Loading dock for small businesses
We unload your freight, sign for it and text you when it lands. Every pallet gets two nights on our dock, and you ship from our packing stations. No warehouse unit required.
Ship your pallets to our dock, not your driveway
Carriers charge $75–$200 or more to bring a pallet to a house, sometimes with more fees on top. Our dock takes it straight off the truck.
Freight windows can eat half a day, and missing one means paying to reschedule. Our team is here to sign for it.
Away at a market or on vacation? The truck shows up anyway. We're on site weekdays, so your freight never gets refused.
Many 3PLs want a monthly minimum and your inventory in their hands. Here you can receive one pallet or as many as you like.
With the First Class bundle, customer returns stop piling up at your door. They come to us, and you check them yourself.
Your home address ends up on your LLC filing, website, invoices and return labels. Add First Class and use ours instead.
Built for businesses that need a dock
When your freight comes on pallets, it needs a dock and someone to sign for it. These are the businesses we see most.
Ecommerce sellers
Inventory lands by the pallet from your supplier. Break it down, pack orders at our stations and hand them to UPS, USPS or FedEx on the daily pickup.
Supplier pallet → pack here → daily pickupSmall brands receiving supplies
Wax and jars, fabric, bottles, boxes. Raw materials arrive at our dock instead of your driveway, and you take back to the studio only what you need.
Bulk supplies in → pick up what you needSmall wholesalers
Take a few pallets from the manufacturer, then deliver to your retail accounts. We sign for it, so you're not stuck waiting on a freight window.
Manufacturer → our dock → your accountsPallets passing through
Freight in, freight out. We receive it, hold it up to two nights and hand it to the outbound carrier you booked for $25 a pallet.
Inbound truck → 2 nights → outbound carrierVending and local delivery
Snack routes, vending operators and local delivery runs. Product comes in on a pallet, you load your van at the dock and head out.
Pallet in → load the van → on the routeRetail storefronts
When the back room runs out of space, overflow and seasonal stock can land here instead. Restock the shelves when you need to, and keep the shop floor clear.
Overflow stock → our dock → your shelvesHow pallet receiving works at Elevator
Send it our way
Email your Elevator location 48 hours ahead with what's coming. The carrier backs up to our dock during business hours. No liftgate fee.
We sign and text you
Our team unloads it, signs for it and texts you that it's here.
Two nights with every pallet
Pallets wait in a locked unit with a camera on it, next to your own in/out sheet.
Pick up or ship out
Grab it during business hours (anytime with First Class), or ship from our packing stations. UPS, USPS and FedEx pick up daily. Booked your own freight pickup? We'll hand it to your carrier.
What would your month cost?
Move the sliders to match a typical month. Your estimate updates as you go, next to what the same freight would run at a 3PL or in a traditional warehouse.
- Dock Access membership$299
- Extra pallets$0
- Pallet nights past 2$0
What the 3PL bills for this month
- Receiving3 pallets at $11.38 each$34
- Pallet holding6 pallet nights at about $0.84 each$5
- Monthly minimum top-upPaid even when your fees are lower$633
- Account management feeEvery month$329
- Every month$1,001
Your fees are under the 3PL's $672 minimum, so the bill stays at $1,001 until they pass it.
Plus about $485 in one-time setup, and pick-and-pack, packaging and shipping markups on top.
What a 3PL doesn't include
- A desk and a business address, with First Class
- Returns you can check yourself, without a processing fee
- Your hands on your own inventory
- Starting with one pallet. Most have minimums.
What a traditional warehouse really costs
- Base rent$10 per sq ft a year$2,083
- NNN: taxes, insurance, common areasAbout $3.45 per sq ft a year$719
- UtilitiesAbout $2 per sq ft a year$417
- Internet, dock gear and upkeepPallet jack, shelving, supplies, repairs$250
- Every month$3,469
Plus a security deposit up front and a multi-year term.
Estimates, not quotes. 3PL: 2026 survey averages (Argents, "3PL Fees Explained") raised 30% to reflect what small sellers we work with actually pay: $11.38 per pallet received, $25.18 per pallet per month to hold it, prorated by the night (about $0.84), a $672 monthly minimum and a $329 monthly account management fee. Packages, one-time setup (about $485), pick-and-pack and shipping markups are left out. Warehouse: 2,500 sq ft at $10 per sq ft a year base rent. NNN of $3.45 per sq ft a year follows a 2026 Kansas City-area listing (taxes $2.33, insurance $0.24, common areas $0.89). Utilities use the middle of a $1–$3 per sq ft a year range for small warehouses. Internet, gear and upkeep are a flat $250 a month estimate.
Two ways in, both month-to-month
One price covers the dock, the team and the gear. No volume minimum and no long-term commitment.
- 5 pallets received each month
- 2 nights included on every pallet
- Pickups during business hours, with a team member
- Daily carrier pickups and packing stations
- No minimums. Receive one pallet or five.
- Everything in Dock Access
- Unlimited First Class coworking, 24/7
- Pick up your freight anytime, 24/7
- Business address and your own mailbox
- Packages and mail received for you
- 60 coins of meeting room time, then half off
$448 if you bought them separately.
