How Should Warehouse Teams Set Up a Pallet Measurement Workflow?
A pallet measurement workflow works when every finished pallet is measured at a defined point after it is wrapped and before the bill of lading is printed, taking length, width and height at the greatest points (pallet, overhang and any "do not stack" cone included) and weighing the whole unit. The numbers then go onto the bill of lading for each pallet, with a photo kept as proof, so the paperwork describes the same freight the carrier picks up.
Why do warehouse teams need a fixed way to measure pallets?
Under density-based LTL classification, the dimensions and weight you declare set the density, and the density sets the class. Ahead of the NMFC changes that took effect on 19 July 2025, a sponsored article in Logistics Management, published on 7 May 2025 and drawing on NMFTA's director of operations Keith Peterson, advised shippers to make recording the dimensions of shipping units mandatory and to record handling unit dimensions on the bill of lading.
Mandatory recording is the policy. The workflow is how it actually happens on a busy dock. Without fixed rules, three people measure the same pallet three ways: one before the stretch wrap goes on, one from the top of the deck boards instead of the floor, one ignoring the cone that gets added at the door. Each habit makes the declared size smaller than the freight the carrier handles, and that gap is what the carrier's own measurement would show.
A written workflow removes the guesswork. It answers four questions for everyone on the shift: when the pallet is measured, what counts as its outer edge, where the numbers are recorded, and who checks them before the truck arrives.
Where in the outbound flow should the measurement happen?
Measure the pallet in the state it will be tendered: built, wrapped, strapped, labelled, and with corner boards or a cone in place. Anything added after measurement changes the dimensions without changing the paperwork. The step belongs between "pallet finished" and "bill of lading printed", and no pallet should move to a dock lane until it has numbers attached to its ID.
Give the measurement a defined place. With a tape or a fixed dimensioner, that means one marked spot on flat, level floor near the staging lanes, with the scale beside it. With a mobile device, the measuring point can be each lane, as long as every lane follows the same rules. If a pallet is reworked after measuring, with a carton added, a layer removed or the wrap redone, it gets measured again.
Before the tape or scanner comes out, Averitt's freight density guide, published on 24 April 2025, suggests a simple first step: walk around the pallet or package to check for visible damage. A leaning stack or a crushed corner should be rebuilt first, because the rebuilt pallet will have different dimensions from the damaged one.
What exactly should be measured on each pallet?
Measure each handling unit at its greatest extent in every direction. TForce Freight's density guidance says to measure the handling unit in inches at its greatest distance, and for a palletized unit to use the greater of the pallet's or the freight's dimensions for length and width. The weight is the total handling unit weight, including packaging and pallet.
ArcBest's guidance on measuring cubic feet spells out what the measurement includes: the pallet, skid, crate or brace is part of the measurement, product that extends beyond the pallet has to be accounted for, "do not stack" cones are included in the height, and irregularly shaped freight takes the longest measurement for each side. Averitt puts the same rule in one line: measure from the longest point to the longest point, including overhangs.
Turn this into a short card fixed to the wall at the measuring point:
- Length and width: the outermost points of the pallet or the load, whichever sticks out further.
- Height: from the floor to the highest point, cone included.
- Weight: the whole unit on the scale, pallet and wrap included.
- One set of numbers per pallet, never one set for the whole shipment.
- How fractions of an inch are recorded, agreed with your carrier and written down so nobody improvises.
A worked example shows why the overhang rule matters. ArcBest's example is a 48 x 40 x 60 inch pallet weighing 500 pounds, about 66.67 cubic feet and 7.5 pounds per cubic foot. Now suppose the cartons overhang the deck by 2 inches on every side. The unit becomes 52 x 44 x 60 inches, which is 137,280 cubic inches or about 79.4 cubic feet, and the same 500 pounds works out to about 6.3 pounds per cubic foot. Same product, same weight, lower density. Measure the overhang, and better still, build pallets without it. For the measuring technique itself, see How to Measure a Pallet for LTL Shipping Accurately.
Who does what in the workflow?
On a small dock one person may do everything, but the steps should still be separate so each one can be checked:
- Builder or packer: finishes the pallet, applies wrap, labels and any cone, and moves it to the measuring point.
- Measurer: weighs, measures and photographs the pallet, and records the numbers against the pallet ID.
