Most LTL damage happens before the truck arrives. A well-built pallet is your best insurance policy.
In less-than-truckload (LTL) shipping, your freight shares the trailer with other consignments and is handled by forklift at each hub. A properly built pallet protects your goods, speeds up handling and avoids surcharges. Here is how to prepare freight the way professional shippers in Saudi Arabia do.
Choose the right pallet
Use a standard 1200 × 1000 mm or 1200 × 800 mm pallet in good condition — no broken boards or protruding nails. Plastic pallets are ideal for food and pharma; heat-treated wooden pallets are required for cross-border and export shipments.
Stack correctly
- Place the heaviest boxes on the bottom and lighter ones on top.
- Keep the load within the pallet footprint; overhang is the number one cause of crushed corners.
- Use a column stack for maximum strength, or an interlocking brick pattern for stability, and add a layer of cardboard between tiers.
- Keep total height under 1.8 m for standard trailers unless agreed otherwise.
Wrap and secure
Apply stretch film from the base upward with at least three wraps around the pallet feet so the load is locked to the pallet. Add corner boards for boxes with weak edges, and strap heavy items with polyester banding.
Label clearly
Attach a label on two adjacent sides showing the consignee, address, contact number, number of pallets in the consignment (e.g. 2 of 3) and any handling symbols such as "This Way Up" or "Do Not Stack".
Declare accurately
Weigh and measure the finished pallet. LTL rates are based on declared dimensions and weight, and re-weighing at the hub can lead to adjustments and delays.
TQM International can supply pallets, wrap and labour at collection for customers who prefer to leave palletising to the professionals.
