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Pallet Carton Max height
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Handling Checks

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A pallet plan turns a carton count into a repeatable stacking pattern, a layer count, and a shipment-level pallet count. The familiar TI-HI notation captures two of those decisions: TI is the number of cartons on one layer, while HI is the number of complete layers on a full pallet.

Footprint, height, and weight impose separate limits. A carton may fit neatly across the deck yet make a full layer too heavy, or a light carton may reach the height limit first. Pallet tare, top clearance, approved gross weight, and the packed weight of each carton therefore matter as much as the carton footprint.

Footprint fit
Counts complete cartons in straight, rotated, or mixed orthogonal rows without assuming that cartons may overlap.
Height fit
Counts complete carton layers after subtracting the pallet base and any reserved top clearance.
Weight fit
Limits the stack so carton weight plus pallet tare stays within the entered gross limit.

Identical rectangular cartons make this arithmetic useful for warehouse estimates, carrier discussions, and order splitting. It is not a proof that a load is stable or that the cartons can support the proposed stack. Compression strength, center of gravity, deck-board support, wrapping, banding, route conditions, and receiver rules still need a physical packaging review.

Overhang deserves particular caution. Adding an allowance can raise the geometric count, but it also moves cartons beyond the supported deck and can reduce protection at their edges. Keep it at zero unless the pallet, carrier, and receiving specification explicitly permit the proposed load.

How to Use This Tool:

Start with a preset only when it matches the pallet and shipment limits you will actually use. Otherwise, enter the approved dimensions and limits as a custom plan.

  1. Choose a Load preset, then confirm the pallet footprint, base height, tare, maximum loaded height, and maximum gross weight against the pallet or carrier specification.
  2. Enter the packed carton length, width, height, weight, and Cartons to ship. Keep the dimensions in their measured orientation; the fitting mode handles rotation.
  3. Select Auto best fit to compare lengthwise, rotated, and mixed-row layouts, or pin one direction when labels, arrows, contents, or supports prohibit rotation. Choose the handling profile that best describes the cartons.
  4. Review the TI-HI result, limiting factor, last-pallet count, and handling warnings. If the result is withheld, correct the stated height, weight, dimension, or whole-carton error before using the plan.

Interpreting Results:

The full-pallet capacity is the lower of the height-limited and weight-limited layer counts. A Weight limit result means extra vertical clearance cannot add another full layer; a Height limit result means unused payload capacity does not create more physical space.

  • Footprint utilization compares carton face area on a layer with the supported pallet deck. A value below 75% is a review cue, not an automatic failure.
  • Cube utilization compares packed carton volume with the supported deck area times usable stack height. It can be lower than footprint utilization when the height leaves a partial-carton gap.
  • Order fill measures the order against all planned pallet capacity. A low value often means the last pallet is lightly filled; a final pallet below 50% of full capacity receives a separate warning.
  • Handling review appears above 8 layers for stable stackable cartons, above 4 for crush-sensitive cartons, and above 2 for do-not-stack freight. These are planning prompts, not certified limits.

Technical Details:

All lengths are converted to centimetres and weights to kilograms before the fit is evaluated. Inch and pound conversions use 1 in = 2.54 cm and 1 lb = 0.45359237 kg. Only complete cartons, complete rows, and complete layers count toward capacity.

Formula Core:

The usable deck may include an entered allowance on every side. For a pallet length PL, width PW, and per-side overhang o, the effective dimensions are:

PL,e=PL+2o,PW,e=PW+2o

For carton length cL and width cW, straight and rotated layer counts use integer floor division. The selected TI value C is the chosen candidate count.

Clengthwise=⌊PL,ecL⌋×⌊PW,ecW⌋,Crotated=⌊PL,ecW⌋×⌊PW,ecL⌋

The mixed candidate tests bounded combinations of lengthwise and rotated rows across the pallet width. Auto selection chooses the candidate with the most cartons, breaking a tie by the larger used rectangle. This is an orthogonal row model; it does not solve arbitrary nesting, pinwheels, diagonal packing, or load-bearing interlocks.

Usable height subtracts the pallet base and reserved clearance. Height and weight each produce a complete-layer ceiling, and the lower count becomes HI.

Lheight=⌊Hmax−Hbase−Hreservehcarton⌋,Lweight=⌊Mgross−MtareC×mcarton⌋,HI=min(Lheight,Lweight)

If N cartons are ordered, one full pallet holds C × HI cartons and the pallet count rounds upward:

Npallets=⌈NC×HI⌉

Rule Core:

RuleBoundaryEffect
Complete fitFloor divisionPartial cartons and partial layers never add capacity.
Primary limitLower layer count winsEqual height and weight counts are reported as a tie.
Final palletRemainder > 0Adds one partial pallet; an exact division produces no partial pallet.
Low utilizationBelow 75%Flags footprint or cube utilization for review; exactly 75% does not flag.
Light final palletBelow 50% fullFlags the partial pallet; exactly 50% does not flag.

Model values retain full numeric precision. Visible lengths, weights, and percentages are formatted for reading after the calculation. A plan is invalid when no complete carton fits, the height or weight allowance cannot hold one full layer, dimensions or packed weight are not positive, or the order count is not a whole number from 1 through 1,000,000.

Accuracy and Safety Notes:

The result is a geometric and gross-weight planning estimate. Release the load only after checking the actual pallet rating, carrier and receiver limits, carton compression data, product orientation, restraint method, fork access, clearances, center of gravity, and any dangerous-goods or route-specific requirements.

  • Measure packed cartons, including bulges and closures, rather than relying only on nominal carton dimensions.
  • Use the real pallet tare and maximum loaded height; both directly reduce carton capacity.
  • Treat a handling warning as a prompt for packaging approval, not as permission to stack to the reported layer count.

Worked Examples:

Euro pallet warehouse order

A 120 × 80 cm pallet with a 14.4 cm base, a 160 cm loaded-height limit, and a 900 kg gross limit carries 30 × 20 × 18 cm cartons weighing 7.2 kg each. Lengthwise rows fit 16 cartons per layer. Height permits 8 layers, but weight permits 7, so a full pallet holds 112 cartons at 140.4 cm and 831.4 kg gross. An order of 600 cartons needs 6 pallets: 5 full pallets and a final pallet with 40 cartons across 3 layers.

References: