What JetPallet calculates
These results follow directly from your inputs and are verified independently. If the inputs are right, the results are right.
- Pallet patterns: the position and orientation of every carton. A checker that is independent of the search makes sure no cartons overlap and none lies outside the load area.
- Counts, heights, weights: cartons per layer and per pallet, load height, and gross weight from your weight inputs, including pallet, tier sheets and edge protectors.
- Geometric support: for rotated or mirrored layers, how much of each carton’s footprint rests on the layer below.
- Load centre: the centre of the carton centres in length, width and height, measured from the pallet corner.
- Cargo space: the position of every pallet in the vehicle, loading metres used, and loading order for multi-stop runs.
- Costs: from the prices and rates you enter.
- Dependent results: if you change the carton or pallet, JetPallet marks vehicle, axle load and arrangement results as out of date. They are recalculated at the click of a button, not automatically.
In the inspector and the packing report, every result carries a status on a three-level scale; each level includes the one below:
- geometrically checked: the arrangement is physically possible and has been verified independently.
- technically plausible: in addition, height and payload are within your limits, support reaches the minimum, the tipping note is clear and – if entered – compression strength is sufficient.
- externally verified: in addition, an external record is linked to this result, such as an as-built check within tolerance or a securing document. JetPallet doesn’t check the content of that record.
No level means that a load is stable or safe to transport. The status is based on the built-in calculation models and is not proof of safety or transport security.
What JetPallet estimates
These values come from simplified models and assumptions. They’re useful for decisions and for comparing options, but they don’t replace measurement or inspection.
| Function | Basis | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Carton compression strength | simplified McKee formula from ECT, board thickness and carton perimeter; a measured BCT takes precedence | estimate; humidity, storage time, stacking pattern and contents strongly affect real strength |
| Load securing | top-over and direct lashing based on EN 12195-1; headboard, side and rear walls based on EN 12642; reassessed after every stop | estimate; standard values come from secondary sources and haven’t been checked against the standard’s text |
| Axle loads | from the load layout, pallet weights and the vehicle profile; axle groups are split into individual axles (air suspension as a labelled assumption, otherwise an uneven-distribution factor, lift axles, single-axle limit) | model calculation; no substitute for a weighbridge. Limits under Directive 96/53/EC are only filled in as suggestions at the click of a button; wording not checked against the original |
| Tipping warnings | width-to-height ratio with factors from secondary sources | an estimate and a warning, not a geometric check and not a stability calculation |
| Cheapest vehicle choice | search across vehicle combinations using your cost rates | exact for small cases, otherwise labelled as an approximation; the minimum is then not proven |
| Stretch film, CO₂e | consumption and emission assumptions | scenario figures for comparison |
Both the interface and the PDF state plainly that load securing is an estimate and doesn’t replace a check by a qualified person.
What JetPallet does not check
- Stability and transport safety: whether a stack survives braking, cornering or racking depends on carton quality, contents, film, strapping, friction and driving. The app provides no proof of this.
- Dangerous goods: JetPallet derives ADR warnings from what you enter (mixed-loading prohibitions, for example, and distances from foodstuffs under ADR 7.5.4) as well as segregation notes based on the IMDG Code (chapter 7.2). That is not a dangerous goods check and not a packing certificate under IMDG 5.4.2. A missing warning is not a clearance; responsibility stays with the qualified person or dangerous goods safety adviser.
- Legal approvals: JetPallet gives no approval for load securing, dangerous goods or customs. Notes such as the ISPM 15 reminder are reminders, not checks.
- Real pallets and vehicles: load carriers are based on EPAL/EN 13698-1, ISO 6780, ISO 3394, DIN 15159-1 and UIC 435-3 (mesh box pallet); heights and tare weights are guide values. Vehicle profiles are based on published manufacturer data. If in doubt, measure.
- Your inputs: wrong dimensions or weights produce wrong results. JetPallet checks inputs for plausibility and format, not for accuracy.
How good the pattern search is
The search for the best pattern is bounded so that results appear as you type. That means it won’t find the theoretically best layer in every conceivable case. How close it gets is measured:
- In a reproducible test of 1,000 randomly generated cases (one carton type per layer), 807 were proven to have no layer with more cartons. No better solution is known for any case; proof for the rest is still outstanding.
- On 16 recognised comparison problems from the specialist literature, the search reaches the best known result in all 16; these match the upper limit the area allows and are therefore optimal.
- For mixed loads in containers, fill rates on reproductions of published test cases are still a few percentage points below the literature values reported for them.
- For hard cases there’s an explicitly started intensive search, plus a layer editor for your own arrangements.
Hard limits and open points
Some tools have fixed upper limits so that calculation and display stay manageable:
| Area | Limit |
|---|---|
| ERP order (JSON) | up to 500 lines and 10,000 pallets per order |
| Build-up video | up to 1,000 cartons and 50 layers |
| 3D view | up to 5,000 cartons |
| Mixed order | up to 50 carton types, 100 article lines and 500 units |
| Delivery stops | 1 to 100 |
- Translations: the interface, load plans, driver sheets and pallet labels are available in 47 languages. German and English are reviewed and released; the other 45 are machine-translated and have not yet been reviewed by language specialists.
- Accessibility: JetPallet offers VoiceOver summaries and keyboard control; a manual VoiceOver acceptance test is still outstanding.
The web calculator is a simplified calculation
The web calculator on this site is for quick orientation. It only calculates simple grids and block patterns with two orientations – fewer pattern families than the app – and has no layer sequences, support check, overhang, cargo spaces or reports. If its result differs from the app’s, the app is right.
Using the results sensibly
- Check dimensions and weights on the real carton, not just the data sheet.
- Use estimated values to compare options, not as limits.
- Build a trial pallet before rolling out new packaging.
- Have load securing and dangerous goods assessed by a qualified person.
The full list of functions is under Features. You can try all of them free for 14 days.
Frequently asked questions.
Is JetPallet certified or standards-compliant?
No. JetPallet calculates pallet patterns geometrically and estimates load securing based on EN 12195-1 and EN 12642. It issues no approvals and doesn’t replace a check by a qualified person.
Does JetPallet check dangerous goods under ADR or IMDG?
No. JetPallet only derives warnings and segregation notes from your inputs. A missing warning is not a clearance and not a packing certificate.
Does JetPallet guarantee that a pallet is safe to stack?
No. Compression strength is estimated with the McKee formula. Whether a stack holds depends on carton quality, humidity, storage time and contents.