Why load stability matters, and who pays when a pallet fails
What a pallet goes through
Between the end of the line and the customer’s warehouse, a pallet is lifted, turned, stacked, loaded, braked, cornered and unloaded. On the road the reference forces are:
| Direction | Force |
|---|---|
| Forward (braking) | 0.8 g |
| Sideways (cornering) | 0.5 g |
| Backward | 0.5 g |
A load that is only stable when it stands still is not stable. The film has to hold the load together at these forces, and the load unit has to stay rigid enough for the straps or walls of the vehicle to do their job.
What it costs when a load fails
- Damaged goods and claims. Product written off, credit notes, re-deliveries.
- Rejected deliveries. Retail and logistics centres refuse leaning or torn pallets.
- Accidents. The European Commission states that up to 25 % of truck accidents are linked to poorly secured cargo.
- Hidden film cost. Packers who have had a failure often respond by adding film: more wraps, thicker film, extra corner boards. That costs money every day and does not always solve the problem.
Who is responsible
The consignor, the company that prepares the pallet, is responsible for making it fit for normal transport. The CTU Code (the IMO/ILO/UNECE Code of Practice for Packing of Cargo Transport Units) states that the consignor must ensure that packages and unit loads can withstand the stresses expected under normal transport conditions. The carrier is responsible for securing the load in the vehicle.
In practice that means the packer’s choice of film and wrapping settings is a responsibility question, not only a cost question.
What decides whether a pallet is stable
- The load itself. Regular boxes, bags, bottles and irregular goods behave differently.
- The pallet. Size, quality and how far the load overhangs.
- The film. Thickness, type (cast or blown) and how far it can be pre-stretched.
- The pre-stretch. Film that is stretched too little keeps an elastic memory, pulls back and can crush corners. Film that is stretched correctly locks the load. See the right pre-stretch.
- The wrapping pattern. Wraps at the bottom that tie the load to the pallet, overlap, top wraps and roping where the load needs it.
- Containment force. How hard the film presses the load together. It is the result of all of the above.
Less film, same stability: prove it
The biggest saving in stretch film usually comes from stretching the film correctly and choosing the right film, not from cutting wraps. The only way to show a customer that a thinner film is safe is to test it on the same load:
- weigh the film used per pallet before and after,
- run a tilt test and measure containment force on the same pallet,
- add an acceleration test such as EUMOS 40509 when a bench is available.
Palletseal guides the rep through these steps at the customer’s wrapper and puts the film saving and the stability results in one report.
Questions we often get
Who is responsible for a stable load?
The consignor, the party that prepares the load for transport. Under the CTU Code the consignor must ensure that packages and unit loads can withstand the stresses expected in normal transport. Carriers are responsible for securing the load in the vehicle.
Which forces must a pallet withstand?
For road transport the reference values are 0.8 g forward under braking and 0.5 g sideways and backward, from the CTU Code and EN 12195-1.
Can I use less film and keep the load stable?
Often yes, when the film is stretched correctly and the wrapping pattern fits the load. But it has to be proven with a test on the same load, for example a tilt test and a containment force measurement.
How do I test load stability?
Common methods are a tilt test, a containment force measurement and a dynamic acceleration test such as EUMOS 40509.
