What Are Pallets Used For ?
Consider pallets as tires for your car. The point where the rubber meets road is the pallet, where shipments meet the transportation modes in the global supply chains.
Although pallets are almost invisible, global commerce wouldn’t function without them.
Pallets are the main interface between a unit load and its pallets. They protect the product and absorb the stress, support the weight, withstand fork truck impacts, and safeguard goods moving through the supply chain. You will be amazed at how much they can influence the outcome of a shipment.
Pallets provide the first line of defense to ensure products arrive in the same status they were at their shipper’s dock. Pallets of higher quality allow for a greater volume of products per shipment. They also reduce product loss or contamination.
Also Read : History of Wood Pallets
Pallet Shippers tend to be too focused on the price of a pallet and not on creating a comprehensive unit-load strategy that suits their needs.
Shippers shouldn’t choose a pallet solely based on its lowest price. Instead, they should choose a pallet that is stiff, large, strong, durable, and clean.
MYPALLETMARKET says, “When you think about the importance of pallets to protect products, it seems strange to me that so many shippers only purchase pallets at the lowest price. “The strength and functionality of the lowest-priced pallet may not be sufficient to meet their product protection requirements.”
According to the National Wood Pallet Association, more than 1.8 billion pallets are used in the US every day. 93 percent of these pallets are made from wood. 3 billion wood pallet are currently serving in Europe.
Pallet are a common part of the supply chain, so any changes to their working methods could have an impact on the shipping process.
What could possibly be new, when pallets have been the foundation of logistics for decades? It turns out, quite a lot.
PALETS AS A SERVICE
Shippers have evolved from simple pallet procurement and retrieval to looking to find resources to manage pallets as part of their supply chain. Although leasing and pool programs remain popular, purchasing pallets and handling them in-house is still a common practice. However, shippers are increasingly outsourcing some or all of their pallet operations.
MYPALLETMARKET – a company that manages recycled pallets. However, supply chains are becoming more complicated. Effective pallet management is more important for the bottom line but also more challenging.
Auditing the operations of shippers is a crucial step in creating a pallet management program. It is possible to confuse customers by simply replicating the types and numbers of pallets being used from purchasing records.
Vice president of sales and marketing at MYPALLETMARKET said, “We have to understand who our customer’s customers are, where they’re shipping, and how their operation works.” “What’s going on at each facility? How pallets are being used and what the pallets used for are are often very different from corporate procurement records.”
Customers can use their mobile devices or desktop computers to place orders or retrieve pallets, view reports and view bills of lading and invoices for multiple locations with the Pallet Tracking System.
Also Read : Navigate The Current Pallet Market
FINDING THE RIGHT PALLET SOLUTION
“Companies must do what is best for them. Sometimes it comes down to whether they want to invest capital upfront or use a leasing programme instea.” MYPALLETMARKET-JS PALLET SDN BHD, plastic pallets product manager, Malaysia, provides reusable plastic pallets and totes as well as bulk systems.
While some pallet types are not suitable for lease or rental pallet pools, they can be used in one-way and international shipping situations.
MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered, molded wood pallets can be used for both one-way and international shipping. They cannot be repaired if damaged, so they are not used in pallet rental or lease programs.
They are however rated for limited reuse and can often be reused multiple times at very low costs per trip. This is especially true if they are used in a closed-loop system, or captive, by companies that have the ability and desire to own their pallets.
MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered, molded wood pallets are more cost-effective than other pallets. They can be nestled up to 50 pallets in a seven-foot high stack. This reduces the shipping costs of retrieval.
A SUITE OF SERVICES
Pallet Rental System plastic pallets from Malaysia have carved out a niche. They are the only plastic pallets that can withstand rental pool service and are Grocery Manufacturers Association-sized.
Plastic pallets can be returned to shippers immediately after they are used up by a retailer. Wooden pallets may need to be returned to the pool first.
“This saves at most one transport leg and associated labor, directly reducing the total cost of business.”
Pallet Rental System manages pallet delivery and recovery. It also maintains compliant quality pallets during the entire cycle.
