Packaging & Crate Calculator & Crates, Pallets & Loads
Packs crates
Plan packing and transport — from your harvest weight and crate size get the crates or bags, the pallets, the truck loads and the packaging cost, after grading-out loss.
Enter your harvest
Next: order 48 crates/bags (plus a 5–10% buffer for breakage), stage 1 pallets, and book 0.19 truck load(s) for dispatch.
Units, crates and pallets are always rounded up to whole packages — you can't ship a fraction of a crate.
Packaging — key facts
- Crates
- ⌈usable ÷ capacity⌉
- Grade-out loss
- ≈ 5–15%
- Fruit crate
- ≈ 5–20 kg
- Veg bag
- ≈ 25 kg
- Grain sack
- ≈ 50 kg
- Crates/pallet
- ≈ 40–60
- Round up
- part-packs still need a unit
- Privacy
- Runs in your browser; nothing uploaded
Pack and ship without the last-minute scramble
The harvest is in — now it has to be graded, packed and moved, often within hours while it's fresh. Running out of crates mid-pack, or booking the wrong-sized vehicle, costs time and quality. The arithmetic is simple but easy to fumble under pressure: subtract the grading-out loss, divide the usable weight by the pack capacity and round up, then work out the pallets and truck loads.
This tool does it instantly, turning your harvest weight into the exact crates or bags, pallets, truck loads and packaging cost so you order packaging and book transport ahead of time. Match the pack size to the produce and buyer, order a few spares, and reduce grade-out with careful handling. Pair it with the Grain Storage Capacity and Cold Storage tools to plan where the packed produce goes next.
Order enough packaging
Get the exact crate/bag count so you never run short mid-pack.
Book the right transport
Pallets and truck loads tell you the vehicles and trips needed.
Account for culls
Grade-out loss means you pack what's sellable, not gross harvest.
Budget the pack
Add a crate price to see the packaging cost up front.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many crates do I need for my harvest?+
Divide the usable harvest weight by the crate capacity and round up: crates = ⌈harvest ÷ capacity⌉. 950 kg of usable produce in 20 kg crates needs 48 crates. This tool does it after deducting grading-out loss, and also gives pallets, truck loads and cost.
What is grading-out loss?+
It's the share of harvest that's culled before packing — undersized, damaged, diseased or off-spec produce that won't be sold in the pack. It's typically 5–15% depending on crop and market. The tool subtracts your grade-out percentage so the crate count reflects what's actually packed.
How do I work out pallets and truck loads?+
Pallets = crates ÷ crates-per-pallet (rounded up); truck loads = usable weight ÷ truck capacity. The tool lets you set crates per pallet and the truck's payload, so you can plan storage space and how many trips or vehicles you'll need to move the harvest.
Does it work for bags and boxes too?+
Yes — 'crate' is just the pack unit. Set the capacity to your bag, box, carton or sack size and it counts those instead. Use 50 kg for grain sacks, 25 kg for vegetable bags, 10–20 kg for fruit crates, and so on.
Why round up the number of crates?+
Because you can't ship a part-crate — the leftover produce still needs a container. The tool always rounds up so you order enough packaging, then the last unit is partly full. Order a few spares beyond the calculated number for damaged or extra packs.
How do I cut packaging cost?+
Use the right pack size (oversized crates waste space and cost; undersized ones add handling), reuse returnable crates, buy packaging in bulk, and reduce grading-out loss with better harvesting and handling so more of the crop is sellable. The tool's cost figure shows the impact of each crate price.
What crate size should I use?+
It depends on the produce and market: delicate fruit (berries, tomatoes) ships in shallow 5–10 kg crates to avoid crushing; sturdy vegetables in 20–25 kg crates or bags; grain in 50 kg sacks. Match the pack to what the buyer and transport expect, then size with this tool.
How many crates fit on a pallet?+
Commonly 40–60 standard crates per pallet depending on crate footprint and stack height, often around 48. Set your real crates-per-pallet in the tool; it then gives the pallet count for storage and palletised transport planning.
Can I plan transport with this?+
Yes — enter your vehicle's payload as the truck capacity and the tool returns the truck loads (which may be a fraction if one trip suffices, or several for a big harvest). Combine it with the pallet count to plan whether produce moves loose, palletised or in reefer transport.
Does it account for produce density?+
It works on weight, not volume, which is the right basis for crates and sacks rated by weight. For bulky, low-density produce that 'cubes out' (fills the truck by volume before reaching the weight limit), reduce the truck capacity to the volume-limited weight to stay realistic.