Often overlooked, shipping pallets play a key role in logistics. Let’s have a look at the fundamentals of palletizing your shipments.
From container space and cost optimization to cargo and staff safety, palletized shipments streamline the entire transportation process in domestic and international shipping.
Here are some tips on packing and securing your load for palletized shipping.
What Is Palletized Shipping?
Simply put, palletized shipping is the entire process and logistics involved when shipping your freight on unitized pallets. It involves meticulously loading and securing your boxed or unboxed goods onto standard-sized pallets, which are then shipped either individually or as part of a full container (FCL) or less-than-container (LCL) load.
Packing goods onto a pallet facilitates handling, storage, and transportation. It maximizes the use of cargo hold space in ships and planes, protects items from damage, and facilitates loading and unloading.
Palletized Transport In International Shipping
When shipping from the USA overseas, you’ll need to palletize general cargo, which typically refers to packaged or crated items that can fit on a standard-size pallet.
Among other benefits, palletized shipping (or palletised in British English) provides safe, quick, and convenient loading and unloading with cranes, forklifts, or pallet jacks.
When properly packed and secured with the right dunnage, palletizing protects your items from damage caused by shifting, vibration, external pressure, or even humidity and container sweat.
Stacking items onto pallets prevents partial shipment losses and optimizes cargo hold capacity. In air shipping, for example, standardized pallets can enable up to 90% cargo space utilization, compared to 70% for bulk cargo – depending on the type of vessel.
And, although the cost of materials and weight-based shipping may add up when using pallets, they’re the number one choice for shippers and carriers worldwide.
How To Pack A Pallet For Shipping
Proper palletization helps you reap all the benefits of pallet shipping.
Ideally, you should aim for a perfect cube, where palletized boxes are tightly packed together. But because goods can come in all shapes and sizes, you should try your best to secure them on a pallet without gaps, overhangs, or uneven top layers.
Here are some tips:
Configure Your Load
Get clear about the dimensions, weight, and handling needs of your goods before you start loading them onto your pallets to achieve optimal packing.
Use a Slip Sheet
Start by placing a plastic sheet or shrink wrap on the bottom of your pallet. This adds extra support and minimizes compression strength deprivation, especially when using wooden pallets with wide gaps.
Stabilize Items
Whether palletizing boxes or non-boxed items, always place the heaviest ones at the bottom. Try to stack your goods in full layers. If, however, there are not enough boxes for a full top layer, place the remaining few along the outside edges for steadiness.
Do not pyramid stack (unless it’s absolutely necessary). A pyramid arrangement is much less secure and less stable. Plus, the top boxes have a high risk of damage.
Avoid Wide Gaps & Overhang
Because gaps can cause shifting, bind items tightly together for maximum stability. Place flat cardboard sheets between layers of boxes to further prevent shifting.
Stack squarely corner-to-corner to the pallet or skid edge, without overhang. Overhang reduces compression resistance and decreases pallet strength, and thus, safety.
Stack In Columns
For extra stability, stack boxes directly over each other in columns with balanced surface area distribution. This layout protects your shipment and facilitates storage and transit. Keeping the top of the stack flat makes it easy to stack other pallets on top.
Non-cubic items, like tube-shaped packaging, can also be placed in rows sandwiched between cardboard sheets.
Add Proper Labeling
Label each side of the pallet. Pallet labels should match the Bill of Lading (BOL) and clearly show the name and address of the shipper and consignee. Additional information may be needed according to the carrier’s instructions.
In many cases, you’ll also need to label individual boxes before packing them onto pallets.
Secure Your Load
There are many ways to secure your palletized items:
- Create a protective wall around your goods for added strength and resistance to tears and scrapes.
- Place angle boards as edge protectors to further strengthen the pallet, secure contents, and prevent straps from digging into and damaging cargo. Such corner protectors also help maintain balance with tall loads.
- Wrap the entire shipment using plenty of stretch wrap – at least three to five times around the pallet, including around the base. Twist the wrap for added strength. Shrink wrapping is the best solution for preventing loads stacked in columns from shifting.
- Add straps, at least two tightly secured bands through the skid voids and around all items. In conjunction with shrink wrap, strapping ensures all items are secure and won’t slide off during transit.
Use Appropriate, Quality Material
Always use quality boxes, pallets, shrink wrap, and tape. Choose the right material for your load, like shrink wrapping that adheres to the products, durable 70-gauge stretch wrap for international shipping, or heavy-duty pallet straps for heavy loads.
Inspect Your Pallet Shipments
Before shipping it out, always inspect your palletized shipments to verify that everything is adequately packed and secured. Proper palletization ensures both load and worker well-being, as broken or obstructed pallets can cause injury and damage.
It’s also wise to take photos of each pallet on the scale. This standard practice protects shippers from potential overweight charges and also provides visual evidence in damage reports.
Pre-Shipment Inspection
As part of Ship4wd’s pre-shipment inspection services (PSI), palletized shipments are thoroughly checked for safety, stability, and compliance.
Further PSI services include:
- Product quality verification – Confirms your goods meet the specified quality standards before shipment.
- Compliance checks – Verifies adherence to relevant regulations and requirements.
Packaging and labeling assessment – Ensures compliance with international standards. - Pre-Shipment Inspection Certificate (PSIC) – Facilitates smoother customs clearance.
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