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Preparing To Ship On a Pallet

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LTL shipping is used for small freight or when the items don't require the use of an entire trailer. Your freight is combined with other shipments to fill an entire trailer. It is ideal for shipments under 15,000 pounds.
Full truckload is used when shippers have enough items to fill an entire truck or they want their shipment in a trailer all by itself.
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Tips for Preparing Freight to Ship on a Pallet

When you’re preparing freight to ship on a pallet, a lot can go wrong. By enacting some of these tips, you can help ensure your pallet freight gets to its destination damage-free.

Use Boxes Suited for Your Product

If you’re packing your own products, using boxes with an appropriate compression resistance can help reduce the risk of crushed packages, damaged freight, and therefore unstable pallets. When choosing boxes, consider how much the product weighs and how much freight you’ll be shipping on a single pallet.

Pack Pallets with Physics in Mind

Top heavy pallets are unstable. It’s simple physics. To counteract this, pack heavier boxes on the bottom of pallets and lighter boxes at the top. Particularly is you heeded the tip above, stacking heavier boxes on the bottom should help you build pallets that don’t easily tip or crush.

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Our clients consistently highlight the reliability, transparency, and cost-saving impact of partnering with BlueGrace. From small businesses to large enterprises, companies across the country trust our team to manage their LTL shipments efficiently, ensuring on-time delivery and reducing freight expenses. These testimonials reflect not just satisfaction with our services, but confidence in a logistics partner that understands their unique shipping challenges.

Sarah Thompson
Operations Manager, GreenLeaf Supplies

“BlueGrace has completely transformed the way we handle LTL shipments. Their team helped us reduce freight costs by 12% while improving delivery times, and the visibility into every shipment gives us peace of mind. They truly act as an extension of our operations team.”

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David Ramirez
CEO, Horizon Electronics

“We rely on BlueGrace for all of our nationwide LTL shipments. Their personalized support and intelligent routing solutions have made our supply chain much more efficient. The real-time tracking and proactive communication set them apart from any other provider we’ve worked with.”

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Emily Chen
Logistics Coordinator, Summit Retailers

“Partnering with BlueGrace has been a game-changer. Their team understands our business needs, provides cost-effective solutions, and ensures every shipment arrives on time. We finally have a freight partner we can trust, and it shows in our operational performance.”

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Pallet Problems?

Proper pallet shipping can reduce damage, lower freight costs, and prevent costly reclassification fees. Speaking with a freight expert helps ensure your freight is packed, secured, and classified correctly before it ever leaves the dock.

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Tips for Preparing Freight to Ship on a Pallet (Cont.)

Use Slip Sheets

Slip sheets, or thin sheets of cardboard or plastic situated between layers of boxes or boxes and pallets, can help support the bottom of boxes, improving their crush resistance. They help spread the weight of the freight over a solid foundation, which is especially helpful if there are large gaps between pallet slats or boxes.

Keep Freight on the Pallet

When you’re stacking pallets, make sure all freight is on the pallet. Boxes that overhang the edge of the pallet are more prone to damage. You can also utilize straps to keep heavy freight on pallets and use stretch wrap around the entire pallet to keep freight stationary, even during the movement that comes with loading, shipping, and unloading.

Label Carefully

No matter how well your pallet is packed, a mislabeled, unlabeled, or unclearly labeled pallet could wind up in the wrong place. Be sure you label pallets with the recipient, address, and contact information.

3PL providers, with their edgy technology and expansive rolodexes, often have great insight into reducing shipment damage. If you’re experiencing frequent damage when you ship freight on a pallet, talk with an expert at Blue Grace and get a supply chain analysis, which may offer solutions.

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10 Pallet Packing FAQs

Proper pallet packing helps prevent damage and ensures stability during transport. Best practices include using boxes suited to your product’s weight, placing heavier items on the bottom, stacking boxes directly over each other for support, and securing everything with straps and stretch wrap. Experts at BlueGrace Logistics can guide shippers on optimal pallet packing to reduce freight damage and improve transport reliability.

You should stack boxes directly on top of each other so that the corners line up and create structural support. Avoid overhanging boxes or irregular patterns, as these increase the risk of tipping or damage. Logistics professionals from BlueGrace emphasize consistent stacking to build stable and secure pallets.

Slip sheets are placed between boxes or between boxes and the pallet to spread weight evenly and improve crush resistance. This supports freight and increases stability during handling. BlueGrace Logistics recommends slip sheets for heavier or uneven loads to help maintain pallet integrity and avoid costly damage in transit.

Freight should always be entirely on the pallet’s surface—nothing should hang over the edge. Overhanging boxes are more likely to get damaged, caught, or shifted in transit. BlueGrace Logistics advises shippers to check pallet dimensions and adjust pack size accordingly to prevent overhang and avoid carrier handling issues.

Use strong straps, bands, and stretch wrap to secure freight to the pallet. Wrapping the pallet tightly and using strapping helps keep boxes stationary during movement and handling. BlueGrace professionals often recommend strapping combined with wrap for the strongest hold, especially for long hauls.

Choose boxes with compression strength appropriate for your product weight. Durable, high-quality boxes reduce the risk of crushing under load. Shippers working with BlueGrace Logistics benefit from guidance on selecting box types that balance protection and cost for palletized freight.

Ensure pallets are labeled clearly with the consignee’s information, contact details, and any necessary handling instructions. Effective labelling helps carriers process shipments correctly and reduces the chance of misdelivery. Shippers can get labeling guidance from BlueGrace Logistics to help ensure compliance with carrier standards.

Well-prepared pallets are less likely to incur damage fees, reclassification charges, or handling costs due to instability. By following packing best practices, shippers can control costs. BlueGrace Logistics works with customers to identify preparation steps that help reduce cost impacts from poor packaging.

Distribute heavier boxes toward the bottom and center of the pallet, and fill gaps with cushioning to prevent shifting. Even weight distribution increases stability and reduces risk of tipping. BlueGrace Logistics highlights weight distribution as a key factor in safe, cost-effective pallet shipping.

If a location lacks dock access or forklifts, you may need a liftgate service for pickup. Ensuring this is noted on the shipment avoids delays or unsafe handling. BlueGrace Logistics can help include equipment needs when booking freight to ensure a smooth pickup and delivery process.