact that the buyer has to be home to accept delivery will not be a major factor in either direction, as most chargebacks are not for INR.
I’m not doubting that you can sell the item and ship it without any issues. The problem is this type of thing is poorly suited for Amazon. For one, if it’s a pallet delivery, you need to communicate with the buyer. Do you need a lift gate? Delivery appointment? Are you even able to receive a pallet? Customers aren’t obligated to communicate with you post purchase (and many ignore communications from sellers) so this in itself is a problem. And unlike your own website, if you cancel an order from a non-communicative buyer, you get penalized for it.
Amazon will provide a non-prepaid label and a RMA. One thing to consider would be if the LTL carrier you use is integrated with Amazon.
A non prepaid label through what carrier? Amazon won’t issue a label for a freight carrier and UPS won’t accept the item.
We use an integrated LTL carrier and have had many return requests where Amazon provides a non pre-paid label (don’t know the carrier or care), for the buyer to return. There are cases we forgo the return and just refund (depends in the buyer and the reason).
We would be using T Force Freight
There you go.
I ship LTL so rarely I haven’t bothered. The OP would have to do something similar.
How are you able to use a integrated LTL carrier?
For shipping? There is a list of carriers that Amazon “approves”. We also use a Heavy/bulk shipping template because we sell furniture.
Amazon - “The list of integrated carriers is updated on the Ship Confirmation page.”
FYI - Same page… in relation to VTR (Valid Tracking Rate)
Also from the template:
Select one of the following: 4PX, A-1, AAA Cooper, ABF, Asendia, Best Buy, Blue Package, Canada Post, CEVA, China Post, Conway, DHL, DHL eCommerce, Estes, FedEx, Fedex Freight, FedEx SmartPost, First Mile, Hongkong Post, Hunter Logistics, India Post, JCEX, Lasership, Newgistics, Old Dominion, OnTrac, OSM, Pilot Freight, R+L, Roadrunner, Royal Mail, Saia, SF Express, SFC, South Eastern Freight Lines, StreamLite, UPS, UPS Freight, UPS Mail Innovations, Urban Express, USPS, Watkins and Shepard, XPO Freight, Yanwen, Yellow Freight, Yun Express, Other
Also, to use the heavy/bulk template, you need to be “invited by Amazon”.
Oddly I can find a link for the UK/EU - Amazon Heavy and Large - Features & Benefits - But not for the US.
I believe that the primary policy page you’re looking for is the SHC’s (“Seller Help Content”) Freight-shipping templates for less-than-truckload (LTL) shipments (link).
