Blog
Logistics and supply chain decisions, explained with numbers. Each post opens with the answer.
FEFO vs FIFO: the difference, an example and who requires it
FIFO ships the oldest arrival, FEFO the earliest expiry. A dated example where FIFO strands 16 of 48 pallets, who requires which (EU, WHO, US, India) and which racks allow FEFO.
Minimum remaining shelf life: the 75% rule and how to calculate it
At 75% a 12-day product must arrive with 9 days left, within 3 days of being made. The calculation forwards and backwards, the latest date a lot can ship, and what Japan's ⅓ rule and WHO ask.
Drive-in vs push-back vs pallet shuttle: which deep-lane rack holds the most
At 50 pallets per product in a 12 m freezer: pallet shuttle 8,115 pallets, push-back 7,434, drive-in 6,180 at its best depth of 4. Why drive-in lanes stay short, and when mobile racking wins.
Maximum pallet height for shipping: 2.20 m, 1.80 m and who sets each
No law sets it. European pallet networks and groupage take full pallets up to 2.20 m, some retail warehouses 1.80 m. With 25 cm cartons on a Euro pallet: 8 layers or 6, 8 pallets or 10.
Warehouse capacity calculation: pallet positions per m² and per sq ft
Positions = levels × positions per level. A 60 × 50 m room, 12 m clear, selective racking with a reach truck: 5 levels, 5,400 positions, 1.8 per m². Step by step, with real stores.
Cold storage racking: which rack type for a freezer or a chiller
In a freezer, mobile racking holds the most up to about 45 pallets per product; in a chiller up to about 70. How temperature, moves a day and stock pick the rack, with the numbers.
EOQ vs minimum order quantity: what the supplier's minimum costs you
EOQ 849 units, minimum order 1,000: ordering 1,008 adds €25 a year. A minimum at 4× the EOQ more than doubles ordering and holding cost. One price break can mean 2,400 or 1,008.
Euro vs standard pallet: which carries more of your cartons?
Per pallet the 1200 × 1000 wins. Per metre of truck, module cartons tie, and other cartons swing up to 60% either way. Eight cartons, two pallets, with the numbers.
How many Euro pallets fit on a trailer? 33, until weight says no
A 13.6 m trailer takes 33 Euro pallets on the floor, 34 with two rows turned, 26 industrial. Then weight, axles and roof height decide. Every limit, with the numbers.
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft or 40 ft container? 11 and 25, then the road decides
11 Euro or 9 industrial pallets in a 20 ft container; 25 or 22 in a 40 ft on paper, often 24. On EU roads a 40 ft carries about 24 t of cargo, less than a 20 ft.
Safety stock: 95% of what? Cycle service level vs fill rate
95% of order cycles without a stockout needs 436 units of safety stock; a 98% fill rate needs 277. The same stock scores 95% on one measure and 99.5% on the other.
Storage density vs selectivity: why more pallet places can hold fewer pallets
Drive-in racking gives a freezer 38% more places and, at 7 pallets per product, holds under a third of the pallets. Where density pays, rack type by rack type, with the numbers.
How many pallets will this order make?
A packing list says cartons. The forwarder asks for pallets. The arithmetic between them is short and has four places to go wrong. Two packing lists, built step by step.
Loading meters, and why your invoice says a different number
The loading-meter formula is one line. The number a carrier bills comes from a different line, and it differs by carrier. Three consignments, seven carrier rules and the generic convention.
The most accurate forecast lost money
When running out costs more than leftovers, the forecast with the smallest error is not the most profitable one. A bakery example, with the numbers.