Uline vs Grainger vs Supply Tie: Freight, Minimums and Pricing Compared
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Uline and Grainger are the two names most small-business buyers check first for packaging, shipping and facility supplies. They are built differently, and so is Supply Tie. This guide sets out how each one handles freight, minimums and pricing, so you can decide where each part of your order makes sense. It sticks to published policies and doesn't rank anyone.
The short version
| Uline | Grainger | Supply Tie | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Core strength | Shipping and packaging supplies, warehouse and janitorial | MRO: maintenance, repair and operations, plus safety and electrical | Packaging, MRO and material handling, with bulk and pallet-quantity programs |
| How freight is charged | Freight is prepaid from the nearest Uline location and invoiced to you; parcel or freight depending on size | Set by Grainger's published shipping policy; check the current terms for your account | Freight is set per ship-from origin (vendor); each has its own free-freight threshold, shown in the cart as you shop |
| Speed | Many orders arrive the next business day | Depends on the item and branch; shown at checkout | Varies by origin; each shipment's rate and timing are shown at its own checkout |
| Pricing model | Published catalog pricing with quantity breaks | List pricing, with account-based discounts | Published pricing, business-account pricing, and quote requests for pallet and truckload quantities |
Freight: the biggest practical difference
Uline ships from the Uline location closest to you and invoices the freight. If you give your own UPS or FedEx account, a $1.50 handling fee applies, and Uline's shipping specials don't apply to collect shipments.
Grainger sets freight through its own published shipping policy, with separate options for faster delivery. Check its current terms, which can depend on your account.
Supply Tie products ship from different origins (distribution warehouses and manufacturers), so freight is worked out per origin. Each origin has its own free-freight threshold: for example, $500 for warehouse MRO items, and $500, $1,000 or $3,000 for material handling brands depending on the manufacturer. The cart groups your items by origin and shows how far each group is from its threshold. Each group checks out separately, so one origin's free freight never depends on what you buy from another.
Minimums and bulk orders
Some Supply Tie lines have order minimums because they ship from the manufacturer. For example, PAC Strapping carries a $400 minimum, apart from a few stocked single items. Pallet-quantity items such as machine stretch film sell by the full pallet. For larger volumes there are request-a-quote pages for stretch wrap (including vented and perforated film), strapping, boxes, paper, foam, bubble wrap and custom printed tape and bags.
Which to use when
- Small, urgent, mixed orders of packaging basics: Uline's next-day parcel network is built for this.
- A broad maintenance and repair parts catalog: Grainger's MRO catalog and account programs are built for this.
- Bulk packaging, pallet quantities, material handling equipment, or orders you can consolidate by origin: Supply Tie's per-origin freight thresholds and quote programs are built for this.
Buying by a Uline part number? See the Uline stretch film equivalents and Uline poly bag equivalents, matched by spec.
Sources: Uline customer-service FAQ, "What is Uline's shipping and handling policy?" (uline.com, retrieved September 2026); Supply Tie cart and freight settings as of September 26, 2026.