Pallet vs Floor Loading for Hookah Charcoal

Author: Greg Ryabtsev, Coconut shell charcoal expert.
Reviewed by: Gatot Wibowo, Head of production and general director.
Fact-checked: Wilson Gosalim, Commissioner and charcoal factory co-owner.

Updated on: February 5, 2025
Reading Time: 5 minutes

The best way to load shisha charcoal containers: compare pallets and floor stuffing

pallets stuffing vs on floor stuffing

Quick summary of the article, for one who has no time to read the full article.

QuestionAnswer
Can you do staffing on palletsyes, we can
How many pallets fit the container40″ ft = 20 pallets, 20″ ft = 10 pallets
What is the size of the pallet100x120x14 cm
What is the weight per pallet1250 to 1360 kgs per pallet. 125-136 master boxes

Container stuffing options

Wholesale shisha charcoal logistics can be tricky and there are a lot of details that you have to pay attention to. One of these details is pallets and floor container stuffing.

While stuffing the container with hookah coals there are two main options to use: pallets or just put the hookah coal boxes on the floor.

Let me tell you about pallet stuffing first. For our charcoal, we use only wooden pallets size of 1000×1200 mm with ISPM 15 certification.

shisha charcoal pallet stuffing

What is ISPM 15 and why do you have to know about it

What is ISPM 15? It is simply the requirement that the wooden pallets do not contain bugs or eggs. It is for your safety not to get huge penalties from your customs and phytosanitary inspectors.

So, please make sure that if you take on pallets you have this pallet stamped with ISPM 15. The price difference not much, but it is really save your money and take away problems with quarantine control at the arrival port.

pallet with shisha charoal and ispm 15

Note, that ISPM 15 is not fumigation – it is International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures, confirming that your pallets are according to the rules.

Ok, now the main questions should I take on pallets or floor stuffing?

The simple answer is that it depends on several factors.

First, it is the price:

Stuffing on pallets adds more cost to your hookah coals. Approximately an additional 25-30 USD per ton.

Why that much? Simply as we have used ISMP 15 certified pallets, then we have to use paper edges on the corners to keep the pallet intact and not falling while loading in and out of the container.

Plus we use strapping and plastic wrapping – to keep your goods clean and safe.

On the other side using pallets significantly increases your speed of unloading (discharging) charcoal box from the container. And you can use a fork-loader to move your pallets at once.

It is important if you have expensive labor in the area and cannot do it manually (by hand).

paper edges for pallets
Paper edges
upper paper edges for pallet stuffing
Upper paper edges
stripping to keep pallet boxes
Stripping

The second:

Is the size of the container. I strongly DO NOT recommend you to use pallets for 20″ ft containers. Simply because instead of loading 18-19 tons without pallets – you will get only 14-15 tons.

While you still paying the same amount for the transportation. So the cost per ton will be higher due to low volume.

It is fine to use pallets in a 40″ft container. With the size of pallets 100×120 cm we can fit up to 20 pallets in the 40″ft container.

Per one pallet there are 125-136 master boxes, depending on the size of the box. So per pallet, we load 1250 to 1360 kgs of goods.

Third: thermal blanket damage

One more important note: As we use thermal blankets in our containers – it is extremely difficult to make staffing with it. As during the movement of the wheel loader the proliner (thermal blanket) usually breaks apart and loses the vacuum.

Forth: time frame

As we are strictly using legal wood for pallets and ISPM certified – it takes additional time to make those pallets. Production time for the pallets are two weeks, so in some cases in can caused delay for shipping.

What is good about floor stuffing

  1. The price – standard price in our price list and price proposal are always based on floor stuffing, so you do not need to add any costs
  2. Thermal blanket safe – we can load and keep the proliner without damage. It insures its vacuum, so your goods will arrive safe and sound.

What is the best way to protect boxes of charcoal from damage?

First of all shisha charcoal is quite a strong product, so it is very difficult to damage it. Based on my own experience (and I have loaded more than several thousand containers with shisha charcoal) it is totally the same (in terms of box damage) stuffing on pallets or on the floor.

Palletized vs non-palletized container

In summary, palletized saves you time and cost of unloading the container, but brings you additional cost and headache with a thermal blanket (as it will lose the vacuum).

Non-palletized container – saves you money, as per the standard price list, and keeps your goods safe and vacuum-packed.

If you have any questions about hookah coal bulk shipping – please contact us and we will answer all your questions.

Can I request a mix of palletized and non-palletized loading?

Yes, you can. We can do partial loading on pallets and without pallets. Please note that in this case the total volume of boxes will be less

How does palletized stuffing impact customs clearance?

There is no impact on customs. Basically, the same procedure

Is ISPM 15 certification required for all shipments?

No, only for the pallets and for the USA and EU countries. But we keep it for all pallets just to make you safe.

Does using pallets affect shipping costs?

Yes, palletizing adds $25–30 per ton due to additional materials (pallets, wrapping, straps). However, it can save labor costs on unloading.

How much charcoal fits in a palletized vs. non-palletized container?

20-ft container: Pallets reduce capacity to 14–15 tons (vs. 18–19 tons without pallets).
40-ft container: Can fit up to 20 pallets, carrying 25–27 tons

What is the best option for faster unloading?

Palletized shipments are faster to unload using a forklift, reducing labor time. Floor stuffing requires manual unloading, which takes longer.

What materials are used for palletized stuffing?

We use ISPM 15-certified wooden pallets, paper edge protectors, plastic wrapping, and straps to secure the load.

Can I request custom pallet sizes?

We use standard 100×120 cm pallets. Custom sizes may be possible but could impact container space and cost.

Should I choose palletized stuffing for my order?

If you need faster unloading and have forklift access, pallets are a good choice. If you want maximum weight per container, floor stuffing is better.

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Greg Ryabtsev is the expert in coconut charcoal with over 10 years of industry experience. He developed the Standard Testing Procedure (STP) for shisha charcoal and is the author of several patent-pending technologies in hookah coal manufacturing.
Greg Ryabtsev - Charcoal Expert
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