Proper pallet configurations all about protecting your inventory, optimizing warehouse space, and preventing costly shipping damage. TI/HI represents the fundamental framework for how products should be arranged on pallets, combining mathematical precision with practical stacking principles that directly impact a consumer goods business’ bottom line.

Whether you're shipping to major retail partners or managing 3PL operations, understanding TI/HI calculations prevents product damage, reduces freight costs, and ensures compliance with retailer requirements. This guide breaks down everything you need to know about implementing effective pallet stacking strategies.

Understanding TI/HI Fundamentals

The logistics industry uses TI/HI as shorthand for describing pallet configurations, though you might also encounter variations like "Ti-High," "Tie-High," or "Ti by Hi." Regardless of the terminology, the concept remains consistent.

The "TI" component indicates how many boxes fit on a single layer of your pallet. Think of this as looking down at the pallet from above and counting the boxes you see arranged on one level. The "HI" component tells you how many of these layers can be safely stacked vertically on the pallet before you risk instability or product damage.

For example, a TI/HI configuration of 8x10 means each pallet layer contains 8 boxes, and you can safely stack 10 layers high, resulting in 80 total boxes per pallet. This standardized notation allows warehouse teams and carriers to quickly understand pallet dimensions and handling requirements.

Why TI/HI Calculations Matter for Your Supply Chain

Calculating the correct TI/HI ratio protects your products throughout the supply chain journey. When pallets exceed safe stacking limits or feature unbalanced loads, boxes shift during transit, leading to damaged goods and rejected shipments at receiving docks.

Overhanging product—where boxes extend beyond the pallet edge—creates particular problems. Major retailers like Walmart and Target frequently assess chargebacks for pallets that don't meet their specifications. These penalties can quickly accumulate, especially for suppliers shipping multiple pallets daily.

Safety considerations extend beyond product integrity. Improperly configured pallets pose risks during loading and unloading operations. Unstable loads can shift unexpectedly, potentially injuring warehouse personnel or damaging equipment. By maintaining proper TI/HI standards, you reduce liability exposure while creating safer working conditions.

Freight costs also depend on efficient pallet utilization. Carriers charge based on dimensional weight and pallet count, so maximizing the number of units per pallet while maintaining stability directly reduces your per-unit shipping costs.

Proven Strategies for Optimal Pallet Configuration

Foundation Principles: Weight Distribution

The base layer of your pallet determines overall stability. Always position your heaviest boxes on the bottom tier, creating a low center of gravity that resists tipping during handling and transport. This approach protects lighter, more fragile items positioned above while providing a solid foundation for the entire stack.

Edge Alignment Without Overhang

Your boxes should extend as close to the pallet edge as possible without crossing it. This positioning allows strapping and stretch wrap to secure the load effectively. When boxes sit several inches inside the pallet perimeter, securing bands can't grip properly, and the entire load becomes less stable.

Overhang creates multiple problems beyond stability concerns. Forklifts can catch overhanging boxes during handling, tearing packaging or damaging products. Carriers may also reclassify or rebill shipments that don't conform to standard pallet dimensions, adding unexpected freight charges.

Interlocking Layer Patterns

Imagine building a brick wall—bricklayers offset each row to create structural integrity. Apply this same principle to your pallet layers. For uniform box sizes, rotate each layer 90 degrees from the one below it. This interlocking pattern prevents entire columns from shifting together and maintains load stability even if individual boxes move slightly during transit.

Securing Your Load

Before applying stretch wrap, secure your boxes to the pallet using heavy-duty strapping. The choice of strapping material depends on your specific load characteristics and shipping conditions.

Steel strapping provides maximum tensile strength and works best for extremely heavy loads (over 2,000 pounds) or products that won't compress under tension. Steel maintains tension even when loads shift slightly, making it ideal for dense materials like beverages, canned goods, or building supplies. However, steel's rigidity can damage softer packaging and requires special tensioning tools.

Polypropylene strapping offers an economical middle ground suitable for most general freight applications. It stretches slightly to absorb shock during transit while maintaining adequate holding power for loads up to 1,500 pounds. Polypropylene works well for boxed consumer goods, mixed product pallets, and situations where cost efficiency matters more than maximum strength.

Polyester strapping combines many benefits of both steel and polypropylene. It provides nearly the tensile strength of steel with better retained tension over time, making it appropriate for loads that may settle or compress during long-distance shipping. The automotive, appliance, and furniture industries frequently specify polyester strapping for products requiring sustained holding power without steel's potential for package damage.

Rayon strapping, while less common than the other options, excels in applications requiring flexibility and conformability. It works particularly well for irregularly shaped loads or products with delicate surfaces where harder strapping materials might leave marks.

Strapping Configuration and Quantity

Use at least two straps on each side of the pallet as a baseline—one strap rarely provides adequate security for loads exceeding a few hundred pounds. However, this minimum often isn't sufficient for real-world shipping conditions.

Increase strapping when handling:

Heavy loads (over 1,000 pounds): Add a third strap running perpendicular to the first two, creating a cross-hatch pattern that distributes tension more evenly across the load.

Tall stacks (over 5 feet): Include an additional strap at mid-height to prevent the upper portion from shifting independently of the lower section. Tall loads experience more lateral force during cornering and braking, making this extra security essential.

Long-distance shipments: Freight traveling over 500 miles experiences more handling events and road vibration. Consider adding one extra strap beyond your standard configuration for these shipments.

