The Economics of Pallet Deliveries:
Saving Time and Money

Pallet delivery is an exceptionally effective mode of transporting goods from one location to another. It is an essential component in supply chain management, offering time and cost savings for both businesses and individuals.

As our world becomes increasingly interconnected, the ability to economise time and financial resources in shipping is not just advantageous but essential for competitive survival. Pallet shipping stands as a crucial and efficient means of transporting goods in the world of global trade, and understanding the specifics of its economics can help you save time and money.

Advantages of Pallets:

Shipping via pallet delivery can provide a multitude of advantages for your goods and can ultimately lead to enhanced economic benefits for your business. Let's delve into the advantages of pallet delivery services.

Efficiency:

Pallets can offer serval advantages when it comes to efficiency and reducing handling time. When it comes to shipping goods, a lack of efficiency can be the deal breaker between your goods arriving on time to customers, goods perishing and positive customer reviews.

The efficiency of the loading and unloading process can enhance the shipping experience, making goods travel seamlessly through the journey from A to Z.

1. Standardisation:

Pallets create a standardised platform for goods to be transported on. This makes them easier to move from one place to another and stack uniformly during the shipping process. Implementing uniform pallet sizes can lead to more efficient stacking, storage, and and reduce loading and unloading times.

2. Forklift compatibility:

Pallets are specifically designed to function with equipment such as forklifts and pallet jacks. This equipment works seamlessly with pallets to help goods be loaded and unloaded onto different modes of transportation. Compatibility with this equipment saves time and manpower that would be required to move parcels individually, which improves efficiency and saves time throughout the process.

3. Reduced damage:

When goods are properly stacked and stored in pallets, it reduces the likelihood of damage and breakage during transportation. This can be especially beneficial for fragile parcels, as it reduces the amount of handling during the process, which can lead to breakage.

4. Optimised storage:

Pallets are designed to be easily stacked and stored during transit and when stored between transit. The standardised nature of them means that they can be organised and stored more easily than irregular packages. Furthermore, they are designed to handle and store bulk orders allowing more items to be stored, saving space compared to storing individual or irregular packages.

Wooden and Plastic Pallets - Advantages and Disadvantages:

One of the first choices you must consider when booking pallet services is choosing the appropriate pallet base for your goods. There are two options to choose from, which come with specific advantages and disadvantages.

Wooden Pallets:

Advantages

• Cost: Wooden pallets usually have a lower upfront cost when compared to plastic pallets.
• Availability: Wooden pallets are the most commonly used pallets among our customers, largely due to how widely available they are. New pallets are easily manufactured, and older ones are easy to acquire, this helps reduce lead times in procuring them for your business.
• Customisation: Wooden pallets can be easily customised and tailored to suit your specific weight, size, and load requirements. They can be manufactured to these requirements in order to suit all your logistical and shipping needs.
• Sustainability: Wooden pallets also offer environmental advantages, as they can be easily recycled, reused, and repurposed and are also made of biodegradable material.
 

Disadvantages

• Weight: Wooden pallets are generally heavier than plastic ones, which can increase the loading and unloading time during freight delivery and require specific equipment to help manoeuvre the pallets.
• Susceptibility to damage: In comparison to a plastic pallet, wooden pallets are more prone to damage from the elements, especially water damage. This can lead to mould growth or warping of the pallet which may affect the protective nature of it and potentially harm your goods. This, coupled with the fact that wood retains bacteria and moisture, can ultimately compromise the quality of your goods.

 

Plastic Pallets:

Advantages

• Durability: While this type of pallet usually has a higher upfront cost, they are more durable and long-lasting compared to a wooden pallet. This durability prolongs their lifespan and reduces maintenance requirements. Plastic is less porous as a material so less susceptible to damage from the elements. Furthermore, plastic pallets can withstand greater impact, meaning that they are less likely to break during transit.
• Weight: Another benefit of plastic pallets is their weight. Plastic pallets are lighter compared to wooden pallets, meaning they can often be more easily transported between destinations. This may help reduce transportation and logistical costs as less specialised equipment is be required.
• Hygiene: When compared to wooden pallets, plastic pallets take the top spot in terms of hygiene. They are non-porous and wipeable, making them suitable for industries with strict hygiene standards or for food and medical goods.

Disadvantages

• Repairability: Plastic pallets are more difficult to repair compared to wooden pallets. If wooden pallets are damaged, they usually only require one component to be replaced. Plastic pallets, in contrast, often face complete replacement.
• Sustainability: The difficulty in repairability can mean that plastic pallets are replaced completely, more frequently, than wooden pallets. Furthermore, plastic is harder to recycle and reuse than wood and is not completely biodegradable. Equally, manufacturing plastic pallets requires a greater number of fossil fuels to be used in the process than in wooden pallet manufacturing.

 

Cost Considerations:

With all this in mind, it's important to consider exactly how this impacts costs for your business. When choosing your freight delivery service, it's essential to consider all the advantages and disadvantages in each area of the logistical and handling process in order to save both time and money.

 

1. Initial investment:

When choosing your pallet material type, consider whether you want to bear the initial upfront cost of plastic pallets or opt for wooden ones. Which-ever choice you make, it's important to factor this in your current and future planning so as to avoid unnecessary costs. Consider the type of goods you are looking to ship when choosing the pallet material. For perishable, fragile, or goods that require strict hygiene standards, it might be beneficial to opt for plastic pallets to avoid damage further down the logistical journey. For less fragile, non-perishable goods, you may benefit from opting for the cheaper, wooden pallets.

2. Pallet management:

Effective pallet management is one of the key factors when looking to optimise time and save money. It's all well and good having chosen the right pallets for your goods, but improper pallet management will pose the biggest challenge if not properly considered. Ensure that at each step of the journey pallet handling, storage, and retrieval has been considered and that your employees are informed about the systems and protocols in place in order to streamline the process.

3. Maintenance:

Ensure you plan for risks and challenges on the way. This means having pallet repair systems in place in the case of breakage.

Thinking these things through before starting your pallet delivery journey will help mitigate risks and make the process that much easier, saving you time, money, and unhappy customers.

 

Final Considerations:

The economics of pallet delivery is a detailed system that needs to be well thought out and organised before you embark in the world of freight delivery. There are many ways to effectively tailor pallet delivery in order to save time and money, benefiting you in both the short and long run. By carefully selecting materials and employing time-saving strategies, you can significantly reduce expenses and enhance operational efficiency.  In mastering these elements, you can forge the path to logistical excellence.

If you're in need of a reliable freight delivery service, then look no further than Pallet2Ship. More information on everything to do with pallet shipping can be found on our website where you can also get a free quote today.