Quick answer: Packing Cases run in three tiers: 12.5 kg singles in one carton, 20 units per 1200 × 1000 mm pallet, and 420 units in a 40 ft HC, cutting unit freight from 68 to 29 yuan.
Table of contents
- Singles: One Case, One Carton, One Set of Corners
- Pallets: Layout and Lashing on 1200 × 1000 mm
- FCL Loading: Pallets per 20GP and 40 ft HC
- Unit Cost and Four Decision Rules
- FAQ
1. Singles: One Case, One Carton, One Set of Corners
A case leaving the plant is usually packed as a single: the body drops into a 600 × 400 × 280 mm five-wall carton, four 20 mm EPE corners go on the rims, and a 15 mm gap takes 10 mm pearl foam. Gross weight is 12.5 kg and three cartons stack without buckling.
The cost sits in volume rather than material. The carton runs 30 mm larger than the case and the foam eats another 15 mm, so a 58 L case occupies 0.067 m³ at 68% efficiency. At 167 kg/m³ that bills at 11.2 kg, under the 12.5 kg actual.
Singles suit samples, warranty returns and multi-drop deliveries. The weak point is the corner: with 20 mm corners about 92% of units survive a 76 cm drop with dents under 1.5 mm.
| Form | Units per unit | Gross weight | Freight per unit | Batch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 1 | 12.5 kg | 68 yuan | Under 3 pallets |
| Pallet | 20 | 268 kg | 41 yuan | 4 to 11 pallets |
| FCL | 420 | 5.6 t | 29 yuan | Over 12 pallets |
2. Pallets: Layout and Lashing on 1200 × 1000 mm
A pallet turns 20 singles into one handling unit and cuts lifts from 20 to 1. Four cartons sit per layer on a 1200 × 1000 mm pallet and five layers make 20 units, so the load stands 1544 mm at 268 kg, 18 kg of it timber.
Stacking order matters. Bottom layer lid up, every layer above lid down so seams cross, corners held 20 mm inside the pallet edge. A 30 mm overhang catches the door frame, and one scuffed carton rejects the whole pallet.
Lashing runs in three steps: 23 μm stretch film for four turns plus two over the top, 50 × 50 mm hardboard corners flush with the load, then two PET straps at 400 mm and 1100 mm.
Timber carries paperwork: plywood ships without fumigation at 22 mm board thickness, while solid wood needs the IPPC mark and 30 minutes at 56 °C.
The 1200 × 800 mm pallet gives up 20% of footprint and holds 16 units over four layers, stopping at 1264 mm and leaving 1420 mm of headroom in a 40 ft HC.
| Material | Spec | Per pallet | Job |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stretch film | 23 μm | 4 turns plus 2 on top | Holds the stack square |
| Corner board | 50 × 50 mm | 4 pieces | Takes edge compression |
| PET strap | 15 mm | 2 straps | Locks the height |
3. FCL Loading: Pallets per 20GP and 40 ft HC
FCL loading comes down to two numbers: pallets per box and units per box. A 20GP measures 5898 mm long and 2352 mm wide inside, taking 1200 × 1000 mm pallets two abreast in five rows, so 10 pallets and 200 units. A 40 ft HC runs 12032 mm long and lands 21 pallets, 420 units.
At 1544 mm a pallet will not double up: two high is 3088 mm against 2690 mm of internal height. Height buys nothing; the count follows floor area, where quotations slip.
A 76 mm gap to the side wall takes airbags, since untied loads shift 40 mm in a 30-day sea shipment.
Switch to 1200 × 800 mm and the 20GP takes 11 pallets, 176 units, while the 40 ft HC takes 25 pallets, 400 units. A narrower pallet buys rows, not units: 20 fewer than the wider plan, which is arithmetic on floor area rather than a loading trick.
| Pallet | Units per pallet | Load height | 20GP | 40 ft HC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1200 × 1000 mm | 20 | 1544 mm | 10 pallets, 200 units | 21 pallets, 420 units |
| 1200 × 800 mm | 16 | 1264 mm | 11 pallets, 176 units | 25 pallets, 400 units |
4. Unit Cost and Four Decision Rules
On October 2026 rates from South China to a North Europe base port, a single flies at 68 yuan, a pallet moves as consolidated freight at 41 yuan, and a 40 ft HC lands at 29 yuan. A pallet folds 20 lifts into one and terminal charges are counted per pallet, while a full box spreads its fixed cost over 420 units.
The curve bends near 12 pallets. Under four, fixed charges cannot be spread and unit cost runs 15 yuan above pallet rates; between four and 11, consolidated pallets win; past 12, the 29 yuan figure holds.
Four rules cover most orders: 12 pallets or more goes FCL; four to 11 goes consolidated; three or fewer, or multi-drop, goes as singles; above 3000 yuan of value per unit, corners go from 20 to 30 mm and film from four to six turns whatever the mode.
Mode choice is never one-dimensional: twenty pallets on a seven-day deadline fly at 68 yuan a unit, while three pallets of 45 kg cases pick up an overweight surcharge.
Conclusion
Packing Cases are costed per batch, not per unit. Four tests settle the mode: 12 pallets or more goes FCL at 29 yuan; four to 11 goes consolidated at 41 yuan; three or fewer goes as singles at 68 yuan; above 3000 yuan a unit, corners go to 30 mm and film to six turns. Pallet size then follows the box, 21 pallets in a 40 ft HC and 10 in a 20GP at 1544 mm.
Related Reading
- Layered export packing for protective cases
- Loading and handling precautions for cases
- Stackability and pallet planning loads
- Case weight and its effect on freight
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