Palletised freight transport has become pretty popular in recent years. However, some businesses often opt for traditional methods since they do not wish to purchase pallets and do not know how to palletise their cargo. The article below details the benefits of palletisation and how to palletise your freight.
What are the Benefits of Palletisation?
If you have second thoughts about palletising your freight, below are several compelling reasons to consider pallets as you transport your cargo:
- Pallets reduce the probability of product damage during transport. Typically, goods on the pallet are well secured, reducing the likelihood of collision during transport or stacked cartons falling off inside the truck.
- Palletisation eases loading and offloading. Ideally, the pallets are moved using forklifts or pallet jacks. What would take several people a few hours to load can be moved in a few minutes by one person.
- Since palletised freight can be packed and loaded in record time, companies can move perishables within a short period, significantly reducing the probability of spoilt products.
- Palletisation helps businesses make savings since they require less labour to move freight.
- If your company has a warehouse, pallets will ensure organisation and guarantee you have an easy time tracking inventory inside the warehouse.
Considerations when Palletising your Freight
Your immediate concern when palletising freight is ensuring you use appropriate pallets. Modern pallets are made from wood or plastic. Wooden pallets are quite popular since they are cheap, easy to fabricate, and environmentally friendly, as you can recycle wood from damaged pallets. Besides, these pallets can handle heavier loads compared to their plastic alternatives. Although plastic pallets are expensive, they are best suited to transport fragile items. These pallets are easy to clean and sanitise compared to wooden pallets. Besides, unlike wooden pallets, they do not grow mould and fungus. Therefore, they are a suitable choice for people transporting foods and chemicals.
Your next task is to determine the weight limits of the pallet. Ideally, the pallet should have a higher weight limit than your load. You should also consult your logistics company to determine which pallet size to use. There are different pallet sizes used on the market. However, the rule is to ensure each truckload uses pallets of the same size. This way, it becomes easy to pack the pallets in the truck.
You must be strategic when packing the pallets. For instance, use boxes of the same size to prevent overhang and gaps between the boxes. An overhanging box will easily suffer damage inside the truck. Moreover, ensure the box are full to capacity to avoid collision among the packed items. Finally, secure the cargo with wrapping film and straps.
For more information, contact a company like Ditton Bulk Haulage.