Packaging & Logistics worked example

Pallet Utilization at 98% target pallet utilization: a worked example

What does the result look like when target pallet utilization reaches 98%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it to tighten pallet patterns, cut shipping of air, and decide whether to consolidate partial pallets.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Load cube used: 50 ft³ (unchanged)
  • Pallet cube available: 64 ft³ (unchanged)
  • Target pallet utilization: 98 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 85)

Working through the calculation

  • Applying the documented formula (Pallet utilization = load cube used ÷ pallet cube available) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 78.13 % utilized for pallet cube utilization, the number this scenario is built around.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 19.88 points for gap to target fill.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 50 ft³ for load cube used.
  • At this operating point the engine returns 64 ft³ for pallet cube available.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where target pallet utilization sits at 85% and the headline result is 78.13 % utilized, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 78.13 % utilized.
  • A figure at this level is achievable when target pallet utilization is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Cube utilization ignores weight limits and stackability; a pallet can be cube-efficient yet over the weight cap, or cube-full but too fragile to double-stack.

Results at a glance

  • Pallet cube utilization: 78.13 % utilized (headline result)
  • Gap to target fill: 19.88 points
  • Load cube used: 50 ft³
  • Pallet cube available: 64 ft³

Run it with your numbers

  • Every input above is editable in the live Pallet Utilization calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.