Mixed box sizes: When your pallet includes boxes of varying dimensions, add straps specifically securing smaller boxes that might otherwise work loose from the stack.

High-value products: The cost of additional strapping represents a trivial expense compared to damage claims on expensive merchandise. When shipping products worth thousands of dollars per pallet, extra strapping provides inexpensive insurance.

Corner boards and slip sheets provide additional protection beyond strapping alone. Corner boards prevent strapping from cutting into boxes at stress points while distributing pressure across a wider area. Slip sheets between layers reduce friction and shifting during movement. These inexpensive additions significantly improve load stability without adding substantial cost or complexity.

Planning Before Packing

The most effective pallet configurations come from advance planning rather than improvisation at the loading dock. Document your common box sizes and create standard templates showing optimal arrangements for each product combination. This preparation eliminates guesswork and ensures consistency across shifts and team members.

Common Palletizing Mistakes to Avoid

Using Standard Pallets for Non-Standard Products

The 48" x 40" pallet dominates North American logistics (GMA Standard (Grocery Manufacturers Association), but this universal size doesn't suit every application. If your products consistently leave significant empty space or require awkward positioning on standard pallets, investigate custom pallet sizes. Custom pallets might cost more individually, but they can reduce overall shipping costs by improving cube utilization and preventing damage.

Neglecting Individual Box Integrity

Pallet security means nothing if your boxes fail internally. Products shifting inside their original packaging can arrive damaged even when the pallet remains perfectly stable throughout transit. Examine your current boxing practices before focusing on pallet configuration.

Right-sized boxes with appropriate cushioning protect contents from impact and vibration. Excessive empty space inside boxes allows products to move during handling, while inadequate cushioning fails to absorb shocks from normal freight handling. Address these packaging fundamentals before optimizing your pallet stacking.

Creating Pyramid-Shaped Loads

Some teams place smaller boxes toward the top of pallets, creating a pyramid profile that appears stable. This configuration actually compromises load integrity by reducing the surface area available for securing upper layers. The narrower top section has fewer contact points with lower boxes, making the entire stack more vulnerable to tipping.

Maintain a relatively cubic profile throughout the stack. Integrate smaller boxes within layers rather than reserving them for the top, preserving consistent dimensions from bottom to top.

Insufficient Stretch Wrap Coverage

Stretch wrap binds individual boxes into a unified load that moves as a single unit. Many operations under-wrap pallets, either to save material costs or speed up the process. This economy backfires when loads shift during transit.

If you're wrapping more than a dozen pallets daily, consider investing in an automatic pallet wrapper. These machines apply consistent, adequate wrap tension across the entire load while working faster than manual wrapping. The initial investment typically pays for itself through reduced damage claims and labor savings within months. Although 12 pallets is a rough guess for positive ROI, your results may vary. Check out When Automation Makes Financial Sense for more information

Inadequate Pallet Labeling

Unlabeled or poorly labeled pallets create confusion throughout the supply chain. Warehouse teams can't identify contents or handling requirements, and carriers lack essential information for proper routing and handling.

Apply clear, durable labels to all four sides of each pallet. Include ASN data such as purchase order numbers, destination information, and box counts. Mark special handling requirements prominently—fragile contents, stackability limitations, hazardous materials, or temperature sensitivity all require clear identification.

Integrating TI/HI with EDI Requirements

Major retailers specify TI/HI requirements in their purchase orders (EDI 850) and routing guides. These specifications aren't suggestions—they're contractual obligations that affect your supplier performance metrics and compliance ratings.

When you ship to retailers, your Advanced Ship Notice (EDI 856) must accurately reflect your actual TI/HI configuration. Discrepancies between your EDI data and physical pallets can trigger receiving delays or compliance chargebacks. Modern EDI solutions automatically validate your shipment data against retailer requirements before transmission, catching errors before they impact your relationship with trading partners.

Understanding these connections between physical operations and electronic data exchange becomes increasingly important as retailers tighten compliance standards. Suppliers who treat TI/HI as merely a packing concern rather than a data accuracy issue often struggle with chargebacks and strained buyer relationships.

Implementing Continuous Improvement

Review your current palletizing practices regularly. Photograph your typical pallet configurations and analyze them for improvement opportunities. Are boxes consistently positioned optimally? Do you see recurring damage patterns that suggest instability during transit?

Involve your warehouse team in this analysis. The employees handling boxes daily often identify inefficiencies that management overlooks. Create feedback loops where warehouse staff can suggest configuration improvements based on their hands-on experience.

Track your damage rates, freight costs, and compliance metrics over time. Improvements in TI/HI practices should correlate with reduced damage claims and lower per-unit shipping costs. If you're not seeing these results, your current approach needs adjustment.

Moving Forward with TI/HI Best Practices

TI/HI represents more than logistics jargon—it's a practical framework for protecting products, controlling costs, and maintaining strong trading partner relationships. Every pallet leaving your facility reflects your operational competence and attention to detail.

Start by documenting your current practices and identifying specific areas for improvement. Implement changes systematically rather than attempting wholesale transformation overnight. Measure results consistently to understand which modifications deliver meaningful benefits.

The most successful suppliers view pallet configuration as an integral part of their supply chain strategy rather than an afterthought. By prioritizing safe, efficient stacking from the beginning, you prevent problems rather than reacting to them after they've already impacted your business.