Amazon fair presented a modern highlight that may spare FBA vendors noteworthy time, cash, and calculated migraines — and in the event that you’re overseeing expansive shipments, you’ll need to pay attention.
The overhaul? An unused floor-stacked shipping alternative has been included in the Amazon Joint Forces Carrier Program (PCP) for Full Truckload (FTL) and intermodal shipments. It’s an unpretentious but capable move in how vendors can oversee their cargo, and it’s particularly significant for those shipping larger than usual, unpredictable, or high-volume items.
Let’s break down what this implies, why it things, and how you’ll be able to take advantage of it.
What Is Floor Loaded Shipping?
Traditionally, most FBA freight shipments are sent on pallets. Boxes are stacked and secured on wooden or plastic pallets, which are then loaded into trucks with forklifts. This process is standard but comes with added costs — pallets themselves, labor to load/unload, and the need for dock equipment.
Floor-loaded shipping flips that model.
Rather than stacking boxes on beds, you stack the cartons straightforwardly onto the floor of the trailer, maximizing space and diminishing the requirement for gear like forklifts or bed jacks. The boxes are stacked carefully from the floor up, ordinarily by hand, and secured interior the trailer to anticipate moving in travel.
This method isn’t new in logistics, but Amazon’s decision to officially offer it within the Partnered Carrier Program is a major shift, especially since it wasn’t previously supported for FTL shipments in this way.
Why This Matters for Amazon Sellers
The benefits of floor loaded shipping are simple but significant:
Lower costs: No need to purchase or use pallets, which adds up fast at scale.
Less equipment: Since you don’t need forklifts or pallet jacks, it simplifies your warehouse or 3PL’s workflow.
More efficient space usage: Pallets take up valuable room in a trailer. Without them, you can fit more units per shipment.
Ideal for non-standard shipments: If your products are large, bulky, or don’t stack easily on pallets, floor loading allows more flexibility.
For many sellers, this change will mean faster turnarounds at origin, fewer packaging constraints, and less freight waste.
However, it’s not the right choice for every situation. Fragile or highly stack-sensitive items might not travel well when loaded directly on the floor, and loading/unloading takes longer since each box is handled individually.
How to Use the New Floor Loaded Option in Seller Central
If you’re ready to test this out, Amazon has made it fairly easy to activate within the shipment creation workflow. Here’s what you do:
Go to Send to Amazon in your Seller Central account.
Complete the shipment setup as usual (Steps 1–3).
In Step 4, when selecting a shipping option, choose Amazon Partnered Carrier.
You’ll now see a “Freight Loading Method” field — select “Floor Loaded” instead of “Palletized.”
That’s it. Once selected, the system will generate shipment labels and instructions based on your loading method. Be sure your warehouse or 3PL is aware of the change so they can prepare and load accordingly.
Amazon’s receiving process may also differ slightly depending on the fulfillment center — so clear communication and proper labeling are key to avoid delays at check-in.
My Perspective on the Update
From my view, this is a long-overdue addition that reflects the growing needs of FBA sellers who are scaling up. Not everyone operates with industrial dock setups and forklift teams. And for sellers shipping from third-party logistics (3PL) providers, simplifying the process can be a huge win.
We’re currently piloting this option with one of our oversized product lines. So far, we’ve seen measurable savings in labor and pallet costs, and loading times have improved because the 3PL team no longer needs to stage pallets in advance.
Of course, this won’t work for every ASIN or product category — but if you’re dealing with large shipments that don’t require ultra-precise stacking or don’t benefit from palletization, this could be a smarter path forward.
It also shows that Amazon is slowly adapting to the more flexible, cost-sensitive logistics needs of growing brands — something many sellers have been asking for over the years.
Final Thoughts
This update isn’t flashy, but it’s high-impact for the right seller.
If you’re sending FTL or intermodal shipments and you’re tired of the inefficiencies of palletizing, floor loaded shipping might be worth a test. It could help streamline operations, reduce freight waste, and improve your bottom line — all within the comfort of Amazon’s own Partnered Carrier system.
The key is to evaluate your products, test it out on one or two shipments, and monitor the results.
Are you planning to try this feature? I’d love to hear how it works for your business or what you think of the shift. Let’s keep the conversation going — Amazon’s logistics landscape is always evolving, and smart sellers adapt fast.
