Freight Desk

Warehouse Utilization Calculator

See how much of your capacity is actually working. Measure it by pallet positions occupied, or by cube — the volume of goods against the space the building could hold, floor times clear height.

Two ways to measure

Position utilization counts slots: occupied pallet positions over total positions. It’s the everyday number for how full the racks are. Cube utilization measures volume — the goods actually stored against what the building could hold, floor area times clear stacking height. A rack can be full of positions and still waste cube if the pallets are short under a high roof.

Utilization = in use ÷ capacity × 100%

The healthy band

Fuller isn’t always better. Push position utilization much past 85% and you lose the slack that lets forklifts put pallets away without shuffling — putaway slows and honeycombing creeps in. Sit far below it and you’re paying rent on air. Most operations aim to run in the 80–85% range and add capacity before they blow through it.

Low cube utilization under a high roof is often a sign to add a level or rethink slotting — before you sign a bigger lease.