Freight glossaryCargo HandlingFreight RecoveryWarehousing
Repalletizing
Definition
Repalletizing is moving freight onto a new or different pallet, or building loose cartons onto pallets, so the load is stable, meets the receiver's pallet rules and can be moved by forklift.
What it means
Freight is repalletized when the pallet failed (a cracked stringer or broken deck board), when the pallet is the wrong size or type for the receiver, when cartons arrive floor-loaded, or when an export needs wood packaging that meets ISPM 15.
The 48 x 40 in. pallet is the dominant standardized size in the U.S.: a USDA Forest Service study put it at about 35% of new wood pallets and 69% of the recycled market in 2016.[1] Whatever the size, the rebuilt stack has to be stable and limited in height,[2] and its pattern is often specified as a Ti-Hi.
Repalletizing also changes the paperwork. GS1 US guidance says that when a logistic unit is broken down and repacked, a new SSCC needs to be assigned to the new unit,[3] and the pallet's weight and dimensions change, which can change its freight density.
Repalletizing is one kind of freight rework. It is also the usual fix when a load shifts in a trailer and pallets lean or break.
Why it matters
A pallet that fails in transit is one of the most common reasons a load shifts or a receiver refuses it. A rebuilt pallet is only half the fix: it needs a re-weigh, updated labels and proper securement in the trailer.
Example
A container arrives with cartons on 1,200 x 1,000 mm pallets, but the U.S. receiver's racking only takes 48 x 40 in. pallets. The cartons are moved onto 48 x 40 pallets, wrapped, re-weighed and given new pallet labels before delivery.
Related
Related terms
- Cargo SecurementCargo securement is restraining freight on or inside a vehicle, with walls, blocking, bracing, dunnage or...Glossary
- DunnageDunnage is loose material used to support and protect cargo in a trailer, container or railcar: lumber...Glossary
- Load ShiftA load shift is freight moving from its loaded position inside a trailer or container during transit, such as...Glossary
- Overages, Shortages and DamagesOverages, shortages and damages (OS&D) is the receiving record of freight that arrived over the expected...Glossary
- PalletA pallet is a flat, portable platform, usually wood, with a top deck and a bottom structure that lets a stack...Glossary
- Freight ReworkFreight rework is the physical correction of a shipment that a carrier, receiver or retailer will not accept...Glossary
- Ti-HiTi-Hi describes how cases are stacked on a pallet: Ti (tier) is the number of cases on one layer, and Hi...Glossary
- ISPM 15ISPM 15 is the international standard for wood packaging material, such as pallets, crates and dunnage, that...Glossary
- SSCCAn SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is the 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one specific logistic...Glossary
- Floor-Loaded FreightFloor-loaded freight is cartons stacked directly on the floor of a container or trailer, without pallets...Glossary
Related questions
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Sources
- USDA Forest Service Research and Development, “Investigation of new and recovered wood shipping platforms in the United States (Gerber, Horvath, Araman, Gething, 2020),” Government research. Published 2020. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “29 CFR § 1910.176, Handling materials, general,” Federal regulation. Accessed September 2026.
- GS1 US, “An Introduction to the Serial Shipping Container Code (SSCC), Release 3.0,” Standards organization. Published February 2019. Accessed September 2026.
General operational information, not legal, customs or regulatory advice. Rules and rates change; confirm current requirements with the agency, carrier or contract that governs your shipment.