A carton that survives the warehouse can still fail at sea, and the reason is usually arithmetic rather than packaging quality.
Reefer containers run cold and can run humid. Board softens. Stack height multiplies the load on the bottom layer, and a pallet pattern that leaves overhang concentrates that load on a corner instead of distributing it.
Compression strength, quoted as a board grade, is measured under standard conditions. In a reefer at high humidity for three weeks, the effective strength is lower than the lab figure, which is why a specification built only on board grade can pass inspection and still arrive crushed.
Pallet pattern matters just as much. Column stacking transfers load efficiently but is less stable. Interlocked patterns stabilize the pallet but put load on the carton edges rather than the corners, and edge loading is where most failures start.
The answer is to design both for the actual voyage, not for the warehouse.
At NewsourceFoods, we confirm carton and pallet specification against the destination and transit time before production, and we adjust pack format when the route demands it. Loading is confirmed per order within 18 to 25 tons per 40-foot container rather than promised as a fixed number. Our operations run under ISO, HACCP, BRC, IFS, KOSHER, and HALAL.
Tell us the route and the stack height in your warehouse. We will tell you whether the carton you are using now is specified for that journey or only for the loading dock.
NewsourceFoods ｜ yulian@qdnewsource.com ｜ Tel / WhatsApp: 0086 13687623173
