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Ti-Hi
Definition
Ti-Hi describes how cases are stacked on a pallet: Ti (tier) is the number of cases on one layer, and Hi (high) is the number of layers. Ti times Hi gives the total cases on a full pallet.
In simple English
Ti is how many boxes fit on one layer of the pallet. Hi is how many layers you stack. Multiply them and you get the boxes on a full pallet. A Ti-Hi of 10 x 5 means 10 boxes per layer, 5 layers high, 50 boxes in all.
What it means
An Australian Food and Grocery Council guide, written with Woolworths, Coles and Metcash, puts it plainly: "TI" refers to tier and "denotes the number of units stacked on one layer of the pallet," while "HI" refers to high or height and "denotes the number of layers stacked on a pallet." A Ti-Hi of 12 x 5 means 12 units per layer and 5 layers, 60 cases in all.[1]
On a shipment, the Ti-Hi tells everyone how a full pallet of that item is built. It shows up in vendor setup forms, item data, purchase orders and receiving checks. When people search "Ti-Hi of shipment," they usually mean this: how many cases make one full pallet of the product, and how they are arranged.
Product data standards use the same two numbers under longer names. In the GS1 Global Data Synchronisation Network (GDSN), Ti is the attribute quantityOfTradeItemsPerPalletLayer, "the number of trade items contained on a single layer of a pallet," and Hi is quantityOfLayersPerPallet, "the number of layers that a pallet contains." GS1 Germany's examples describe a pallet of 60 items built as 5 layers of 12.[3][4] The buyer uses these values to automate picking and stacking in the warehouse and in transport.[4]
How to calculate Ti-Hi
The math is short. Total cases per full pallet = Ti x Hi. SPS Commerce states it the same way: "TI x HI equals the total cases per pallet."[2] GS1 Australia's product catalogue shows the same multiplication in its example for trade items per pallet: 25 cartons per layer times 4 layers is 100 cartons.[5]
- Find Ti. Lay cases out on the pallet deck and count how many fit on one layer without hanging over the edge.
- Find Hi. Divide the height you are allowed to stack (the limit minus the pallet itself) by the case height, and round down.
- Check weight. Multiply Ti x Hi x case weight. If it is over the weight limit, drop layers until it fits. That lower number is your Hi.
- Multiply. Ti x Hi is the case count for a full pallet.
Worked example (illustrative numbers)
Say a case measures 16 x 12 x 10 inches and weighs 30 pounds, and it goes on a 48 x 40 inch pallet. The numbers are made up to show the steps.
| Step | Arithmetic | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Simple grid, long side along 48 in | 48 / 16 = 3 across, 40 / 12 = 3.33, round down to 3 | 9 cases per layer |
| Simple grid, case turned | 48 / 12 = 4 across, 40 / 16 = 2.5, round down to 2 | 8 cases per layer |
| Mixed pattern | 2 rows of 3 cases (48 x 24 in) plus 1 row of 4 turned cases (48 x 16 in) | 10 cases per layer, Ti = 10 |
| Height | Assume a 60 in limit and a 6 in pallet: (60 - 6) / 10 = 5.4, round down | 5 layers, Hi = 5 |
| Weight | 10 x 5 x 30 lb | 1,500 lb of product |
| Total | Ti 10 x Hi 5 | 50 cases |
The mixed pattern fills the 48 x 40 deck exactly, because 10 cases of 16 x 12 inches cover 1,920 square inches, the same as the deck. If the receiver capped the load at 1,000 pounds of product, Hi would drop to 3 (10 x 3 x 30 = 900 lb), and the pallet would hold 30 cases. The pallet calculator runs this layout math for you, and how many cartons fit on a pallet walks through more case sizes.
What sets Ti, and what limits Hi
Ti comes from two things: the pallet's footprint and the case's length and width. A bigger deck or a smaller case gives a higher Ti. Turning cases or mixing orientations can add a case per layer, as the example shows. Cases should sit as close to the pallet edge as possible without crossing it. SPS Commerce calls overhang "a major safety hazard and a frequent trigger for retailer chargebacks."[2]
Hi is limited by height or weight, whichever you hit first. SPS Commerce describes three ceilings: footprint, height and weight. It notes that canned goods are "bound by weight long before they reach the maximum height limit," while cereal boxes usually run out of height first. In its comparison of retailer rules, Walmart and Target list a 48 x 40 inch pallet and a 60 inch maximum height including the pallet.[2] Each buyer's own routing guide is the rule to follow.
The AFGC guide says Ti must not vary between layers of a pallet or between pallets of the same product. A retailer may order a lower Hi, a shorter pallet, when one distribution center cannot take the full height, but the Ti stays the same.[1]
Why it matters
Retail distribution centers plan around the Ti-Hi. The AFGC guide says retailer DCs calculate pallet height from the expected Ti-Hi and case dimensions and assign rack space on that basis. When the real pallet does not match, it lists wrong purchase orders, poor pallet and truck use, rejected pallets, stopped DC automation and safety risks, including pallets falling from height.[1] SPS Commerce adds that mismatched Ti-Hi leads to manual rework and lumper fees.[2]
When pallets arrive built the wrong way, someone has to take them down and rebuild them. That is repalletizing, a common part of freight rework. A warehouse that rebuilds pallets for a retailer needs the buyer's Ti-Hi, pallet type and height limit before it starts.
Example
Illustrative only: a vendor guide lists an item at Ti-Hi 10 x 6. The warehouse builds each pallet with 10 cases per layer and 6 layers, 60 cases, so the pallet matches the retailer's item data when it is received. If the cases arrive floor loaded in a container, the crew uses that same 10 x 6 pattern as it palletizes them at the dock.
Common confusions
- Ti-Hi vs. cases per pallet. Ti-Hi is the pattern (10 x 5). Cases per pallet is the product of the two (50). Two items can both be 50 cases per pallet with different patterns.
- Hi vs. pallet height. Hi is a count of layers, not inches. Pallet height is Hi times case height plus the pallet itself.
- Ti-Hi vs. what actually shipped. The Ti-Hi is the agreed full-pallet build. A partial pallet at the end of an order can have fewer layers.
Related
Related terms
- PalletA pallet is a flat, portable platform, usually wood, with a top deck and a bottom structure that lets a stack...Glossary
- RepalletizingRepalletizing is moving freight onto a new or different pallet, or building loose cartons onto pallets, so...Glossary
- Freight ReworkFreight rework is the physical correction of a shipment that a carrier, receiver or retailer will not accept...Glossary
- SSCCAn SSCC (Serial Shipping Container Code) is the 18-digit GS1 number that identifies one specific logistic...Glossary
Related questions
Related tools
Related guides
Frequently asked questions
What does Ti-Hi mean?
How do you calculate Ti-Hi?
What is the Ti-Hi of a shipment?
Can the Hi change but not the Ti?
Sources
- Australian Food and Grocery Council, “TPF One Page Guide: Data Quality, TIxHI Alignment,” Industry association. Published August 15, 2023. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- SPS Commerce, “Pallet Building 101: TI/HI, Stacking, and Why Retailers Care,” Industry publication. Published June 10, 2026. Accessed September 30, 2026.
- GS1 Germany, “quantityOfTradeItemsPerPalletLayer [3620],” Standards organization. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- GS1 Germany, “quantityOfLayersPerPallet [3616],” Standards organization. Accessed October 14, 2026.
- GS1 Australia, “NPC Data Dictionary: Quantity Of Trade Items Per Pallet,” Standards organization. Accessed October 14, 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.