Pack it once,
pack it right.

Freight · 11 June 2026

Build from the base up

Start with the heaviest items flat on the deck and work upwards to the lightest, so the weight sits low and the stack stays stable. A top-heavy pallet wants to tip, especially on a tail-lift or round a corner, and that is exactly when damage happens. Spread the weight evenly across the base rather than loading one side.

Keep everything inside the footprint of the pallet. Anything that overhangs the edge can be crushed, snagged on a forklift or caught when pallets sit side by side in the vehicle. If a box pokes out past the timber, the pallet is the wrong size for the load and a larger one will serve you better.

Wrap and strap so nothing shifts

Once the stack is built, the goal is to turn loose boxes into one solid unit. Shrink-wrap is the usual starting point: begin at the base, anchor the film to the pallet itself, then work up in overlapping turns so the load and the timber become one. A few passes around the top lock the upper boxes in place.

For heavier or taller loads, add strapping over the wrap. Ratchet straps or banding pull the stack down onto the deck so it cannot slide or lean in transit. Corner boards under the straps stop the edges of boxes being dented and help spread the tension across the load rather than into one weak point.

Label clearly and flag the awkward ones

A clear label on the side, not the top, tells the driver and anyone handling it where it is going and which way is up. Mark fragile contents plainly, and add a 'this way up' note if the goods only travel one way. Old labels from previous trips should come off, so nothing is read by mistake.

Some loads need a word at the booking stage rather than just a sticker. Tell us if a pallet is fragile, top-heavy, unusually tall or not safe to stack, so the right vehicle turns up and the load is positioned and secured properly. If you are new to this, our guide to sending a pallet walks through the rest.

A last check before collection

Before the driver arrives, give the pallet a gentle nudge. If the top moves independently of the base, it needs more wrap or a strap. A pallet that holds together as one block is ready to travel; one that wobbles is asking to arrive damaged, however careful the driver is on the road.

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