Warehouse Operations: How to Stack Pallets for Safe Transport

Efficient Pallet Stacking Palletization makes freight transportation fast and cost-effective. However, poorly stacked pallets can lean, collapse, or damage products, resulting in freight claims.

Column vs. Interlock Stacking * **Column Stacking**: Boxes are stacked directly on top of each other. This maximizes vertical compression strength by keeping box corners aligned (corners contain 60%+ of a box's weight-bearing strength). *Drawback: Columns can split apart if not secured.* * **Interlocking (Brick) Stacking**: Layers are rotated 90 degrees, pinning joints together. This increases stability. *Drawback: It reduces box stack strength by up to 30% due to corner misalignment.*

Golden Pallet Guidelines 1. **Never overhang**: Cartons extending beyond the 48" x 40" edge lose up to 30% of their stack strength and risk getting crushed by forklift blades. 2. **Keep the top flat**: Pyramid-shaped pallets are difficult to stack in trucks, wasting container height. 3. **Stretch wrap correctly**: Wrap the pallet base at least 3 times, then wrap upward with a 50% overlap. Wrap the top tight and secure the bottom securely to the wooden pallet runners.