TI × HI · whole cartons only
Enter carton size and quantity. Get cartons per layer, layers per pallet, total pallets, pallet cube, loaded weight and the freight class that comes out of it.
Max load height is floor to top of freight, pallet included. Cartons are placed whole, in a single orientation per layer — no pinwheel or mixed patterns.
Two numbers decide everything. TI is how many cartons fit in one layer; HI is how many layers fit under your height limit. Multiply them and you have cartons per pallet.
For TI, the calculator lays the carton footprint on the pallet footprint both ways round — long side down the pallet, then across it — and keeps whichever fits more whole cartons. It does not invent pinwheel or interlocked patterns. Those can squeeze in one or two more units, but they are unstable without a slip sheet and most warehouses will not build them, so counting on them at quote time is how you end up with an extra pallet on the dock.
For HI it subtracts the pallet deck (5.5 in on a standard GMA block pallet) from your maximum load height, then divides by carton height. If your carrier or your own trailer caps loads at 60 in, that leaves 54.5 in of usable stack.
Pallet configuration is the single biggest lever on an LTL invoice, because class is set by density and density is cartons-per-cube. Take the same 400 cartons: build them 60 in tall and you get fewer, denser pallets; build them 48 in tall and you get more pallets, each one carrying the same 5.5 in of dead pallet height in its cube. The freight class readout uses the current NMFC density scale so you can see the effect before you build the load.
| Pallet | Inches | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| GMA / North American | 48 × 40 | US grocery and general freight, the default |
| Square | 48 × 48 | Drums, chemicals |
| Beverage | 36 × 36 | Bottled and canned drinks |
| Euro EPAL | 47.2 × 31.5 | 1200 × 800 mm, European road freight |
| Industrial | 47.2 × 39.4 | 1200 × 1000 mm, common for export |
Cartons hanging past the pallet edge lose a large share of their compression strength, because the corner posts of the box below no longer sit under anything. Carriers also rate the shipment on its outside dimensions, so a 49 in load on a 48 in pallet is measured at 49 in — you pay for the overhang and get a weaker stack for it.