Book a TourExtras, billed monthly: $20 per pallet over 5 · $10 a day per pallet after 2 nights · $50 for a delivery with no notice. No minimums, month-to-month.
Shipping out? Book your carrier and we'll hand your pallets off for $25 each. Want them wrapped first? Shrink wrap is $25 a pallet.
Ready for your own space? Try a unit for 3 months. Month one costs the same as your Dock Access membership.
The gear to ship from here
Use the packing stations and daily carrier pickups any day you're here.
Pick your dock
Elevator Omaha · Downtown
- Receiving
- Team on site Mon–Fri, 9–5
- Dock
- A full 53-foot trailer backs right up
- Reviews
- ★★★★★ 5.0 from 61 Google reviews
- Call
- (402) 799-4448
Elevator Des Moines · Downtown
- Receiving
- Team on site weekdays
- Dock
- A dock-high loading dock that fits a full 53-foot trailer
- Reviews
- ★★★★★ 5.0 from 7 Google reviews
- Call
- (515) 974-5615
Elevator Kansas City · North Kansas City
- Receiving
- Team on site weekdays
- Dock
- Dock-high loading doors
- Reviews
- ★★★★★ 5.0 from 14 Google reviews
- Call
- (816) 615-0017
Elevator St. Louis
- Receiving
- Team on site weekdays
- Dock
- Dock doors and a wide staging floor
- Reviews
- ★★★★★ 5.0 from 5 Google reviews
- Call
- (314) 256-9446
When you outgrow the dock, your unit is down the hall
If pallets start sitting all month, a warehouse unit usually costs about the same as the daily fees. We'll tell you when you're there.
- TodayYour garageFree, until the liftgate fees add up
- OrCarrier terminalYou haul it home, and daily fees start fast
- You are hereDock AccessA real dock and a team that signs for you, with no unit to fill
- 5 pallets a month
- $299/mo
- No minimums
- NextYour own unitLockable space down the hall to store, pack and ship
- LaterA 3PLThe right move once you're shipping at scale
The fine print, in plain words
What can I ship to the dock?
Freight on standard-size pallets that our team can move with a manual pallet jack. If you get packages and mail too, First Class gives them a home. Cold and perishable goods are fine. We just can't take hazardous materials.
Do I need to tell you when something's coming?
Yes. A quick email to your location 48 hours ahead, with what's in the delivery, helps us have room and hands ready. Running short on time? Let us know anyway and we'll do our best to fit it in. A delivery that shows up with no notice is $50, and late notice may be too.
When can carriers deliver, and when can I pick up?
Carriers deliver during business hours, and that's when a team member can open the locked unit for you. With First Class, you can let yourself in anytime, 24/7. Just jot what you take on your in/out sheet so your count stays right.
What if my pallet stays longer than two nights?
Two nights come with every pallet, counting the night it arrives. After that it's $10 per pallet per day, and there's no deadline to pick up. If pallets start sitting most of the month, your own unit is usually the better deal, and we're happy to run the numbers with you.
Can you take my packages too?
Yes, with First Class. Dock Access + First Class ($349 a month) adds a business address and your own mailbox, so packages and mail have a home. Dock Access on its own covers pallets.
Can you ship pallets out for me?
Yes. Book your carrier, send us the details 48 hours ahead, and we'll hand each pallet to the driver during business hours. It's $25 a pallet, plus $25 if you'd like it shrink wrapped first.
Is there a minimum?
Nope. There's no volume minimum and no long-term commitment. Receive one pallet or five, and your membership is month-to-month.
Will you pick and pack my orders?
Packing stays with you, which is a big part of what keeps your costs low. We sign for your freight and keep the packing stations, gear and daily carrier pickups ready, so getting orders out the door is quick. If you'd rather hand off fulfillment completely, we're glad to talk through whether a 3PL is a better fit.
What do I need to sign up?
Just a card on file for autopay. We'll walk you through the rest on your tour.
Can I use the address on my listings and invoices?
Yes, with First Class. Dock Access + First Class includes a business address and your own mailbox. Use it on your LLC filing, website, invoices, contracts and return labels, and keep your home address private.
What if I outgrow Dock Access?
That's a great problem to have. Try your own unit for three months. Month one costs the same as your Dock Access membership, and months two and three are at the unit's rate.
Can my customers send returns to the dock?
Yes. Pallet returns come in like any other delivery, count toward your 5 pallets a month, and you get the same text when they arrive. For returns that come as packages, add First Class.
See the dock before your next pallet ships
Pick your building and grab a time. We'll walk you through the dock, the mail room and the packing stations.
- About 30 minutes
- Meet the team who'll sign for your freight
- Start the same week
Rather call? Omaha (402) 799-4448 · Des Moines (515) 974-5615 · Kansas City (816) 615-0017 · St. Louis (314) 256-9446
Pick your building to choose a time.
Omaha Des Moines Kansas City St. LouisReady now? Join online: Dock Access · Dock Access + First Class
A loading dock for about $10 a day
No minimums. Month-to-month. In Omaha, Des Moines, Kansas City and St. Louis.