Pallet Shipping : The Ultimate Guide ( 2024 )
International pallet shipping plays a vital role of the commerce and international trading.
According to the report, the pallet market is expected to reach a volume of 9.18 Billion Units by 2024.
As one of the most common used packing types, palleting makes logistics and storage easier and more efficient.
In this guide, I’m going to show you everything you need to know about pallet shipping.
Let’s dive right in.
WHAT
WHY
TYPE
QUANTITIES
AMAZON
HOW
QUOTE
FAQ
What is pallet shipping ?
Pallets are structures utilised for shipping, it supports goods which secured with straps and wraps in order to stabilize and prevent any unwanted movement.
In plain English, bulky cargo consignments placed on the pallets, the process being referred to as palletizing for shipping together.
It’s a opposite way to the standard shipping when the cartons are in bulk or floor loaded.
Why pallet shipping needed ?
In most situation, you’re putting yourself at a advantage if you’re get your freight palletized.
1.Pallets make cargo much easier to move and handle.
Pallets can be lifted and moved by a forklift in a very simple and fast way around a warehouse or loading dock.
If cargo is floor loaded, you can image how difficult and time-consuming.
The pallets will improve the unloading and transhipp work efficiency and performance.
Check it out : How to load a container with pallet shipements ?
2.Pallets shipping can save the shipping cost a lot.
For example, suppose you have a 10 boxes in different size from differnt China suppliers.
Definitely, you won’t want to ship them separately by courier service.
Instead, when you consolidate all the boxes in one pallet, it offer you more shipping choices by LCL, or air freight.
With the knowlege of different shipping methods , you know you can save shipping cost at least 60%.
3.Pallets can protect cargo safety and reduce the risks of damage.
When the cargo is fragile, palletizing is alway recommended.
Palletizing can provides protection for your shipment during loading, transport and unloading.
What’s more, cargo won’t easily lost when all the small boxes are combined shipped by one pallet.
In short, it’s a very useful way to avoid risks besides the insurance .
When pallet is unnecessary ?
With the given benifits of pallet shipping, does that mean pallet is necessary for all shipment ?
Of course not.
Pallets are not always suitable when under certain circumstances.
When using air freight or courier service, not all carrier can accept palletized goods.
Some air freight compaines, in particular, prefer to ship cargo without pallets because pallet will effect space.
So sometimes you will find out you can’t enjoy a favorable air shipping price when cargo is palletized.
When your order is quite small and packed in good condition.
For instance,
suppose you only have 3-5 small boxes to ship, then there is no need to use a pallet as long as the box or carton is good packed.
A pallet itself can increase the volume and weight, consequently total cost will be increased.
What’s the pallet types ?
Pallet sizes vary from country to country.
But when comes to international shipping, there are only 3 types of pallets mosted used ：
• Standard Pallets
• Euro pallets
• North American pallets.
And ISO regulated normative standardisation in their measurements.
International container shipments use mainly the standard pallets.
How big is a standard pallet ? or what’s standard pallet size ?
120 x 100 cm. Period.
How many pallets fit in a 20 or 40 container ?
Pallets should ideally pack tightly into the container.
The hot question is how many pallets fit in a container ?
To answer the question, firstly we need to know the dimensions of different container types.
Depending on pallet types and shipping pallet size as talked above, the number of pallets fit in a 20-foot container or 40-foot container varies.
Interior Dimensions ( M )
Length
Height
( KG )
5.896
2.385
12.035
2.385
12.035
2.697
If you are shipping to Amazon FBA, pay attention to the palleting requirements.
Following Amazon’s palletization specification , so that your freight can enter the fulfillment center without no problem.
Here are 7 practical tips :
1.Size : Normally use standard pallet 40 inch x 48 inch ( 1 M x 1.2 M ) . Four way access for forklift.
2.Material : Wooden required. Amazon doesn’t accept plastic, cardboard or particle board Pallets.
3.Height: Any single pallet must not be taller than 72″ ( 1.8 M ) .
4.Standard: GMA Standard B Grade or higher
5.Condition：Make sure pallets are not broken and damaged.
