Pallet Load Plan Calculator

Check load measurements

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Load preset:

Start from a Euro pallet, ISO export pallet, US LTL pallet, or light retail carton load.

Unit system:

Use metric for cm and kg, or imperial for in and lb warehouse worksheets.

Pallet footprint:

The carton layer pattern is packed inside this footprint.

x {{ dimensionUnit }}

Height limits:

Base height is subtracted before carton layers are counted.

base max {{ dimensionUnit }}

Pallet weight limits:

Use the lower of carrier, rack, pallet, or product handling limits.

tare gross {{ weightUnit }}

Carton footprint:

The best layer pattern compares lengthwise, rotated, and mixed row layouts.

x {{ dimensionUnit }}

Carton height:

Measure the packed carton outside height.

Carton weight:

Use the packed carton weight, not the empty carton weight.

Cartons to ship:

The last pallet is shown separately when the order does not divide evenly.

cartons

Layer fitting mode:

Lock a pattern when labels, arrows, or handling rules require a fixed carton direction.

Handling profile:

The profile changes the handling checks without changing the geometric fit.

Allowed overhang:

Any positive overhang is flagged in the handling checks.

{{ dimensionUnit }} per side

Height reserve:

Leave 0 when the max loaded height already includes clearance.

Utilization alert:

Lower this for odd carton sizes, raise it for cube-sensitive freight.

Metric	Value	Detail	Copy
{{ row.metric }}	{{ row.value }}	{{ row.detail }}

Pattern	Rows	Cartons per row	Used footprint	Cartons	Copy
{{ row.pattern }}	{{ row.rows }}	{{ row.cartonsPerRow }}	{{ row.usedFootprint }}	{{ row.cartons }}

Check	Status	Detail	Copy
{{ row.check }}	{{ row.status }}	{{ row.detail }}

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A pallet load plan is most useful before cartons reach the dock. It turns packed carton measurements into a unit load that a warehouse can stage, a forklift can move, a carrier can rate, and a receiver can unload without guessing how tall, heavy, or stable the freight will be. The arithmetic looks simple when every carton is identical, but the final answer changes as soon as pallet size, carton direction, height clearance, gross weight, overhang, or the last partial pallet changes.

The planning language usually starts with TI-HI. TI is the number of cartons in one footprint layer. HI is the number of carton layers in the stack. Those two numbers only describe a usable plan when the loaded height and gross weight also fit the route, rack, dock, carrier, and customer rules. A 12 x 5 pattern may look efficient, but it is not acceptable if the fifth layer exceeds a height cap, crushes weak cartons, or pushes the pallet past its gross weight limit.

Footprint fit: How many cartons can sit on the pallet deck in one complete layer, including any permitted overhang.
Usable stack height: The space left for cartons after pallet base height and any clearance reserve are removed from the maximum loaded height.
Gross pallet weight: The combined pallet tare and packed carton weight compared with the carrier, warehouse, rack, or handling limit.
Partial pallet: The final pallet that carries the remainder when the order does not divide evenly into full-pallet capacity.

Pallet standards and route rules matter because the same cartons can behave differently on a Euro pallet, an ISO export pallet, or a US 48 in by 40 in LTL pallet. Rotation can improve the carton count per layer, but it may conflict with arrows, labels, handholds, product protection, or customer receiving practice. Overhang may create a better numerical fit while weakening edge support or triggering carrier review. For dense products, gross weight can stop the stack before height does. For light bulky cartons, height usually stops the stack first.

The last pallet deserves separate attention because it often moves through the same docks and trailers as the full pallets while carrying a smaller, less regular stack. Low-fill remainders may need extra wrap, corner boards, consolidation with another order, or a different pick instruction. A mathematically efficient load is only useful when it can be handled repeatedly without damage or surprise charges.

Diagram showing pallet footprint fit, TI cartons per layer, stack height, and gross weight limit.

A good load count is therefore a planning number, not a safety test. It should be checked against packaging trials, pallet condition, stretch-wrap method, compression strength, center of gravity, forklift handling, storage height, and any carrier or customer routing guide before the load is released.

How to Use This Tool:

Start from the closest preset, then replace the defaults with the actual packed carton and pallet limits.

Choose a Load preset, such as Euro pallet warehouse order, ISO export pallet, US 48 x 40 LTL pallet, or Light retail cartons. The preset fills the form, but every value remains editable.
Set the Unit system. Switching between metric and imperial converts the current measurements in place, so check that the pallet and carton dimensions still match your worksheet.
Enter Pallet footprint, Height limits, and Pallet weight limits. Use the usable deck size, pallet base height, maximum loaded height, tare weight, and the lowest gross weight cap that applies to the route.
Enter Carton footprint, Carton height, Carton weight, and Cartons to ship. Use packed outside measurements, including carton bulge, tape, labels, and inserts.
Pick the Layer fitting mode. Auto best fit compares lengthwise, rotated, and mixed-row patterns; fixed modes are better when arrows, labels, product support, or barcode direction require one orientation.
Choose the Handling profile, then open Advanced if you need allowed overhang, a height reserve, or a utilization alert. Keep overhang at zero when carrier or receiver rules are unknown.
Review the summary first. If Measurement review appears, fix the flagged dimensions or limits before using the plan. Then compare Load Plan, Layer Pattern, Handling Checks, Load Limit Chart, and JSON for the same load.

