Packaging is treated as the supplier's problem right up until the moment it becomes a claim, a customs hold or a chargeable-weight surprise. It is worth specifying properly, because packaging decides three things you pay for: the volume you are billed on, whether the cargo survives, and whether it clears customs at all.
Start with the carton
Everything downstream is built on the carton spec, so fix it first.
- Dimensions that divide into a pallet. A carton that leaves 9cm of overhang wastes that space on every pallet, in every container, forever. Test the footprint against your pallet before the first production run — the pallet calculator does this in seconds.
- Weight under 20-25kg where handling is manual, or you will pay handling surcharges and see more damage.
- Edge crush test rating appropriate to stack height, not to cost. Cartons at the bottom of a 2.4m stack carry the whole column, in humidity, for six weeks.
- Double-wall board for ocean, single-wall is usually fine for air. Ocean cargo sees moisture and far more handling.
Once the carton is fixed, calculate CBM and cartons per container to see what you are actually shipping.
Pallet standards
| Standard | Size | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| EUR / EPAL | 1200 x 800 mm | Europe — the default for European road and warehouse systems |
| ISO / industrial | 1200 x 1000 mm | Europe and Asia, common for export |
| GMA | 1219 x 1016 mm (48 x 40 in) | North America — the standard US grocery and retail pallet |
| Asian standard | 1100 x 1100 mm | Japan, Korea, parts of Southeast Asia |
Two practical points. A 1200 x 1000 pallet fits a 20ft container more efficiently than a EUR pallet in most configurations, and your destination warehouse may require a specific standard — retail DCs in particular reject non-conforming pallets. Ask before you commit.
Total pallet height including the pallet itself is the number that matters for container fit: check it against the internal heights in container types and dimensions, and against trailer limits with the truck load calculator.
ISPM 15: the one that stops shipments
Solid wood packaging — pallets, crates, dunnage, bracing — must be heat treated or fumigated and stamped with the IPPC mark under ISPM 15 for almost every international destination. This is a plant-health regulation, not a formality:
- The mark must be visible and legible, ideally on two opposing sides.
- Unmarked or incorrectly marked wood can be refused entry, and the usual remedy is re-export or destruction at your cost, not correction on the spot.
- Plywood, OSB and processed board are exempt, which is why presswood and plastic pallets are common for export.
- Suppliers substitute pallets at the last minute. Ask for a photo of the stamp before the container is sealed.
How packaging changes what you pay
Three mechanisms, all avoidable:
- Volumetric weight. Air and express bill on whichever is greater, actual or volumetric. Oversized outer cartons convert air into cost — check with the chargeable weight calculator or the road equivalent.
- Density and class. Road and LTL pricing often keys off density; light bulky freight prices badly. The density calculator shows where you sit.
- Non-stackable cargo. Declaring cargo non-stackable can double the space you are charged for. If the packaging can be made stackable, that is usually the cheapest engineering decision available.
The pre-shipment checklist
- Carton dimensions confirmed against the pallet footprint, with a test pallet built.
- Carton weight within manual handling limits.
- Board grade matched to mode and stack height.
- Pallet standard confirmed with the destination, not just the origin.
- ISPM 15 stamp photographed, or non-wood pallets confirmed.
- Stretch wrap to the pallet base, corner boards on anything with load-bearing edges.
- Shipping marks on at least two sides — consignee, PO, carton number of total, gross and net weight.
- Desiccant for ocean shipments of anything moisture-sensitive.
- Total pallet height checked against container internal height.
- Packing list matching the physical cartons exactly — mismatches are a customs hold.
Documentation that goes with it: the import documentation checklist and supplier cargo readiness.
With your packed dimensions confirmed, post a freight request or find forwarders on your lane.
