The five causes of in-transit damage
Cargo is rarely destroyed by a single dramatic event. It is degraded by repeated forces over a journey, and almost all of them trace back to how well the load is secured to the pallet:
- Vibration: continuous road and sea vibration loosens poorly tensioned loads until they shift.
- Sudden braking & acceleration: inertia drives the load forward or back if it is not anchored to the pallet base.
- Mechanical impact: forklift knocks and drops shock the load; a rigid steel strap snaps where a flexible PET strap would absorb it.
- Compression & settling: stacked corrugated, textile and food loads settle in transit; steel goes slack while PET recovers tension.
- Moisture & handling: humidity rusts steel strap and stains cargo; excess manual handling adds further shock.
Why hand-applied methods fail heavy freight
Hand-applied stretch film and manual strapping rely on human strength, so containment force varies wildly from pallet to pallet. Too loose and the load shifts and breaks; uneven and the centre of gravity destabilises. Critically, stretch film only binds the load horizontally — it wraps the boxes to each other but never anchors them to the pallet, so the whole stack can still slide off as a unit.
Pallet-stabilization techniques that work
- Build the load square and centred so the centre of gravity sits over the pallet middle.
- Use vertical strapping to tie the load directly to the pallet base — the single most effective anti-shift measure.
- Apply consistent, calibrated tension on every pallet so no weak link is left in the batch.
- Add edge protectors / corner boards on compressible loads so the strap distributes force without cutting in.
- Choose PET over steel for dynamic and sea freight so the strap absorbs shock and resists rust.
How to properly secure a pallet for shipping
- Step 1 — Distribute the load evenly on a sound wood or plastic pallet; keep the centre of gravity central.
- Step 2 — Route the strap under the pallet and over the load (vertical strapping) using a machine, not a stick.
- Step 3 — Apply machine-calibrated tension (e.g. 400–2500N on the 726X) so every pallet is identical.
- Step 4 — Seal with a sealless friction weld for a joint that holds up to 90% of the strap’s break strength.
- Step 5 — Add edge protectors on cartons and use PET for export or humid routes.
Manual methods vs high-tension automated strapping
| Failure mode | Manual stretch wrap / metal clips | ErgoPack high-tension strapping |
|---|---|---|
| Load shifting | Common (horizontal containment only) | Eliminated (locked to pallet base) |
| Tension consistency | Variable, operator-dependent | Digital, repeatable 400–2500N |
| Joint failure | Metal clips snap (~60% efficiency) | Friction weld up to 90% efficiency |
| Shock absorption | Steel snaps | PET elongates & recovers |
| Rust contamination | High on sea freight | Zero (PET is moisture resistant) |
The repeatability point
One badly tensioned pallet in a batch is enough to trigger a rejection. The value of machine-calibrated tension is not just higher force — it is that pallet #1 and pallet #500 are identical, removing the weak link manual strapping always leaves.
Cut your rejection rate — see consistent, calibrated strapping on your own loads.
Book a demoFrequently Asked Questions
- How does automated pallet strapping reduce transit damage?
- Automated machines apply consistent, machine-calibrated tension up to 2500N directly to the load, joining it to the pallet base as a single rigid unit. This removes the load shifting caused by inconsistent manual tensioning — the primary cause of in-transit damage and shipment rejections — and does it identically on every pallet.
- Why do heavy loads shift during transit?
- Heavy loads shift mainly due to insufficient vertical securing. Stretch wrapping provides only horizontal containment, which yields under vibration and impact, so the whole stack can slide off the pallet. Vertical strapping anchors the goods directly to the pallet base, preventing movement.
- How do you properly secure a pallet for shipping?
- Distribute the load evenly on a sound pallet, then vertically strap it with machine-calibrated tension (e.g. 400–2500N), seal with a friction weld, and add edge protectors on compressible loads. Use PET strap for export and humid routes. This makes the load act as a single rigid unit and removes the internal shifting that causes breakage.
- What are the main causes of pallet transit damage?
- The main causes are vibration, sudden braking and acceleration, mechanical impact, load compression and settling, and moisture. Almost all of them result in damage only when the load is poorly secured, which is why consistent vertical strapping is the most effective single fix.
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