When the plan will be used for pick instructions or freight booking, repeat the calculation after any packaging, pallet, route, customer, or handling rule changes.

Interpreting Results:

Pallet count is the number of handling units needed for the entered carton count. The summary line shows the full-pallet capacity as TI-HI, so a value such as 16 x 7 means 16 cartons per layer and 7 full layers. If the order does not divide evenly, Last pallet shows the remaining cartons, layers, gross weight, and partial-pallet condition.

Limiting factor tells you why the stack stopped. Height limit means complete carton layers ran out of usable height before weight capacity ran out. Weight limit means the gross weight cap stopped the stack before the height cap. Both fit means height and weight allow the same full-layer count, not that the load is proven safe for every handling environment.

Footprint utilization and Cube utilization below the utilization alert deserve a packaging or orientation review, especially when freight cost is cube-sensitive.
Handling Checks are review flags. Overhang, low fill, tall stacks, crush-sensitive profiles, and partial pallets should be checked against real handling rules before release.
Load Limit Chart is a quick way to see whether height, gross weight, cube, footprint, or order fill is creating the weakest part of the plan.
High utilization does not prove stability. Verify carton compression strength, pallet deck support, wrap method, and the customer or carrier routing guide before treating the plan as final.

Advanced Tips:

Use Auto best fit for neutral cartons, then compare fixed orientation modes when labels, arrows, handholds, barcode scan paths, or product support matter.
Keep Allowed overhang at 0 unless the carrier, pallet spec, and receiver allow unsupported edges for that product and route.
Set Height reserve for top caps, wrap crowns, label clearance, rack beam clearance, or trailer loading tolerance instead of using the full maximum height.
Raise the Utilization alert when freight cost is cube-sensitive, and lower it only when protection, product shape, or route rules deliberately leave empty space.
Change Handling profile before changing dimensions when carton compression, display packaging, or do-not-stack rules are what limits the load.

Technical Details:

Pallet capacity is a constrained layer calculation. The footprint step finds how many packed cartons can fit in one complete layer. The stack step then asks how many of those layers can be used before the load reaches either the usable height cap or the available product weight capacity. The smaller layer count controls the full-pallet capacity.

All dimensional comparisons must use the same unit basis. Overhang increases the effective footprint used for fitting, but utilization is still compared against the supported pallet deck. That means a plan can show a better carton count while also raising an overhang review flag. Mixed-row fitting is a practical row-based pattern, not a full three-dimensional packing proof.

Formula Core:

The core equations calculate complete layers first, then convert full-pallet capacity into an order-level pallet count.

\begin{array}{lll} L_{e} & = & L_{p} + 2 O \\ W_{e} & = & W_{p} + 2 O \\ H_{u} & = & H_{\max} - H_{base} - H_{reserve} \\ N_{height} & = & floor (\frac{H_{u}}{H_{carton}}) \\ N_{weight} & = & floor (\frac{G_{\max} - G_{tare}}{G_{carton} \times TI}) \\ HI & = & \min (N_{height}, N_{weight}) \\ C_{full} & = & TI \times HI \\ P_{count} & = & ceil (\frac{C_{order}}{C_{full}}) \end{array}

Pallet load planning symbols and units
Symbol	Meaning	Unit behavior
L_e, W_e	Effective pallet length and width after overhang is added to both sides.	cm or in, based on the selected unit system.
TI	Cartons per layer from the selected lengthwise, rotated, or mixed-row footprint pattern.	Whole cartons only.
HI	Full carton layers allowed by both height and gross weight.	Whole layers only.
H_u	Usable height after pallet base height and height reserve are subtracted.	cm or in, rounded for display.
C_full	Cartons on one full pallet.	Whole cartons.
P_count	Total pallet count after the order carton count is divided by full-pallet capacity.	Rounded up to include any partial pallet.

For the Euro pallet warehouse preset, a 120 cm by 80 cm pallet with 30 cm by 20 cm cartons fits 16 cartons in a lengthwise layer. Usable height is 160 - 14.4 - 3 = 142.6 cm, so 18 cm cartons allow 7 complete layers. The 900 kg gross cap with 25 kg pallet tare leaves 875 kg for cartons; 16 cartons at 7.2 kg each also allow 7 layers. Full-pallet capacity is therefore 16 x 7 = 112 cartons, and 600 cartons require ceil(600 / 112) = 6 pallets.