- Shipping clerk: copies the recorded numbers to the bill of lading, with dimensions for each handling unit, from the record rather than from memory.
- Supervisor: audits a sample each week and follows up every carrier correction.
The record for each pallet should hold the pallet or shipment ID, length, width, height, weight, the photos, who measured it and when. Keep it where the bill of lading is produced, ideally in the WMS or TMS. If your measuring tool and your system are not connected, How to Get Mobile Dimensioning Data Into Your WMS or TMS Without a Custom Integration covers the practical options.
The copying step is where good measurements turn into wrong paperwork. The Logistics Management article goes beyond putting dimensions on the bill of lading: it also says to ensure weight and dimensions are listed correctly, so the clerk checks each line against the pallet record before printing.
Which measuring tool fits your volume?
All three common options can run the same workflow. The difference is where the measuring happens and what has to be maintained.
| Tool | Where it fits | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Tape measure and floor scale | Low volume, one measuring point, simple boxed loads | Tall loads are awkward for one person; readings vary with who holds the tape; photos are a separate step |
| Fixed dimensioner at a station | High volume flowing through one point | Every pallet must travel to it; it must be kept level and zeroed; loads must fit its marked range |
| Phone or tablet with LiDAR | Several dock doors, or measuring where the pallet stands | Only some iPhone and iPad models have LiDAR; the operator must capture the whole unit, cone included |
For fixed dimensioners, the US reference is NIST Handbook 44. Section 5.58 of the 2026 edition applies to dimension and volume measuring devices used to calculate freight, storage or postal charges, and its user requirements read like a daily checklist: keep the device in a zero or ready condition, keep it level if it has a level indicator, do not measure objects smaller or larger than the dimensions marked on it, and measure an irregularly shaped object that must ship on a stable side while it sits on that side.
For teams that ship from several doors, a mobile tool avoids moving every pallet to one station. FreightSizer is an iPhone and iPad app that measures freight dimensions with LiDAR, calculates density and determines LTL freight class in line with NMFTA guidelines, so the dimensions, the density and the class come from the same device at the pallet. Check which iPhone and iPad models can measure freight with LiDAR before planning devices per lane.
How do you keep proof of what you measured?
Take two photos per pallet at the measuring point: one of the whole unit showing the top, any overhang and the cone, and one of the reading, whether that is the tape at the highest point or the result on the device screen, with the pallet label visible. Store them with the pallet record under the pallet ID and the bill of lading number.
When a correction notice arrives, those photos, the timestamp and the recorded numbers are what you compare with the carrier's figures. Without them, the dispute is your word against the carrier's measurement. Documenting Shipment Dimensions to Win Disputes goes through what to keep and how to present it.
How do you keep the workflow accurate over time?
A measurement process drifts unless someone checks it on a schedule. Four routines cover most of it:
- Start of shift: check the tools. Measure a reference carton whose size you have verified carefully, and put a known weight on the scale. For a fixed dimensioner, the zero and level requirements above are part of this check.
- Weekly: a second person re-measures a sample of pallets before pickup and compares the results with the pallet records. A pattern of differences points to a rule on the card that people read in different ways.
- Every carrier correction: trace it by pallet ID to the record and the photos. Decide whether the freight changed after measuring (re-wrapped, a carton added, a cone added at the door) or the measurement was wrong, then fix the step that failed, not only the invoice.
- New staff: train them at the measuring point with the written card, and have a supervisor re-measure their first pallets.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should pallets be measured before or after stretch wrapping?
After. Measure the unit as it will be tendered, with wrap, straps, corner boards, labels and any cone in place. If anything is added after measuring, measure the pallet again.
Does each pallet in a multi-pallet shipment need its own dimensions?
Yes. TForce Freight's density guidance works density out per handling unit: measure each unit at its greatest distance and divide its total weight, pallet included, by its cubic feet. Put each pallet's dimensions on the bill of lading rather than a single total for the shipment.
Do "do not stack" cones count toward pallet height?
Yes. ArcBest's guidance is to include "do not stack" cones in the height. Leaving the cone out makes the declared height shorter than the freight the carrier loads.
Can a phone replace a tape measure in this workflow?
It can replace the tape at the measuring step if the device has LiDAR and the operator captures the whole unit, overhang and cone included. Weighing, one record per pallet, photos and audits stay the same. FreightSizer does this on iPhone and iPad and also calculates density and freight class from the measurement.