Freight cost optimization · Lever 8 of 10
How you build a pallet decides how many cases fit on a truck, how often product gets damaged and whether a retailer fines you. We review pallet and case specs so every load carries more, safely.
Pallet and packaging optimization looks at pallet height, footprint and stacking patterns, case sizes and packaging weight, and what you spend on pallets themselves.
Small changes, like a pallet that's a little taller or a case that's a little smaller, can change how many cases fit on every truck you ship. It works closely with trailer and equipment optimization.
Lever 8 of 10. From your 12 months of invoices and rate files, we look at:
Pallet, slip sheet, pallet pooling and case and pallet-height reviews are included in every benchmark at no extra cost.
Public research
In 2024, EPA recognized SmartWay® partners Ocean Spray and TJX, noting they "eliminated excess packaging for shipment and simultaneously increased the volume of product each truck can carry, eliminating excess truck trips" (EPA news release, Sept. 2024).
An earlier EPA bulletin reports that packaging changes can "increase the product-to-package ratio, resulting in more products per truck". Its examples include IKEA, which fit more than 40% more candle packs per pallet, and Cisco, which saved $1.3 million and 954,000 pounds of freight a year by removing printed documentation (EPA-420-F-19-015, 2019, pp.1–2).
Source: U.S. EPA SmartWay publications (2019, 2024). The examples and figures are EPA's, not Maximizer Team results. Maximizer Team is not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. EPA.
We track cases per pallet, cases per load and pallet spend against the baseline. Any drop in retailer pallet fines is reported in the trade and deductions category, so it's never counted twice.
Why us
Benchmark · Implement · Verify
It's adjusting pallet height, footprint, stacking patterns and case sizes so each pallet and truck carries more product, safely and within retailer rules.
Only where it pays off. We start with pallet builds and loading, which don't touch your product packaging, and suggest case changes only where the savings are clear.
Yes. Pallets built to each retailer's height, footprint and quality rules avoid restacking and pallet-quality fees and refused loads.
No. Pallet, slip sheet, pallet pooling and pallet-height reviews are included in every benchmark.
The 14-day freight savings review is free. There's no upfront fee. If you go ahead, we're paid only from savings verified on your invoices. Recovered deductions are tracked and reported as their own category of verified savings.
No. Maximizer Team is an independent freight savings advisor. We don't haul freight, sell capacity or take carrier commissions, so our advice isn't tied to any carrier.
Sometimes. LTL pricing often depends on density, so how a pallet is built changes what you pay. We look at pallet height, overhang and weight per pallet, and flag where a different build could qualify for better pricing within carrier and customer rules.
Yes. We check each customer's pallet height, weight, footprint and pallet type rules first, so a new build fits the retailer's requirements as well as the trailer.
Start with a short intro call. Then send us 12 months of freight invoices. In 14 days you'll get a free written review of your biggest freight savings opportunities across all 10 levers, including this one.
Get my free freight reviewNo upfront fees. Paid only from savings verified on your invoices. NDA available.