Picture this…
You’re overseeing a busy warehouse when you get the call: an entire pallet has collapsed in transit, scattering goods everywhere. Not only are the products destroyed, but the driver has to delay deliveries. The customer is far from pleased.
It’s a simple scenario, and it happens more commonly than you’d believe, but it underscores the importance of transport packaging. Not just for protecting your goods – but your brand, the efficiency of your supply chain, and most importantly, your relationship with the end user.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about transport packaging, why ‘load stability’ is vital, and how you can optimise your stretch film usage.
So, whether you’re a warehouse manager or part of a procurement team, these insights will help you protect your goods, keep operations smooth, and maintain customer satisfaction.
Let’s get started…

Understanding Transport Packaging
What Exactly Is Transport Packaging?
Transport packaging refers to any packaging solution used to move goods through the supply chain—whether by road, rail, sea, or air. The primary aim is to prevent the product from being damaged or contaminated. Transport packaging is generally considered tertiary packaging, which is the outermost layer that bundles multiple products or boxes for shipping. Think of cardboard boxes stacked on a pallet and wrapped with stretch film, or crates and large containers for bulk shipping.
Proper transport packaging goes beyond just boxes and pallets though; it includes dunnage (materials used to fill spaces and secure products in place), strapping, corner protectors, and more.
When all these elements are combined effectively, you get a stable load that can endure the bumps and jolts of a long journey.
Why Do We Need It?
Protection: Goods can experience vibration, compression, and impact during transport. Effective packaging ensures your products stay safe from these physical forces.
Efficiency: Stacking items on a pallet secured by stretch film makes it easier to move them using a forklift, speeding up loading and unloading.
Compliance: Certain industries, like food and pharmaceuticals, require specialised packaging to meet hygiene or temperature control standards.
The Critical Role of Load Stability
Consequences of Poor Load Stability
Let’s give you another scenario: you’ve stacked your goods nicely but used a subpar film. One sharp turn in transit could cause your goods to shift and topple. The outcome is often catastrophic—broken items, a messy pallet, and extra labour costs to repackage or reship. Additionally, inconsistent loads can be a safety hazard for your employees, who have to deal with loose or falling products.
When such incidents occur repeatedly, the financial hit can be severe. Aside from the wasted products, you might also face higher insurance premiums or strained relationships with carriers who dislike hauling unstable loads. Over time, these costs can add up, cutting into profit margins and damaging your reputation.
How Load Stability Enhances Operational Efficiency
On the flip side, stable loads keep your warehouse humming. Workers can handle products more safely and quickly, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. Everything from automated pallet wrapping to pallet stacking becomes more streamlined when your packaging is done correctly. This efficiency even extends to shipping partners, who appreciate loads that don’t require constant adjustments during transit.
Load Stability and Customer Satisfaction
At the end of the day, your customer only sees one outcome: a shipment that arrives in perfect condition—or not. If shipments often arrive damaged, customers will lose confidence in your company’s reliability. Good load stability translates to fewer damaged goods and fewer complaints, helping you maintain a positive brand image and keep that all-important repeat business.
Types of Transport Packaging Solutions
Stretch Film
Stretch film is arguably one of the most popular and versatile materials for securing pallet loads. Applied by hand or by machine, stretch film exerts a tight containment force around your products. Here are a few variations:
Blown Film: Offers high puncture resistance and good cling but can be noisier to unwind.
Cast Film: Known for its clarity and consistent thickness, making it ideal for scanning barcodes through the film.
Pre-Stretch Film: This is film that has already been stretched to a certain degree during production, allowing for faster and less labour-intensive application.
Nano Films: Produced on cast lines, these films are made from higher grade polymers and provide a best of both worlds’ solution, with great strength and minimal wastage.
Pallets and Slip Sheets
Pallets provide a sturdy base for stacking goods, while slip sheets are thin sheets placed under the load to impede easy movement. Pallets can be made from wood, plastic, or metal, each having its benefits and drawbacks. Wood is the most common but must be checked for damage or splinters that could compromise load stability. Plastic pallets are lighter and more durable but come with a higher initial investment. The key is to ensure the pallet itself can handle the weight and distribution of the goods without cracking or warping.