It’s not enough to provide pallets. Companies need a range of services to make the most of pallets. These include process analysis, shipment tracking and regulatory benefits. Our customers would have to pay for unnecessary transport, procurement and recovery of pallets as well as any costs that may arise from damaged pallets without Pallet Rental System’s service.
Wood pallets still hold a 90% market share. However, other materials such as plastic, steel and engineered wood are becoming more popular for their specialized applications.
Many industries have switched to metal or plastic options. Similar changes are happening in food industry processing. Plastic Pallet units are replacing Wooden Pallet for both inbound and outbound moves.
“Today, a lot of inbound materials come in on wooden pallets,” Food processors are working upstream in order to find a more sustainable, hygienic and consistent-sized solution.
PRECISION PALLETS
As more automated systems integrate into warehouses and distribution centres, it is important to maintain consistent pallet sizes. Wood pallets can vary in Pallet size, particularly if they have been extensively repaired. The dimensions of wooden, steel and plastic pallets are often maintained over thousands of units. When using automated guided vehicles, storage or retrieval systems, or other technology, sizing is crucial.
“It’s important to be consistent with all pallets, whether you use motion detection or laser eyes. Pallet Rental System plastic pallets are a support for automation technology. They are uniform in size and shape throughout the supply chain.
“The Pallet Rental System pallet specifications are far more reliable than wood, making them an ideal fit for companies that invest in automation and robotics.”
KEEP IT CLEAN
Another issue is sanitation. To maintain sanitation, food and pharmaceutical companies need to ensure that their pallets are free from mold, insects, or other contaminants.
To improve the cleanliness of warehouses and retail shops, shippers are switching to other types. A single retailer uses hundreds of thousands upon hundreds of thousands of plastic containers each month to transport actual and order pick loads.
Other aspects of non-wood pallets are being valued by shippers, such as the reduced need for customers to clear up wood debris and nails from warehouse floors and retail stores.
It is hard to stay competitive, especially when you are in high-risk sectors with easily damaged products such as food and pharmaceuticals. So customers are grabbing any cost-saving opportunities we offer and using them whenever they can.”
A dairy product manufacturer that makes yogurt and some other food product is changing from wooden pallets to plastic in an effort to increase productivity. The operators would close down the line once per week to remove sawdust and remnants from wood pallets.
He says that it would take nearly a day to clean all of the equipment. They also reap the benefits of avoiding costly plant downtime.
Also Read : How To Clean Wooden Pallets
READY TO DISPLAY
Retail-ready floor displays make it easier to move product from the distribution center to the aisle. Shippers have the option to choose from a variety of pallet base options, including MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered wood, conventional wood, and plastic.
Sharon states that display makers prefer MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered, molded wood pallets to serve as a base. They are simple to assemble and can be used both as the shipping pallet or as the base for the display.
They are safer for workers and customers, which is why they are preferred by retailers. They don’t have bottom boards that cause “trip-points”, nails, or staples that could inflict injury. MYPALLETMARKET pallets are easier to use due to their smoother entry and mobility with hand trucks. Sharon states that they are neutral in color, and will not distract from the main points of the display graphics.
CUSTOMIZED USES
Many retail chains are shifting to smaller stores. This makes standard-sized pallets difficult to stock shelves and merchandising. MYPALLETMARKET, a plastic pallet supplier, has developed smaller pallets that lock in place. Stock on smaller pallets can easily be moved in smaller trailers and transferred from the DC to the floor.
Although most standard models are sufficient to meet packaging requirements, pallets can be modified to some degree to accommodate specific products. To be economical, bespoke designs usually require large volumes. There are many sizes of pallets available to suit different applications. A retail distribution center might choose nestable pallets that can be easily lifted and moved without the need for equipment.
Depending on the problem, there are options that can be offered to shippers. Rubber grommets can be added to plastic pallets to increase the coefficient of friction and prevent products from sliding. To prevent totes sliding off a pallet’s edge, a lip can be placed on its edges.
Wood pallets can also be made for specific customer needs. She says that engineers use the Pallet Design System in order to create custom pallets for specific uses. They also look for ways to lower costs and meet customer needs.”
EXTRA PROTECTION
Resistance to vibration is another important characteristic of pallets. Vibration can cause damage to sensitive products like electronics, pharmaceuticals, food and drinks, as well as other goods, when the pallet is being transported from the road and handling equipment.
