Smart Packaging
TimberCloud's smart packaging engine analyzes the products on an order and automatically groups them into the fewest sensible boxes and pallets — cutting package count, handling, and shipping cost before you ever fetch a rate.
Availability: Part of Carrier Services, included on Commerce and up (paid plans). Packaging settings are hidden on the Free plan. See Subscriptions & Plans.
How it works
Packaging runs automatically the moment you click Get Rates inside the Carrier Services modal. Behind the scenes the engine:
- Expands the order into individual product instances (or their parts for products that ship unassembled).
- Separates hazardous materials as required.
- Sizes items into standard or custom boxes using bin-packing.
- Routes oversized or heavy items onto pallets.
- Groups similar items and applies your consolidation rules.
The result is a handful of packages instead of one carton per part. You can preview and edit them before rates are fetched.
The numbers it works from come from each product's Shipping Options — dimensions, weight, freight class, and whether the product ships assembled or as parts. The rules it follows come from your Packaging settings.
Assembled vs unassembled products
Each product carries a Ships Assembled setting that decides how it enters the packaging engine.
| Setting | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Assembled (default) | The product ships as a single unit, using its overall dimensions and weight. |
| Unassembled (parts) | Each part is extracted and packed on its own, then consolidated where possible. |
Boxes
Default box library
When you haven't defined your own boxes, the engine packs into a built-in library of standard sizes — flat boxes for hardware, long narrow boxes for stiles, rails, and trim, and standard cubes up to oversized. There are 19 built-in sizes ranging from a 12" × 12" × 4" small flat up to a 36" × 30" × 30" oversized box.
Custom box sizes
For the best results, define boxes that match the cartons you actually stock so the engine optimizes against real inventory. Turn on Use Custom Box Sizes in Packaging settings, then add each box's interior width, length, height, and max weight. A quick-add shortcut pulls common sizes from the defaults.
Pallets
When a shipment exceeds parcel limits, the engine routes it onto pallets for freight. The default pallet follows the standard US GMA footprint, and you can change its dimensions and limits in Packaging settings.
| Default pallet setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Width | 48" |
| Length | 40" |
| Max height (including pallet) | 96" |
| Max weight (loaded) | 2000 lbs |
| Empty pallet weight (added to shipment) | 40 lbs |
Previewing and editing packages
Before rates are fetched, the Carrier Services modal shows a Smart Packaging Summary with the package count and total weight. Each package lists its type (Box or Pallet), dimensions, weight, freight class, and piece count.
You don't have to accept the automatic result. From the summary you can:
- Consolidate Boxes — merge several small boxes into fewer larger ones (appears when it would actually reduce the count).
- Convert to Pallet — turn boxes into optimized pallets that respect the 2000 lb and 96" limits.
- Edit Packages — adjust dimensions or weights, add or remove a package, or palletize everything by hand.
Note: Editing packages clears any rates you've already fetched — the engine re-shops against the packages you changed, so your quote always matches what will actually ship.
Consolidation controls
Two settings shape how aggressively the engine combines items (both in Packaging settings):
- Max boxes before consolidating to pallet — if an order would produce more than this many boxes, everything moves onto pallets instead. A single freight shipment often beats many parcel packages. Set to 0 to disable.
- Prefer fewer packages — on by default; favors larger boxes to minimize package count.
Best practices
- Measure real products, including packaging. Accurate dimensions are the foundation of correct rates.
- Set freight classes on wood products — essential for LTL accuracy.
- Define custom boxes that match your actual cartons.
- Use the consolidation threshold for large orders so they palletize automatically.
- Spot-check with a real order before relying on the quoted price.
Next Steps
- Rate Shopping — compare carrier rates on your packages
- Packaging Settings — modes, consolidation, custom boxes, and pallet specs
- Shipping Options — the per-product data that feeds packaging
- Parts & Cut Lists — components for unassembled products
- Booking & Labels — book the shipment once packages and rates are set