Strapping and Banding
Strapping materials can be metal or plastic (often polypropylene or polyester). They’re used to hold loads together, particularly if the goods are irregularly shaped or heavier than average. Steel strapping provides high tensile strength, making it great for very heavy or sharp-edged goods. Plastic strapping is lighter and safer to handle, but might not offer the same strength as steel.
Void Fill and Dunnage
Dunnage like air pillows, foam, or paper padding secures items in place inside boxes or crates, preventing internal movement. Even if you’ve tightly wrapped the exterior of a pallet, items can still rattle around inside their boxes. Using adequate void fill ensures each item remains protected from impacts or compression during transit.

Best Practices for Achieving Optimal Load Stability
Proper Application of Stretch Film
How you apply film can be just as important as the film itself. Best practices include:
Ensuring consistent wrap tension: Too loose, and your load shifts; too tight, and boxes may be crushed.
Layer Overlap: Aim for a 50% overlap on each rotation to ensure comprehensive coverage.
Correct Wrapping Pattern: Start at the base of the pallet, wrapping around two to three times to anchor the load. Gradually move upward, making sure to capture all layers of boxes.
Regularly train your staff to maintain consistent application methods and check the film tension. Misapplied film can lead to wastage and compromised stability.
Load Testing and Validation
Load Testing and Validation
Industry standards from organisations like ISTA, ASTM, or EUMOS provide excellent guidelines for evaluating transport packaging. Yet, identifying subtle vulnerabilities in your load stability often requires a more tailored and hands-on approach. That is precisely where our Load Stability Testing Centre excels—by offering a comprehensive, three-stage analysis supported by advanced testing machinery.
Material Analysis
We begin by examining the current products you use, including stretch film types, pallet configurations, and other packaging materials. Our experts assess the thickness, elasticity, and composition of your existing solutions, then compare these findings with suggested alternatives. This collaborative process helps identify a best-of-both-worlds solution, precisely adapted to your specific operations.Process Analysis
Next, we explore how your loads are secured in day-to-day practice. Is wrapping done manually, or do you use an automated system? What are the tension settings? Our team works with you to identify the advantages and drawbacks of your current methods. We then put these processes to the test—employing everything from our automated pallet wrapper and turntable wrappers to our robot wrapper—to confirm which approach delivers the most consistent and dependable results.- Performance Analysis
Finally, we prepare your pallets for rigorous trials on our tilt vibration bench and acceleration/deceleration bench, designed to replicate real-world transport shocks and stresses. We follow EU standards such as EUMOS 40509, ensuring your loads remain stable under the pressures of actual transit conditions. Throughout testing, we utilise specialised tools like the ESTL FEF-200 to measure film forces on pallet corners, a meterage counter to track film usage, and a micrometre for precise material thickness readings.
By combining these three stages of analysis with state-of-the-art equipment, our Load Stability Testing Centre can pinpoint even the smallest points of failure in your packaging strategy—giving you the assurance that each pallet will arrive safely, minimising in-transit damage and enhancing customer satisfaction.
Continuous Improvement
Market conditions, product lines, and shipping routes can change—so should your packaging strategy. Routinely gather feedback from warehouse staff, logistics providers, and end customers. Keep an eye on emerging technologies or materials that could elevate your packaging game. Small tweaks, like switching to a slightly higher gauge film or adjusting your wrapping pattern, can generate significant improvements in load stability.
Conclusion
Transport packaging might seem straightforward—just wrap some boxes and send them on their way—but it’s the linchpin that holds the entire shipping process together. From preventing damages and maintaining safety to cutting costs and meeting customer expectations, load stability is paramount.
For warehouse managers and procurement teams, the takeaway is clear: always think long-term and big picture. Analyse the total cost of ownership, remain open to new materials and methods, and never underestimate the value of rigorous testing and staff training. By investing in the right transport packaging solutions, you’ll keep goods intact, employees safe, and customers happy—ultimately strengthening your bottom line and your brand’s reputation.
With these insights, you’re well on your way to enhancing load stability and making smarter decisions about your stretch film purchases. Here’s to safer shipments and smoother operations in every corner of your supply chain!