How Much Does It Cost to Ship Wheels and Tires? Answered

The cost to ship wheels and tires varies. Shipping costs depend on the weight of what you’re shipping, the dimensions, and the shipping distance. Wheels and tires also vary in size. Your total cost will vary based on the details of your specific shipment.

Below, we explain how to estimate your shipping costs and give an example of the costs for a shipment of one tire.

Estimating Your Shipping Costs

You can estimate your shipping costs through carriers like FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, and NEX Worldwide Express if you know the approximate weight, dimensions, and shipping distance of your wheels and/or tires.

Average Weights

If you’re shipping wheels and tires together, the combined weight will typically fall into the range of about 55 to 125 pounds or more. Weights vary depending on the specifications of the wheel and tire.

Rims alone can weigh anywhere from around 30 to 100 pounds each, with heavy-duty and truck rims weighing the most. The material also makes a difference — steel rims weigh more than aluminum.^[1]

The average weight for a single passenger or light truck tire on its own is about 25 pounds.^[2]

Average Dimensions

Standard tire sizes for passenger vehicles and light trucks range from 14 to 22 inches. The tire width and rim diameter will vary depending on the style of the tire.^[3]

If you don’t want to take your own measurements, you can use a tire size calculator. The calculator will give you the size in inches if you enter the numbers shown on the tire’s sidewall or enter your vehicle’s make, model, and year.

Shipping Distance

Once you know the weight and size of your tire shipment, you can use the addresses you’re shipping to and from to estimate the total cost.

Note that the greater the distance between the origin and destination, the greater the shipping cost will be.

On the FedEx, UPS, USPS, DHL, and NEX Worldwide Express websites, enter your shipment’s size, weight, and distance information. It’s best to gather multiple estimates so you can find the most cost-effective shipping option.

Some carriers cap the per-package shipping weight — for example, UPS has a limit of 150 pounds^[4] — so when shipping more than one tire, you may need to send them individually or group them in sets of two.

Additional Costs

Keep in mind the cost of any necessary shipping supplies you may need to buy, such as plastic wrap, heavy-duty boxes, or foam packaging. Some carriers require tires to be shipped in boxes, while others are fine with plastic wrap alone.

You might also want to pay the carrier to pick up your tires. Some carriers (including the U.S. Postal Service) offer this free for packages under a certain weight. Others charge pick-up fees of around $5 to $10.

Sample Pricing

We gathered quotes for a test shipment of a single tire and wheel with a weight of 70 pounds and a height less than 27 inches. Our test shipment would originate in Beverly Hills, CA, and ship to Boston, MA.

Keep in mind that you’ll want to adjust the size, weight, origin, and destination for your shipment to estimate the cost accurately. Our test shipment simply gives you an idea of what you might pay for one moderately-sized wheel and tire.

The following table shows the sample prices we collected: