Define the job and measurement boundary
Obtain actual usable floor and opening measurements, loaded footprint including overhang, loaded height and gross pallet mass. Confirm remaining payload with the carrier.
Check two uniform pallet orientations on a rectangular floor using your actual usable measurements. Loaded dimensions include overhang; this is not a mixed-pattern optimiser.
Work through the numbers
30 geometric positions become 26 total-payload positions at 900 kg each with 24,000 kg remaining. At 40 cartons and 12 products/carton, EUR 900 freight allocates to 12,480 products.
Floor count = max(floor(L/PL) × floor(W/PW), floor(L/PW) × floor(W/PL)) 12,000 × 2,400 mm with 1,200 × 800 mm footprints fits 30 in the best uniform floor grid.
Loadable count = min(Floor positions, floor(Remaining payload / Gross pallet mass)) 30 floor positions with 24,000 kg remaining payload and 900 kg pallets permits 26 pallets by total mass.
Freight/product = Shipment freight / (Pallets × Cartons/pallet × Good products/carton) EUR 900 / (26 × 40 × 12) = EUR 0.072115 per product.
Avoid the comparison error
Nominal container dimensions and total allowable mass do not approve axle distribution, access or securing. A uniform floor grid is a candidate layout, not a loading instruction.
- One floor layer; no stacking.
- Door width, turning, wheel arches, securing and weight remain separate checks.
- Identical pallets and one floor layer.
- Axle loads, securing, vehicle tare and legal ratings require independent confirmation.
- One identical packing hierarchy.
- Capacity does not imply that unused space has no cost.
Prepare a comparable purchasing decision
Replace each example with dated measurements and confirmed charges for the same SKU and job. Keep unresolved specification differences visible rather than ranking incompatible offers.
Record the original quote unit, material scope, fixed charges, freight and valid quantity tier. Review an alternative as a separate scenario before adding it to the complete packaging cost.
Common questions
Which data should I measure first?
Obtain actual usable floor and opening measurements, loaded footprint including overhang, loaded height and gross pallet mass. Confirm remaining payload with the carrier.
What can make this comparison misleading?
Nominal container dimensions and total allowable mass do not approve axle distribution, access or securing. A uniform floor grid is a candidate layout, not a loading instruction.