What’s a Unit Load?

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A unit load is a shipping term that refers to a multi-part collection of goods packed for easy transportation. In most cases, this means that multiple items are stacked on a pallet and then wrapped together to form one package. The pallet will have slots to allow a forklift to pick it up and move it without disturbing the products. While this is probably the most common type of unit load, any quantity of product similarly packed for transport is a single unit. The term applies to everything from pushcart-sized units to intermodal shipping crates.

The most confusing thing about a unit load is that it’s an indefinite measure of space, volume, and weight. There are no rules that say cargo must be above a certain size or below a specific volume. The only rules imposed on measurement are that it is made up of several pieces connected to each other and is specially designed to facilitate shipping. If the shipper commonly uses forklifts and pallets, then this is the likely unit load, but if the shipper uses containers instead, this would be called a unit.

Regardless of size and content, the load unit is secured as one solid piece. With smaller shipping systems, this often means that individual goods are wrapped using packing wrap. This thin, stretchy plastic is nearly identical to the plastic wrap used in home kitchens. Larger units typically use wooden crates or metal shipping containers.

While almost anything could be a unit of cargo to someone, modern shipping has standardized the movement of goods well enough that three major dimensions are more common than all the others. The most common storage unit is the pallet. These wooden or plastic devices are nothing more than platforms specially designed for forklift trucks. They have slots that allow the forklift tines to slide in so goods remain secure while being moved.

Handcart or cart-sized units are more common in endpoint locations, such as a department’s internal warehouse or grocery store. These units are usually set up so that a person can move them from place to place with minimal effort. In this case, the goal is to take a shipped product and move it to a place where it is sold; therefore, the overall unit load content is much less.

The last common size for a unit load is a container. Intermodal transport uses standard-sized shipping containers that move from the back of a truck or railcar to the deck of a ship and back again, all without opening the container. Intermodal systems allow for the efficient and cost-effective transport of goods by combining loads from multiple shippers into one easily transportable package.

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