6.Labels : Remember to attache Amazon pallet labels as well ( Each pallet with 4 pallet lables )
7.Location : You’d better get the palleting job by your supplier in China, otherwise it can be costly in US side since warehouse costs incurred.
What’s Amazon pallet
requirements ?
How to palletizing your shipment ?
Don’t waste the benefits of shipping on pallets.
Failing to prepare pallets can spell disaster for shipping especially for FCL shipments to Amazon.
Here are some useful tips on palletize your shipments properly.
1.Select Suitable Pallets
• Use standard pallets with regular size ( 1.2 x 1 M; Height < 1.8 M )
• Make sure pallets sturdy enough to support all the freight
• Don’t use broken boards and never exceed the rated capacity of pallet.
• Pallets with four-way access to forklift are preferred.
• Confirm the condition of materials of palleting ( Wooden vs Plastic )
2. Stack boxes on pallets carefully and evenly
• Make sure all individual boxes are strong enough to be piled up.
• Ensure boxes stacked are full and have no air space which might lead to boxes easily be crushed or damaged.
• Remember the weight is distributed evenly within each individual box, otherwise it can cause shifting.
• Heavier packages put on the bottom, and lighter ones must be on top.
• Boxes do not overhang the pallets. All boxes should not extend past the pallet edges
3. Secure the palletized shipments
• Place a layer of cardboard on the top of the pallets.
• Use the high quality shrink wrap to wrap the pallet several times.
• Use enough tapes or banding to secure the palleting.
4. Affix the pallet lables
• Every pallet must be labeled accordingly.
• Apply lables to 4 side of the pallet so to ensure information is easy to locate.
• For shipment blind reason, complete consignee information ( especially phone number ) is unnecessary.
Are you looking for pallet shipping cost calculator ?
It doesn’t exist.
Because no matter what shipping methods you choose , the chargeable unit could not be pallets.
Volume and weight determin the costs to ship a pallet, not the pallet itself.
But don’t be disappointed.
Despite no shipping cost based on pallets quantities or types, you can still obtain pallet shipping cost or pallet freight quote indirectly.
How ?
Here are 3 steps :
1.Use our CBM calculator to calculate the total volume of the pallet shipments.
2.Choose the shipping method ( LCL, FCL or AIR ) based on the volume.
3.Get the estimated shipping costs from the cost calculators.
FAQ
How much does a pallet cost ?
Depend on the pallet materials, pallet types and quantities, pallet cost can be varies from USD 30 to USD 100 each.
Most China freight forwarders can offer pallet services to support the shipping.
How much does a pallet weigh ?
The average pallet weight vary based on the type and material.
In generally, a plastic standard pallet ( 1200 x 1000 mm) weigh 15 kg, and 25 kg for wooden pallets.
You see ? Due to the weight of pallet itself, the total shipment weight will be increased a bit.
So once again, if the order is not that bulk, using a big carton is enough so to avoid the increasing shipping cost.
How much weight can a pallet hold ?
The racked capacity for a shipping pallet is 2000 KG for China’s profession standards.
Since palletes need to be piled up, we would suggest a pallet load 1000 kg at most for security reason.
What's the maximum height for a shipping pallet ?
The maximum height for Amazon FBA shipments is 1.8M
For standard pallet height for shipping , we would recommend pallet height kept within 1.5M for easier handling.
Plastic pallets or Wooden pallets ? Which is better ?
The most ordinarily used component for shipping pallets is wooden and plastic.
The advantages and disadvantages of both need to be addressed before approved for utilisation.
Wooden Pallets
Pros :
The material is more cheap and easy to get.
Cons :
It weighs more than plastic pallets.
Some wooden pallet is not well processed, thus fumigation or disinfection is required.
Plastic Pallets
Pros :
More safe and hygienic, light weight, not easy to be damaged by insects.
Cons :
Many warehouses and fullfilment centers don’t accept it, especially Amazon.
CONCLUSION
This is the guide to pallet transport.
If you plan to ship from China, now or in the future, please contact me, and I will provide you with a solution subsequently.
