Stretch Film for Export & Shipping

When a pallet is going out on transport, stretch film has one main job: to bind the load into a single stable unit so it does not shift, lean or topple as it is lifted, loaded, moved and carried. A pallet that arrives intact is almost always one whose film was applied under proper tension, anchored to the pallet, with enough turns to hold the top. That matters more on a shipping pallet than any figure on the box.

Hilux Poly supplies clear and black hand stretch film suited to securing palletised goods for despatch and transport. Every roll is 400mm x 250m, held in UK stock and dispatched the same working day before 2pm.

[See recommended rolls below]

What stretch film does in transit, and what it does not

Being straight about this is the point, because transit is where wrap is most often oversold.

What it does. Applied under tension, stretch film holds a load together. It stops cartons sliding against each other, keeps a stack from leaning, and ties the goods down to the pallet so the unit moves as one. It also keeps dust and light moisture off the load in handling and storage. For standard palletised goods going out by courier, pallet network or transport, that is exactly what you need.

What it does not do. It is not armour and it is not a waterproof seal. Cast hand film is not a high-puncture industrial wrap, so it will not shrug off a sharp steel edge or a forklift tine on its own. It is not a substitute for a well-built pallet: an unstable stack wrapped tightly is still an unstable stack. And overlapping film sheds some water but does not make a load weatherproof, so anything travelling exposed wants a top sheet or cover as well.

Treat the film as the thing that unitises and stabilises the load, and pair it with sensible load-building for the journey it is making.

Wrapping a pallet for transit

The journey, not the gauge, decides most transit outcomes. For anything going out on transport:

Use the heavier 23 micron. It gives you more to work with on fuller and taller loads than the 17µ, for a few pence more per roll.

Anchor the base to the pallet. Two or three turns tying the bottom cartons to the pallet itself. This is the single most important step, and the one most often skipped.

Apply real tension and overlap by about half the film width. Tension is what turns loose film into containment. Even overlap avoids weak gaps where a load can start to move.

Reinforce the top on tall loads. Extra turns over the top edge stop the upper cartons leaning out under braking and cornering.

Protect sharp corners. On loads with hard edges or corners, add edge protection under the film. Wrap alone will cut or split on a sharp edge no matter how many turns you apply.

Consider black for shared transport. On groupage and pallet-network vehicles, black keeps the contents out of view. More on black film

Recommended rolls for shipping

23μ Clear (Standard Core). The default for transit: heavier-gauge hold, contents and labels visible for checks and scanning at handover.

23μ Black (Standard Core). Same hold, contents concealed for goods travelling on shared transport.

23μ Clear (Extended Core) or Black. Built-in handles for despatch benches and mobile loading where a dispenser is not practical.

For lighter, stable loads staying closer to home, the 17µ clear is the more economical roll. See how to choose.

A straight word on heavy and long-haul export

These are hand rolls in 23 micron. For most palletised freight that is the right tool. For genuinely demanding export, very heavy pallets, sharp or irregular loads, or long sea-freight journeys with rough handling, be realistic: wrap more turns, use edge protection, build the pallet properly, and know that the most demanding loads are eventually a job for machine-applied or higher-gauge film, which is a different product from what we currently stock. We would rather tell you that than sell you a roll for a job it is not built for.

Buying for despatch

Order by the 6-roll carton, or by the pallet for trade pricing that improves with volume. UK stock, same-day dispatch before 2pm, free to Mainland GB. Shipping regular volumes? Tell us your usage and we will set up standing pricing. Request trade and pallet pricing

Shipping & export FAQs

Is stretch film enough to ship a pallet?

For standard palletised goods, yes: wrapped under tension, anchored to the pallet and with the top reinforced, it holds the load together for transport. For very heavy, sharp or long-haul export loads, add more turns and edge protection, and treat the film as one part of a well-built pallet rather than the whole solution.

Which thickness for shipping and export?

The heavier 23 micron for anything going out on transport. Keep 17µ for lighter, stable loads staying closer to home.

Is your film puncture-resistant?

It is cast hand film, not a high-puncture industrial wrap, so it can be cut or split by a sharp edge. On loads with hard corners, use edge protection under the film.

Does stretch film make a pallet waterproof?

No. It resists dust and light moisture, but it is not a sealed barrier. For loads travelling exposed, add a top sheet or pallet cover.

Clear or black for transport?

Black keeps contents out of view on shared and groupage vehicles. Clear keeps labels and barcodes readable for checks at handover.

Do you supply machine or higher-gauge film for heavy export?

Not currently. Our range is 23µ and 17µ hand film. The most demanding export loads are a job for machine-applied or heavier film, which is a different product.