Looking to take care of pallets? Here are some great tips to do so.
- Ensure Your Employees Know How to Handle Pallets Properly
Not every employee has read a manual on how to handle pallets. The risk of them mishandling and damaging one is relatively high. You can, however, avoid/prevent this by having the employees trained on how to handle, load, and manage pallets. If handled properly, whether manually or with the help of something like a pallet jack melbourne, your pallets could last for years without needing to be replaced. Train your employees to:
- Avoid dragging or pushing the pallets. They are designed to be picked up, not pushed.
- Avoid damaging the lead board by aligning the forklift slowly and carefully.
- Insert forklift tines and pallet jack fully before lifting.
- Never drop pallets from any height.
- Avoid stepping on the pallets. Identify a reinforced spot on the board (stringer or block) if you have to.
- Avoid stacking pallets more than 6 feet high. Stacking them higher than that only increases the risk of toppling over and makes them harder to handle.
- Ensure they are correctly aligned. Stack all pallets uniformly to form a straight stack.
- Never stack pallets sideways. The sides aren’t as strong as the base.
- Always check the pallets’ load capacity before transporting them.
It is common practice for employees to load pallets beyond their recommended capacity. Just because there’s some space left doesn’t mean you should add more weight. Doing so only weakens the pallets, causing them to crack or warp over time. Educate them on the various pallets’ load capacity and the importance of staying within the limit.
- Maintain Your Wooden Pallets Regularly
Pallets weaken with every continued use. You thus might start noticing your wooden pallets aren’t as stable and strong as they used to. While replacing these with new ones would seem like a feasible idea, the best step would be to have them repaired. It is much easier (and cheaper) to repair and maintain your pallets than going for new ones. Start by inspecting them to identify weak and broken ones, then have an expert fix them.
Reinforcing broken or warped stringers and replacing broken boards should breathe new life to the pallets, saving you lots of money in the process. In addition to repairing and maintaining your pallets properly, you should never use damaged or weak pallets.
- Use Treated Pallets
Although cheaper, untreated pallets are susceptible to all kinds of risks, including bugs, inclement weather, and moisture, which compromises their integrity and lifespan. Consider paying the extra coins to get treated pallets instead – these can withstand most of these issues, among others. According to a study done at Virginia Tech, air-dried materials are 43% more durable than green lumber.
- Consider the Pallet Recovery Program
This program involves the recovery, repair, and return of pallets in a closed-loop system. Its primary purpose is to improve the pallets’ lifespan while cutting down overall costs. First Alliance Management Logistics (FALM is an excellent example of a pallet recovery system that makes it possible to use and reuse the same pallets 4 times a year to an average of 8 years. This makes it possible for your pallets to last twice as long, with no additional costs.
- Go For the Right Pallet Design
Always make an effort to consider the various pallet designs and choose the most appropriate pallet design for your business. This, of course, depends on the type of items or products you’ll be hauling. Heavy and oddly designed items should be transported in pallets intended for the same. You might thus want to discuss the pallet design with your provider, especially if looking for a customized design.
Most credible pallet providers use a Pallet Design System (PDS) when designing pallets for their clients. The system enables one to create pallets for virtually any product you have. You can also rest assured that the pallet design will be structurally sound and safe for the product and those handling it. This design software also helps ensure minimal to no product damage from the pallet’s stiffness, durability, and strength.
- Always Go for Quality
As tempting as it might be to go for cheaper but lower quality pallets, always invest in the best quality pallets you can afford. Poorly-made and cheap pallets almost always distort under heavy load, a reason you should avoid them, especially if dealing with bulky and heavy items. Quality and durable pallets also require fewer repairs and servicing, thus worth your money.
