Gaps between pallets are the number one cause of in-transit freight damage — and most carriers don’t even realize it’s happening until a claim lands on their desk. The fix is simpler than you think.

When freight shifts inside a trailer, it’s rarely because the road was rough or the driver braked too hard. It’s because there was space for the load to move in the first place. Every inch of gap between pallets is potential energy — and physics will collect on that debt sooner or later.

That’s the core insight behind the bricking method, and it’s why KICK STOPS was built the way it was.

What Is Bricking?

Bricking is a load pattern technique borrowed from masonry. Just like a brick wall staggers each row so the joints never line up vertically, bricking a trailer load staggers each row of pallets so the seams never create a continuous gap from one side of the trailer to the other.

The result is a load that’s mechanically interlocked — not just by the restraint devices, but by the geometry of the load itself. The pallets hold each other in place.

“An essential step in the loading process is to make sure all pallets are tight against the bulkhead, sidewalls of the trailer, and other pallets. Any space that develops between pallets creates energy — resulting in shifting and possible damage.”

Why Gaps Are The Real Enemy

Most shippers focus on what’s securing the load — the straps, the dunnage, the load bars. But the more important question is how much room the load has to move before the restraints even engage.

  • A 2-inch gap between pallets allows enough movement to shift a 2,000 lb load into adjacent freight
  • Once a pallet breaks free, momentum is almost impossible to arrest with straps or bars alone
  • Damage from shifting typically happens in the first hard stop or sharp turn — not over the course of the trip
  • Standard dunnage bags fill gaps but don’t eliminate them — they compress under load and create a false sense of security

How KICK STOPS Closes The Loop

KICK STOPS work alongside bricking — not instead of it. The load pattern determines the geometry; KICK STOPS lock the base of every pallet to the trailer floor so that geometry can’t change in transit.

Together, the system removes virtually all lateral movement from the equation. Pallets can’t slide because the KICK STOPS won’t let them. And because the load is bricked, there’s nowhere for them to go even if the device weren’t there.

The Right Pattern For Your Load

Not every load bricks the same way. A full 30-pallet trailer bricks differently than a mixed partial. Refrigerated freight on a metal floor needs different device placement than dry goods on wood. That’s why we build custom load patterns for every customer — because a pattern that works for a Coca-Cola load may not be right for a Tide or a Fairlife shipment.

The goal is always the same: use the fewest KICK STOPS possible to secure the most amount of freight, with every seam blocked and every pallet locked to the floor.

Getting Started

If you’ve never used a bricking pattern before, the learning curve is shorter than you’d think. Most loading crews can execute a standard pattern after a single training session. We provide laminated guides for every custom pattern we build — so the process is repeatable from day one, no matter who’s loading the trailer.

Ready to see it in your trailer? Tell us what you’re hauling and we’ll build a custom load pattern around it — free, no commitment.