Does the calculator account for pallet height?
Yes. Enter the maximum loaded height as the total height from the floor, including the pallet and cartons, then enter the pallet deck height separately. The calculator subtracts the pallet deck height before it calculates HI, so the layer count is based on the usable carton-stacking height. If you already know a nett stack height above the pallet surface, set pallet deck height to zero to avoid subtracting it twice.
What about mixed box sizes?
This calculator assumes all boxes are the same size. For mixed loads, calculate each box type separately and combine the pallet counts manually, or use specialist warehouse management software that handles mixed palletisation.
Can boxes be rotated on the pallet?
Yes — the calculator tries both orientations (length along the pallet length or along the pallet width) and uses whichever fits more boxes per layer. Height rotation is not considered as boxes are assumed to sit base-down.
What pallet footprint should I enter?
Enter the actual pallet footprint you are using. If you are working with a common standard, that may be 1200 × 800 mm for an EPAL Euro pallet or 48 × 40 in for a GMA-style pallet, but the calculator works with any footprint you supply.
Does the calculator include the empty pallet's own weight?
Yes, when you enter it. The pallet tare weight field lets the calculator add the empty pallet's own weight to the product weight so it can estimate gross pallet weight and gross shipment weight. If you leave pallet tare weight blank or at zero, the weight result only reflects the cartons you entered.
When should I keep the entered carton orientation instead of rotating boxes?
Use the fixed-orientation option when cartons have this-way-up markings, open tops, liquid contents, fragile sides, retailer-facing labels, or internal packaging that assumes a specific footprint. The automatic 90-degree rotation option is useful for regular closed cartons where either base orientation is acceptable, but it should not override handling rules printed on the carton or agreed with the customer.
What does TI HI mean on a pallet?
TI means the number of cartons on each layer of the pallet footprint, while HI means how many layers are stacked vertically. A TI/HI pattern such as 9 x 4 means 9 cartons per layer and 4 full layers high, giving 36 cartons per pallet before any weight limit changes the answer. Retailers, 3PLs, and warehouse teams often use TI/HI because it communicates the physical build pattern much faster than listing every dimension again.
Should maximum stack height include the pallet deck height?
For most real shipment planning, yes. Carrier and warehouse height rules usually refer to the loaded pallet as a whole, not just the cartons. That means the wooden or plastic pallet base consumes part of the allowance. If you ignore pallet height, you can end up with a pallet that looks valid on paper but is too tall for the trailer, container door, or customer intake specification once built.
What if the pallet weight limit is reached before the height limit?
Then the weight-based answer is the safe answer to use. A geometry-only result might suggest that more cartons fit by TI/HI, but once the carton weight and pallet tare are included, the gross pallet limit can force you to stop earlier. In practice that may mean fewer full layers or a partially filled top layer. That is common with dense products such as tiles, metal parts, bottled liquids, or compact machinery.
Why does the last pallet sometimes have empty spaces?
Because pallet counts are rounded up to the next whole pallet. If the shipment quantity does not divide evenly by the pallet capacity, the last pallet is only partially filled. Seeing that spare capacity is still useful because it tells you whether the shipment is close to filling another pallet and whether a small carton-size change or order consolidation could eliminate that extra pallet on future shipments.
Does this pallet loading calculator allow overhang or interlocked patterns?
No. This page assumes a no-overhang rectangular column stack and rotates the carton footprint only by 90 degrees to find the better simple layout. Some specialist palletizing systems allow controlled overhang, mixed patterns, or interlocked layers, but those approaches depend on carton strength, load stability, automation, and customer handling rules. For most planning work, the no-overhang answer is the safer baseline.
Can I use this for container or trailer planning as well?
Yes, but indirectly. First use the pallet calculator to determine the loaded pallet footprint, loaded height, and gross pallet weight. Then use those pallet dimensions as the items in a container or trailer loading workflow. That two-step method is usually more accurate than guessing pallet counts from carton dimensions alone, especially when different markets use different pallet standards.
