What to check before stacking loaded pallets in a lorry
Before planning two loaded pallets in one floor position, get the shipper’s stackability and weight-above limits. Then measure both loads and check the available height in the lorry. A pair that fits under the roof can still exceed the lower load’s limit or be too tall to pass through the door.
Ask what each loaded pallet can support
Get the loaded footprint, height and gross weight of each pallet, including the base and packaging. Ask the shipper whether each load is stackable and how much weight the lower load can take above it. Two pallets of the same nominal size can have different loaded footprints if cartons or wrapping extend past the base.
Give any pallet with an unconfirmed limit its own floor space in the working plan until the shipper supplies the missing information.
Check height and weight separately
Take two loaded pallets of the same footprint. The lower one is 1.05 m tall and the upper one is 1.20 m. Together they reach 2.25 m, leaving 15 cm under a hypothetical 2.40 m roof. If the shipper allows 160 kg above the lower pallet and the upper one weighs 180 kg, the pair exceeds that limit by 20 kg.
The door opening and handling method need their own check. If the pallets would have to enter as one upright stack through a door with 2.20 m of clearance, the example stack would be 5 cm too tall. Confirm access at the collection and delivery points, especially where the driver will use a tail lift.
Enter the confirmed limits in the mobile plan
In Palletner Pro, enter the measured cargo-space height and each loaded pallet’s dimensions and weight. Enable stacking for suitable pallets and enter the applicable layer, height and weight-above limits. The app can place compatible loads with matching footprints. Inspect the proposed arrangement in the 3D view.
Use the plan to check dimensions and the limits you entered. Confirm the actual handling, securing and vehicle limits separately before loading.
Sources and further reading
- Fagan & Whalley – a Class 2 driver on his vehicle and unloading
- H. Crabtree – pallet dimensions and stackability in distribution
- HSE – vehicle loading and unloading