When boxes are stacked on a pallet, the two most common patterns are column stacking and interlocked stacking. In a column stack, boxes are aligned directly on top of one another, corner over corner. In an interlocked (or brick) pattern, boxes are rotated between layers so they overlap, tying the layers together. Each pattern is a recognized industry practice with well-understood trade-offs that the packaging literature describes: column stacking generally preserves more of a box's compression strength because the strong vertical corners align, while interlocking generally adds load stability by tying layers together. Which pattern a shipper uses is a practice decision that depends on the product, the handling environment, and each company's own requirements. This post describes what the two patterns are; it does not opine on any particular load.