How to Cross-Stack Boxes or Packages on a Pallet
For thirteen years I worked for a bottle redemption company mainly as a truck driver but also as a warehouse worker. When the drivers were done with their routes we would often work in the warehouse sorting bottles and cans and building pallets. When I first started working in the warehouse I found that building different “blocks” or cross-stacking on pallets was confusing.
When materials are palletized they are arranged on the pallet in specific designs. At the redemption company we were usually stacking cardboard boxes filled with empty beer and soda bottles onto pallets. To form a ‘block’ a specific order of design must be carried out when the boxes are placed on the pallet.
Some pallet block patterns are the same for the entire height of the pallet, while others are reversed as the pallet is built. The same pattern process is called column stacking and the reversal technique is known as cross-stacking or interlocking. Cross-stacking of boxes or packages on a pallet adds stability to the pallet with a balanced weight load.
Quite often the type of block that is used on a pallet is determined by the size of the pallet. Among the most common pallet sizes length by width are 24″ x 24″, 30″ x 30″, 36″ x 36″ and 42″ x 42″. In the United States, pallets that are known as grocery-style pallets are commonly used for stacking and transporting a wide variety of materials. One of the most common sizes of these pallets is 48″ x 40″.
At the redemption center where I worked we would cross-stack boxes of bottles on pallets using different block patterns. For example, one of the most common block patterns is the seven block. With this block design, four boxes are positioned vertically in two rows of two boxes each, while three boxes are positioned horizontally in one row.
Another common pallet block design is the six-block, which consists of four boxes positioned horizontally in two rows of two boxes each. One row on the end features two boxes positioned vertically. There are also eight-blocks, nine-blocks, ten-blocks and other block patterns.
When you’re cross-stacking boxes or packages on a pallet it is easy to make a mistake, especially when you’ve been stacking boxes for hours. One day when I was working in the warehouse I somehow repeated the same stacking pattern with two consecutive rows then added a couple of more rows of boxes on top of the others.
When the foreman came over on the forklift to tape and wrap the pallet he noticed the mistake right away. Because of my mistake I had to remove three or four layers of boxes to get to the row I stacked incorrectly then had to re-stack the rest of the pallet.
After I finished re-stacking the pallet the foreman offered some advice. He said to stop thinking about the block pattern and just concentrate on stacking the package that I’m holding in reverse position of the one it is being placed on top of.
In other words, if the box on which you placing another box is placed horizontally then place the one on top of it vertically. If the box on which you placing another box is placed vertically then place the one on top of it horizontally. This simple method really works, especially when you’re stacking pallets eight layers high.
When the pallet is full it is time to secure it so it can be moved. Plastic wrap that stretches and shrinks is usually the best way to secure and stabilize most types of pallets. By cross-stacking boxes pallets are more stable which helps to promote better transport and unloading procedures.
The method of reversing whatever is below the package you’re stacking is simple but it works when it comes to cross-stacking boxes or packages on pallets.
Sources :
Personal experience with cross-stacking boxes on pallets
