Ti Hi Calculator: What Is Ti Hi and How to Calculate It
"Ti Hi" is the standard shipping shorthand for how cartons are stacked on a pallet. Ti is the number of cartons in one layer; Hi is the number of layers high. Multiply them and you get the total cartons per pallet. This guide explains both terms, walks through examples, and shows how to maximize each within height and weight limits.
What is Ti Hi?
Ti (Tie)
The number of boxes that fit flat in a single layer on the pallet deck. Sometimes called the "tie" or "tier".
Hi (High)
The number of layers stacked on top of each other, limited by your maximum load height.
A pallet pattern written as "Ti 10, Hi 5" means 10 cartons per layer, 5 layers high, for 50 cartons total. That's the entire calculation - the skill is in getting the highest safe Ti and Hi.
How to calculate Ti (cartons per layer)
Start from the pallet deck. A standard GMA pallet is 48 × 40 inches (1,920 sq in). Divide by the carton footprint for an upper bound, then confirm with a real packed pattern because cartons must sit flat and can be rotated.
Example: a 12×10×8 in carton has a 120 sq in footprint. 1,920 ÷ 120 = 16 as an upper bound. In a clean packed pattern you might realistically get a Ti of 14-16 depending on orientation and overhang rules.
How to calculate Hi (layers high)
Usable stack height is your maximum load height minus the pallet's own height (about 5-6 in for a GMA pallet), with a margin for stretch wrap. If your program caps total height at 72 in and you plan to 60 in of usable box height, an 8-inch carton gives Hi = 60 ÷ 8 = 7.5, rounded down to 7 layers.
Worked example
Carton: 12 × 10 × 8 in, 18 lb each. Pallet: 48×40, 60″ usable height, 1,500 lb weight cap.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Ti (cartons per layer) | Packed pattern on 48×40 deck | 14 |
| Hi (layers) | 60″ ÷ 8″ = 7.5, round down | 7 |
| Cartons per pallet | 14 × 7 | 98 |
| Weight check | 98 × 18 lb + ~40 lb pallet | 1,804 lb - over limit |
| Adjusted Hi | Cut to 6 layers: 84 × 18 + 40 | 1,552 lb - still over |
| Adjusted Hi | Cut to 5 layers: 70 × 18 + 40 | 1,300 lb - fits |
| Final | Ti 14 × Hi 5 | 70 cartons |
How to maximize Ti and Hi
Maximizing Ti
- Rotate and mix orientations. A pinwheel or brick pattern often fits one more carton per layer than a simple grid.
- Design cartons to tile the deck. A footprint that divides evenly into 48×40 wastes the least space.
- Keep overhang legal. Pushing cartons past the pallet edge to raise Ti loses compression strength and risks rejection.
Maximizing Hi
- Match carton height to your usable height. A 10″ carton gives a clean 6 layers in 60″; an 11″ carton wastes 5″ and yields only 5.
- Respect the weight cap. Adding layers is pointless if it breaks the 1,500 lb limit - model weight before height.
- Protect crush strength. The bottom cartons carry the full stack; use a corrugate grade (e.g. ECT-32) that supports the load.
Column vs interlock (brick) stacking
How you arrange cartons within each layer is a real trade-off:
| Pattern | Stability | Compression strength | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Column stack (cartons directly on top of each other) | Lower - the stack can shear or topple | Highest - corners align vertically and carry the load through the strongest part of the box | Maximizing stack height and box strength; secure with good wrapping |
| Interlock / brick (layers rotated so cartons overlap) | Higher - layers tie together and resist toppling | Lower - roughly 40-50% less compression strength because corners no longer align | Loads that need stability in transit and aren't stacked to their strength limit |
Column stacking keeps the box's strongest points - its vertical corners - loaded, so it preserves the most compression strength, but the aligned stack is easier to knock over. Interlocking ties the layers together for stability, at the cost of routing load through the weaker box faces and losing roughly 40-50% of compression strength. Many shippers compromise: column-stack for strength and rely on quality stretch wrap and corner boards for stability, or interlock only the top layer or two.
Skip the manual Ti Hi math
Enter your carton dimensions and weight - our tool computes Ti, Hi, cartons per pallet, and checks the layout against Amazon FBA, Walmart, Costco, and Target limits automatically.
Try the Free Pallet Calculator Amazon FBA Pallet CalculatorFrequently asked questions
What does Ti Hi mean?
Ti is the number of cartons in a single layer on a pallet (cartons per layer); Hi is the number of layers stacked high. Ti times Hi equals the total cartons per pallet.
How do you calculate cartons per pallet?
Multiply Ti by Hi. Find Ti by fitting cartons across the pallet deck (48×40 for a GMA pallet), and Hi by dividing usable stack height by carton height and rounding down. Then confirm the load stays under the weight limit.
Is Ti the same as boxes per layer?
Yes. Ti (tie) is simply the industry term for the number of boxes or cartons in one layer on the pallet.
Should I column stack or interlock?
Column stacking gives the most compression strength because box corners align vertically, but it is less stable. Interlocking (brick pattern) is more stable but loses roughly 40-50% of compression strength. Choose based on whether strength or in-transit stability matters more, and use good wrapping either way.
Does weight limit affect Ti Hi?
Yes. Even when height allows more layers (a higher Hi), the total weight must stay under your program's cap - commonly 1,500 lb including the pallet for Amazon FBA. If weight is exceeded, reduce Hi until the load fits.