MYPALLETMSRKET engineered wood pallets transmit less vibration due to their high stiffness ratings.
For x-ray detection, food manufacturers might request plastic pallets with metal additives. Metal detectionable pallets and X-rays can be used by companies to detect contaminants and out-of-place items.
When choosing a pallet, shippers must consider their warehouse requirements. The best pallet type and load rating will depend on how they are stored. MYPALLETMARKET has rackable pallets, stackable pallets, and stackable pallets that can be stacked with bottom decks that allow double stacking.
He says that rackable pallets are safe for handling loads in racks because they have very little or no deflection.
Also Read : Improve Your Warehouse’s Efficiency Using Pallets
THE GREEN EQUATION
To determine the most sustainable solution, it is necessary to examine the entire lifecycle for a pallet from its birth through its final days. Companies that examine the environmental impact of their supply chains will find the answers they need.
While plastic pallet manufacturers see recyclability to be a win factor, wood pallet producers view the forests as a sustainable resource.
According to the National Wood Pallet Association, wooden pallet is the only 100% renewable, recyclable and reusable product. Virginia Tech research has shown that 95 percent of wooden pallets end up being recycled, rather than ending up in landfills.
Also Read : Recycle Wooden Pallets are Good for the Environment
RECYCLING OPTIONS
Every year, more than 350,000,000 pallets are recycled. 87 percent of pallets sent to recycling services are used again in other pallets.
Plastic pallets can have a high environmental impact during extraction, refining and transport. You can look for the most durable pallet that will last the longest and require the least repair.
Although plastic pallets are more expensive than wood in the beginning, the cost per unit is still competitive.
Also Read : Benefits and Disadvantages of Plastic Pallets
MYPALLETMARKET research showed that pallets will need to be repaired or replaced after an average of 11 trips.
An average handling sequence is a load onto a trailer, pinwheeled, moved by an electric pallet jack across the floor, loaded onto racks, loaded onto gravity flow conveyor racks, and then dropped.
MYPALLETMARKET says that the plastic pallet we tested made more than 200 trips without any failures. This could vary depending on how many trips you make with your pallets.
ENGINEERED WOOD
MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered, molded wood pallets are made from pre- and post-consumer waste wood and resin. The wood fiber is dried to a 3-percent moisture content and mixed with resin. Once the mold has been made, it is heated to 350 degrees to sterilize the pallet. Sharon states that the pallet is completely dry so it does not attract moisture-seeking insects such as termites and carpenter bugs.
MYPALLETMARKET’s engineered wood pallets can be ground up to make boiler fuel, compost, or animal bedding at the end of their useful lives.
LIGHTER PALLETS, BETTER FOOTPRINT
Lighter pallets are more fuel efficient and can carry more product per truck. Pallet Rental System claims that its plastic pallets are 30% lighter than standard 9-block wooden pallets.
Pallet Rental System claims that replacing all wooden pallets with plastic pallets will reduce the nation’s dependence on imports by 9.25 billion pounds. They seem capable of the task. Pallet Rental System has tracked more than 100,000,000 trips of its plastic pallets throughout the grocery supply chain.
Wood pallets are valued because of their ability to be repaired, but they must eventually be removed from service. You can resell out-of-service units for consumer use, or recycle them into other products like mulch. You can recycle plastic pallets into new plastic pallets and other products.
“If a company has many pallets that are past their useful life and are now damaged, we will buy them back, grind that plastic up and re-inject it in to other products.
Also Read : Benefits and Disadvantages of Wooden Pallets
MAKE A STRATEGIC DECISION
Investment in pallets should be aligned with the overall supply chain strategy. This includes taking into consideration the entire life-cycle return of investment. As with many options, the longer-term cost of cheaper pallets may prove to be higher than those that are more expensive.
Low-quality tires can lead to more accidents, increase gas consumption and cause more stress on your brakes. “Both pallets as well as tires will determine how safe and efficient your shipments reach your destination.
What are you waiting for ? Contact MYPALLETMARKET for Wooden Pallet For Sale Quotation Today!