Rules and Boundaries:

Pallet load planning rule boundaries
Rule	Boundary	Result effect
Required measurements	Pallet length and width, carton length, width, height, and carton weight must be greater than 0.	Invalid values trigger Measurement review before results are used.
Height viability	Maximum loaded height must be greater than pallet base height plus height reserve.	Otherwise no usable stack height remains for cartons.
Weight viability	Maximum gross weight must be greater than pallet tare weight.	Otherwise no product weight capacity remains.
Utilization alert	Footprint and cube utilization are marked Good when they are greater than or equal to the chosen alert percent.	Lower values are marked Review.
Handling profile	Stable stackable cartons review above 8 layers, crush-sensitive cartons above 4 layers, and do-not-stack freight above 2 layers.	Higher HI values receive a layer review flag.
Partial pallet fill	The last pallet is Low fill when it carries less than 50% of a full pallet.	Low-fill remainders may need consolidation, extra wrap, or a different pick plan.

Complete carton layers use floor rounding because fractional layers cannot be tendered as a normal pallet stack. Pallet count uses ceiling rounding because any remainder still occupies a handling unit. Displayed dimensions, weights, and percentages are rounded for readability, but the constraint checks use the entered measurements after unit conversion.

Accuracy and Safety Notes:

A dimensional load plan cannot prove that a pallet is safe to move, rack, double-stack, or ship. It checks carton count, height, weight, and review flags, but it does not test compression strength, load shift, pallet damage, moisture, temperature, stretch-wrap performance, or forklift impact.

Use the lower of carrier, customer, pallet, rack, and warehouse limits for height and gross weight.
Measure packed cartons after product, dunnage, tape, straps, labels, and corner protection are in place.
Treat overhang, non-stackable freight, crush-sensitive cartons, and low-fill partial pallets as review items, even when the arithmetic fits.
Confirm final instructions with packaging tests, site safety rules, and the route-specific freight guide before release.

Worked Examples:

Use the examples to check the main result, a limiting-factor case, and the correction path for invalid measurements.

Euro warehouse order

A warehouse order using the Euro preset has 600 cartons, each 30 cm by 20 cm by 18 cm and 7.2 kg. The Load Plan should show 6 pallets, 112 cartons per full pallet, and a TI-HI of 16 x 7. The Last pallet carries 40 cartons across 3 layers, so the receiving team should treat it as a partial pallet even though the full pallets are well utilized.

Dense LTL shipment

A dense LTL shipment can be weight-limited. With a 48 in by 40 in pallet, 16 in by 12 in by 10 in cartons, a 60 in maximum loaded height, 6 in pallet base height, 2 in reserve, 50 lb pallet tare, 1,500 lb gross cap, and 42 lb cartons, height allows 5 layers but weight allows only 3. The Limiting factor should read Weight limit, and full-pallet capacity is 27 cartons when the layer holds 9 cartons.

No full pallet fit

A troubleshooting case often starts with No full pallet fit or Measurement review. If the maximum loaded height is less than or equal to pallet base height plus height reserve, increase the height cap, reduce the reserve, or use shorter cartons. If weight capacity cannot hold one complete layer, reduce carton weight, lower cases per layer with a fixed fitting mode, raise the approved gross cap, or split the order into a different handling plan.

FAQ:

What does TI-HI mean?

TI is cartons per layer and HI is layers per full pallet. The summary line uses TI-HI to show how the full-pallet carton count was built.

Should I use Auto best fit or a fixed layer fitting mode?

Use Auto best fit when cartons can rotate safely. Use Lengthwise columns only, Rotated columns only, or Mixed row pattern when product markings, support, labels, or handling rules limit the orientation.

Why did Measurement review appear?

Measurement review appears when required dimensions or weights are zero or invalid, maximum loaded height does not exceed pallet base height plus reserve, maximum gross weight does not exceed pallet tare, or overhang and height reserve are negative.

Can overhang improve the pallet count?

Yes, allowed overhang can increase the effective footprint used for carton fitting, but the Handling Checks mark any positive overhang for carrier review because unsupported carton edges can reduce load strength.

Does a Good utilization flag mean the pallet is safe?

No. A Good utilization flag only means the footprint or cube percentage met the selected alert level. Stability still depends on carton strength, pallet condition, wrapping, center of gravity, handling profile, and site rules.

Glossary:

TI: The number of cartons in one footprint layer.
HI: The number of complete carton layers on a full pallet.
Tare weight: The weight of the empty pallet before cartons are added.
Gross weight: The total pallet tare plus all packed carton weight on the pallet.
Height reserve: Clearance held back from maximum loaded height for wrap, top protection, labels, or handling tolerance.
Footprint utilization: The carton area in one layer compared with the supported pallet deck area.
Cube utilization: The packed carton volume on a full pallet compared with the usable pallet stack volume.
Partial pallet: The last pallet when the order carton count is not an exact multiple of full-pallet capacity.

References:

ISO 6780:2003 Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling, International Organization for Standardization, 2003-12, confirmed 2026.
29 CFR 1910.176 Handling materials - general, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Warehousing Hazards and Solutions, Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Freight Packing Guides, FedEx Freight.