A pallet that leaves your site wrapped badly is a problem that grows with every mile. It can lean in the trailer, shed boxes at a roundabout, or arrive at your customer as a pile rather than a pallet. The fix is rarely expensive. It’s usually a few minutes of care before the film goes on. This checklist covers what to check before, during and after wrapping. There’s a printable version at the end for your loading bay.

Who is responsible for load security?

In the UK, responsibility is shared. The business that packs and dispatches the goods, the operator that moves them and the driver all have a part to play. The government’s load securing guidance for vehicle operators sets out who does what. An insecure load found at a roadside check can mean the vehicle isn’t allowed to move until it’s fixed.

If you build and wrap pallets, your part is simple: hand over a pallet that behaves as one solid unit, with its weight and size matching what was booked.

1. Before you build the load

• Check the pallet. No broken or missing boards, no protruding nails, no split blocks. A damaged pallet can collapse under a load that the film is holding perfectly.
• Use the right pallet size for the goods and the service you’ve booked. Our UK pallet sizes guide lists the common sizes and typical height and weight limits.
• Check boxes are fit to stack. Crushed, damp or half-empty cartons will sag, and the film loosens as they do.

2. Building the load

• Heaviest items at the bottom, lighter ones on top.
• Stack square, in columns, with edges lined up with the pallet edges. Boxes stacked in columns carry weight better than boxes stacked in a brick pattern.
• No overhang. Goods hanging over the pallet edge get crushed, and they stop the film gripping the pallet itself.
• Keep the top flat and level so the pallet can be stacked on, or at least doesn’t shift under a strap.
• Stay inside the booked height and weight, including the pallet. An oversized pallet can be refused at collection.

3. Wrapping the pallet

• Choose the right film. 23 micron for heavy, tall or mixed loads. 17 micron for lighter, even cartons. 17 vs 23 micron explained.
• Tie the load to the pallet first. Tuck the film end into the pallet, then put three or four tight wraps around the base, covering the join between the pallet and the first layer of boxes. This is the most important step. Film that only wraps the boxes lets the whole stack slide off the pallet.
• Spiral up with about 50% overlap, keeping steady tension.
• Two or three wraps at the top, then work back down to where you started.
• Protect sharp corners with edge protectors, or add extra wraps. Film tears first at sharp points.
• Don’t over-stretch. Pulling so hard that the film narrows to a rope loses its hold. Why pallet wrap keeps tearing.
• Hide valuable goods with black pallet wrap if you’d rather contents weren’t visible in transit.

4. Final checks before collection

• The push test. Push gently at the top of the load. The boxes and the pallet should move together. If the top layer moves on its own, add more wraps.
• No loose film tails that could snag on a forklift or another pallet.
• Label clearly on at least two sides, with any “this way up” or fragile marks visible through the film.
• Weigh it if you’re anywhere near the booked limit.
• Take a photo of each side before it leaves. If there’s a damage claim later, you have proof of how it left.

5. In the vehicle: film is not a restraint

Pallet wrap holds the goods to the pallet. It doesn’t hold the pallet to the vehicle. Once the pallet is on board, it still needs securing with straps, bars or load-rated sides, and most standard curtains aren’t designed to hold a load in place. The code of practice for securing loads on goods vehicles covers this in detail. The Health and Safety Executive’s load security page covers safe loading and unloading.

The most common load failures we see

• Film not tied to the pallet: the stack slides off the base as one piece.
• Too thin a film for a heavy or sharp-edged load: tears at the corners within a few miles.
• Too few wraps at the top: the top layer shifts and falls on braking.
• Overhanging cartons: crushed by the next pallet, and the load loosens.
• Inconsistent technique: different people wrap differently, so some pallets arrive fine and others don’t. A simple written method fixes this.

Our step-by-step guide shows how to wrap a pallet properly, and six signs your pallet wrap isn’t holding the load helps you spot problems early.

Printable pallet load checklist

Print this checklist

You’re welcome to print this checklist and put it up in your loading bay. If you’d like to use it on your own website, please link back to this page.

Load security: quick answers

Is pallet wrap enough to secure a load?

Pallet wrap secures the goods to the pallet. The pallet itself still needs securing in the vehicle with straps, bars or load-rated sides.

How many times should you wrap a pallet?

As a starting point: three or four wraps at the base, a spiral up with about 50% overlap, two or three wraps at the top, then back down. Heavier or taller loads need more. Our pallet wrap calculator estimates how much film that uses.

What thickness of pallet wrap is best for heavy loads?

23 micron is the usual choice for heavy, tall or sharp-edged loads. Browse our pallet wrap range.