The decision sits between the volume gained and the handling time lost, and it belongs to both ends of the chain: the loading side gains volume, the unloading side pays in labour. Where a forklift and unloading area exist at destination, palletised makes sense; where manual labour and time exist, floor loading does; and if waiting at the terminal is charged, the volume gained melts into the time.
A pallet takes its own height and floor pattern with it. An EPAL Euro pallet is 144 mm high and weighs about 25 kg; that weight is not net cargo but it counts against the container's marked payload. Build the comparison on the same product, the same carton and the same total quantity, and record loading time, unloading time and labour separately for each plan.
In a reefer
Airflow limits the loading method. Hapag-Lloyd's reefer instructions ask that cargo stays below the load line and inside the T-floor surface, that no gap is left between load units in front of the air distribution point, that open floor gaps do not exceed 5% of floor area, and that gaps are filled with board or dunnage. If a floor load blocks those paths, part of the cargo never reaches target temperature; a floor-loading plan shows spacers and floor gratings.
For a firm answer, ship the same product once palletised and once floor-loaded, and record the quantity loaded, loading and unloading time, arrival temperature and damage. The two shipments show which method is cheaper in your chain.
