The unit load is what actually moves through the supply chain. Pallet, cartons, stretch wrap and corner boards interact: a stiffer pallet can let you use lighter packaging, and the reverse.
Receivers set unit-load limits too; Walmart's WFS pallet guide, for example, caps pallet weight under 2,100 lb and height under 72 inches including the pallet.
See also
- Dynamic load
- The load a pallet can carry while being moved by a forklift or pallet jack.
- Racking load
- The load a pallet can carry when supported only at its edges on rack beams.
- Routing guide
- A retailer's or receiver's rulebook for how suppliers must ship to it, including pallet requirements.