4 Ways To Make Your Pallets More Durable
01 Mar 2019
In an uncertain economy when every penny counts, even the smallest reduction in costs can have a significant impact on a business. Often simple, common sense approaches can have the biggest impact, especially for small companies.
One area that businesses can often improve on is the quality and durability of their equipment, like pallets. There are several things that you can do to help keep your pallets, and in turn your cargo, stay in good shape. In this blog post we explore some ways you can ensure that your pallets are durable and have a long lifespan, helping your business save money.
Four ways to improve the durability of your pallets
Leading-edge board
One area, in particular, stands out and holds significant value in the quality of a pallet. This area is known as the top-leading-edge boards. They are the boards that are closest to the end of the pallet and used for moving them around. Two ways in which you can make this section more durable is by ensuring that you use high quality nails for connections. Cheap, short nails and screws can make pallets much more likely to break.
Choose the Right Pallet Design and Quality
When sourcing your pallets, it is essential that you select a pallet designed for the product they are going to hold. Oddly-shaped and extremely heavy items should be transported using pallets that been designed with them in mind. Generally, most standard pallet sizes should be appropriate. However, it is worth discussing whether or not a customised pallet might be appropriate with your supplier. Selecting the wrong design or shape can cause your pallets to become damaged and even break much more easily.
For more information about pallet sizes and selecting the right one for your business, contact one of team members, here.
Consider Using Treated Pallets
Whilst treated pallets can cost more, in the long-run they can end up saving you money in the long-run. Untreated pallets are much more easily weakened by damp and moisture, weather and harmful microorganisms, which will impact the pallets overall lifespan. Recent research conducted by students at Virginia Tech found that using treated materials delivered a 43% increase in durability.
Employee Training On Safety and Handling
Human error usually makes up the vast majority of pallet damage. The constant need to work quickly can lead to accidents that costs businesses time and money. By training your employees on how to handle wooden pallets properly and safely you can prevent pallet damage and reduce costs. Check out our blog post on pallet training and safety for more information on how you can up-skill your workforce.