Free Pallet Optimizer

What the pallet optimizer answers

Two questions come up on every palletization job: how many items actually fit on one pallet given the stackability rules, and how many pallets does the whole shipment need? Most warehouses solve this with a tape measure, a spreadsheet, and experience. That works until the packing list changes — then the spreadsheet is wrong and the second-shift team finds out the hard way.

Stow8 runs the same 3D bin-packer it uses for ocean containers against a pallet-sized “container.” You pick the pallet type (EUR, US, AU), set a max stack height, drop your items, and get a 3D plan with the total pallet count. If your items have stackability constraints — fragile crates that can't have anything on top, or weight limits on the lower tiers — the solver respects them per-item.

Pallet types supported

Three standard pallet sizes are seeded. All three default to a 1800 mm stack cap and 1000 kg max load per pallet — overridable per plan.

You can pick one pallet type for a specific contract, or multiple types and let Stow8 recommend the best fit. For airfreight lanes, drop the stack cap to 1200 mm so the palletized load fits under standard ULD ceiling heights — the override is a single input in the planner UI.

Stackability rules that actually matter

A pallet optimizer that ignores stackability produces plans that look tight on paper but collapse in practice. Stow8 respects four per-item constraints:

• Stackable or not — Fragile crates marked non-stackable won't have anything placed on top.
• Max stack weight — If a crate can bear 500 kg but not 800, the solver stops stacking once the accumulated top-weight hits the limit.
• Upright only — Items that have to stay vertical (liquids in drums, tall boxes labelled “this way up”) won't be rotated sideways.
• Orientation lock — Full orientation freedom (6 rotations), upright with free L/W swap (2), or fixed (no rotation at all).

The output is a 3D plan where every item is placed at a specific x/y/z coordinate with explicit rotation. It's a plan your warehouse team can execute — not a volume calculation that hides the hard part.

Packing buffer for real-world air-gap

Cargo doesn't pack wall-to-wall in practice. Shrink-wrap adds 5–10 mm per side. Cartons need space for straps. Irregular items benefit from gaps that prevent abrasion in transit. Stow8 has a packing buffer — set it once per plan, in mm or %, and it adds symmetric breathing room around every item before the solver runs.

The 3D viewer renders the true cargo size inside the buffered footprint, so the air-gap shows up as empty space in the render — not a swollen item. That way the plan looks like the real load without lying about the sizes you entered.

How Stow8 helps

• 3D visualization — See the pallet from every angle. Catches footprint and stacking issues spreadsheets hide.
• Multi-pallet recommendation — Items that fill 3.4 pallets get rounded up to 4 pallets, with the layout for each one.
• Per-plan stack-height override — Drop to 1200 mm for airfreight, push to 2400 mm for high shelving.
• Stackability + orientation rules — Per-item constraints respected by the solver.
• Packing buffer — Symmetric mm or % breathing room around every item, visible as air-gap in the 3D view.
• PDF export — One-page-per-pallet loading diagram. Hand it to the warehouse team.
• Excel import — Paste your packing list from a spreadsheet in one click.

Common pallet use cases

• Unitizing for ocean freight — Pre-palletize before stuffing a 40' container; check pallet count before booking space
• Airfreight palletization — 1200 mm stack cap fits under standard ULD ceilings
• Warehouse shelving planning — Calculate pallets per row, tier-heights, total footprint
• Wholesale distribution — Mixed FMCG SKUs palletized for multi-stop delivery
• E-commerce fulfilment — Consolidated shipments to fulfilment centres
• Cross-border road freight — EUR pallets for Europe, US/GMA for North America lanes

Frequently asked questions

Which pallet sizes does Stow8 support?

Three standard types: EUR / EPAL (1200 × 800 mm), US / GMA (1200 × 1000 mm), and AU / NZ (1165 × 1165 mm). Default stack cap 1800 mm, max load 1000 kg — both overridable.

How is this different from a container packing calculator?

A pallet optimizer answers “how many items fit on a pallet and how many pallets do I need.” A container packer answers “how many items fit in a container.” Stow8 uses the same 3D solver for both — just pick Pallet mode instead of Container mode at the top of the planner.

Can I set a custom max stack height?

Yes. Default is 1800 mm, airfreight usually wants 1200 mm (ULD ceiling), warehouse shelving can go up to 2400–3000 mm. The override is a single input in the planner UI, applied to every pallet type you've selected.

What about stackability rules?

Each item can flag stackable, max stack weight, upright-only, and orientation lock. The solver respects these per-item.

Does the optimizer handle multi-pallet recommendations?

Yes. If your cargo list fills 3.4 pallets, it rounds up to 4 and produces a layout for each one. The recommendation line shows “4× EUR Pallet” with the 3D view per pallet.

Do I need to pay?

No. 15 optimizations per 30 days are free. Upgrade to Starter ($18/mo, 100 optimizations) or Pro ($38/mo, unlimited) when you need more.