Pallet Storage or Cubic-Foot Storage: Which Fits Your Cargo?

When cargo lands at our Nassau warehouse in Verizon Business Park, the first question we ask isn't how much it weighs — it's what shape it is. That shape decides how we bill you to store it. CLX runs two storage rates side by side: pallet storage, priced per pallet per month, and cubic-foot storage, priced by the space your goods actually occupy. Pick the wrong one and you either pay for air you're not using or crowd irregular cargo onto pallets that can't hold it safely.

This isn't a sales choice — it's a fit question, and it usually answers itself once you know the numbers and the rules behind them. Here's how to work out which basis fits your cargo before the container arrives, so there are no surprises on the first invoice.

How pallet storage is priced

Pallet storage is the default for anything that stacks. We rate a standard 40×48 pallet at $30.00 per pallet per month, pro-rated by the half-month so you're not paying a full month for a few days. If you're holding volume long-term, the rate drops to $25.00 per pallet per month for 50 or more pallets on a 12-month commitment. Getting cargo onto the racks costs separately: $500.00 per container to receive, destuff, count, and put away up to 20 pallets, or $15.00 per pallet if you're bringing goods in loose rather than in a container.

• Standard pallet storage — $30.00 / pallet / month, pro-rated by half-month
• Volume rate (50+ pallets) — $25.00 / pallet / month on a 12-month commitment
• Container receiving — $500.00 / container, up to 20 pallets in and away
• Loose pallet receiving — $15.00 / pallet, inbound count, label, putaway

When cubic-foot storage is the honest fit

Some cargo simply doesn't belong on a pallet. Long pipe, engine blocks, boat parts, furniture, machinery, coils of cable, anything oversized or awkwardly shaped — force it onto a 40×48 footprint and you either waste half the pallet or overhang the edges, which is both a safety problem and a billing problem. For that, we charge $0.55 per cubic foot per month and measure the space your goods genuinely take up. The rule of thumb: if it stacks square and stable, go pallet; if it fights the shape of a pallet, go cubic. When one item eats three pallet positions but only fills a fraction of each, cubic-foot pricing is the fairer basis for both sides.

The trap: paying for idle space

Storage is meant to move, not sit. Our warehouse rates are built to reward turnover and gently penalize cargo that overstays. Pallets left idle past 90 days fall to a long-term penalty rate of $10.00 per pallet per month — that's not a discount, it's a nudge to clear stock that's become dead weight. Storage charges accrue from the arrival date, and cargo is held under a general lien for unpaid charges, so the cleanest way to keep the bill down is to keep goods flowing: receive, pick, ship, repeat.

A quick way to decide before you ship

Before your container leaves origin, run the shape test on each SKU. Cartons, cases, bagged goods, retail stock, anything uniform that stacks square — pallet storage, and if you're moving real volume ask about the 50-plus rate. Oddball, oversized, or non-palletized items that would leave a pallet half-empty or overhanging — cubic-foot. Mixed loads are common, and there's no rule that says one shipment picks only one basis; we routinely rack the palletizable portion and bill the awkward pieces by cubic foot on the same receipt. Every pallet and package is tracked in Hammerhead TMS, so you can see what's on hand in real time.

If you're not sure which way your cargo falls, send us the dimensions and a rough pallet count before it ships and we'll tell you straight — including whether consolidating loose boxes onto pallets at intake will actually save you money or just add a handling fee. Reach the warehouse team at documents@clxnow.com or (242) 605-0452, and we'll have the right storage basis set before your container hits the dock.