{"id":4789,"date":"2023-02-10T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-02-10T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/floor-loaded-vs-pallet-loaded\/"},"modified":"2025-10-08T21:07:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-08T21:07:52","slug":"floor-loaded-vs-pallet-loaded","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.shipbob.com\/au\/blog\/floor-loaded-vs-pallet-loaded\/","title":{"rendered":"Floor Loading vs. Pallet Loading Containers for B2B Freight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Table of Contents<\/p>

** Minutes<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

What is a floor loaded container?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a palletized container?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor loading vs. palletizing<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sending inventory to FBA or other 3PLs?<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Manage your B2B and DTC fulfilment with ShipBob<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor loading & pallet loading FAQs<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

From deciding between LTL<\/a> and FTL to finding the right partner, there\u2019s a lot that ecommerce businesses have to consider when it comes to freight shipping<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of the first decisions you\u2019ll have to make is how to load your products onto trucks. It seems simple enough, especially since there are two main options: floor loading and pallet loading. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, like most aspects of B2B<\/a> shipping, the details of your loading technique have a bigger impact than you\u2019d think \u2014 so it\u2019s important to think critically and find the best loading strategy for your business. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this article, we\u2019ll discuss the difference between floor loading and pallet loading, when to use each strategy, and how ShipBob can help you streamline your logistics across all your channels<\/a>.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a floor loaded container?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

As the name suggests, in a floor loaded container, goods are loaded directly onto the shipping container\u2019s floor and stacked vertically. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Source: Flexport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

This type of loading doesn\u2019t involve pallets, so the container is filled from floor to ceiling with goods. With this increased capacity, merchants can ship more goods per container and save on shipping costs<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a palletized container?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In a palletized container, goods are stacked on top of each other and placed onto a pallet, which is then loaded onto the container. The goods can be stacked on top of each other until they reach the maximum weight the pallet can hold. <\/p>\n\n\n

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Source: Flexport<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

These goods are secured either using metal straps or plastic wrap to prevent them from falling off the pallet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This makes them a much safer option for shipping delicate and fragile items<\/a>, or transporting goods over long distances. As such, palletized containers are also the commonly preferred method to ship freight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Floor loading vs. palletizing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When deciding between floor loading and palletizing, it\u2019s important to remember that neither option is inherently better than the other. Each serves its purpose depending on a business\u2019s project, products, and priorities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

With that said, let\u2019s take a look at when it\u2019s best to use floor loading, and when it\u2019s best to palletize your freight. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When to use floor loaded containers<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Since the entire container can be filled with goods and you\u2019re not paying to ship pallets, floor loaded containers tend to incur lower freight costs. Fitting more goods into a single truckload also means that you\u2019ll typically need to use fewer containers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, you may incur additional costs further down the line. For instance, floor loaded goods will need to be loaded, unloaded<\/a>, and sorted manually by warehouse workers<\/a>, which can increase labour costs. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should consider using floor loading if:<\/p>\n\n\n\n