If you are transporting goods either by sea, land or air, then chances are you will use pallets on which to store them. How you pack your goods using these simple but effective tools is critical for several reasons, not least because it can reduce the overall cost of transportation and allow your business to be more competitive.
What is Palletising?
This is essentially the methodology of loading pallets so that goods and materials can be transported in the most efficient manner possible. There are different types of pallets including:
- Block pallets have a four-way entry which means they can be moved by a forklift truck.
- Double-faced pallets are designed for strength and evenly spreading a load of heavy goods or materials.
- Solid deck pallets have a single piece of wood rather than slats which is ideal for smaller products that may slip through normally.
The key to any logistics operation is how much can be carried at one time. Fitting everything together is much easier when using pallets and there is a lower probability of damage to the goods in transit.
The Benefits of Palletising in Logistics
Palletising is used in logistics to maximise space, protect goods and make handling more efficient. The first thing to note is that pallets keep your goods off the ground and ensure there is no problem with coming into contact with contaminants or getting damp or damaged.
Manual handling of goods would take far too long and would be too expensive – Palletising allows vehicles like forklifts to quickly lift cargo and transport it to where it needs to go.
Pallets are also very cost-effective. While they can get damaged, they are easily repaired and, if well looked after, can last some considerable time. They are easy to stack as most are the same design and size. Transportation using pallets also doesn’t require any special machinery apart from a forklift which can also help reduce the costs for businesses.
Tips for Palletising
The key to any logistics operation is efficiency and cost. Multiple products can be put together on a pallet ensuring that more cargo can be carried, and it is kept safe during delivery. It’s important to make sure that pallets are utilised to their full potential – that means loading them with the appropriate amount of cargo and not leaving spaces.
It’s also important that the weight on each pallet is distributed as evenly as possible. This helps prevent deflection where the pallet can fall over during transportation and cause damage to the cargo. Pallets also need to be stacked and wrapped as tightly as possible, not just to protect the cargo but to ensure that large amounts of goods and materials can be carried at one time.
The role of the logistic company, like Equator Worldwide, is to ensure that palletisation is carried out efficiently and they will use a range of manual, automated and robotic approaches to achieve this. That means companies can hopefully lower their costs while still getting deliveries to destinations on time