/ By che / China Freight News

Shipping Pallets: The Ultimate FAQ Guide

If you’re importing from China, you will definitely need high quality and reliable shipping pallets.

A reason why this guide explores all the fundamental aspects of shipping pallets, from design, material type, quality standards to benefits, just to mention a few.

So, if you want to be an expert in shipping pallets, read this guide.

What is a Shipping Pallet and Palletizing?

A shipping pallet is a cargo structure that is flat in shape and used in freight shipment/transportation.

It provides support and stability to the cargo and offers ease of handling through a forklift, pallet jack, or any other mechanized cargo lifting technique.

Shipping pallets technology came in the twentieth century.

It has since offered superior cargo transport compared to other traditional forms like wooden barrels and boxes.

Besides, shipping pallets are more compatible with modern shipping packages, such as intermodal containers and cardboard boxes suitable for bulk transportation.

Palletizing is the preparation of pallet freights through the stacking of cargo consignments on top of the pallets.

The process provides easier cargo handling and storage and a safer way of transporting goods in the shipping industry.

What is the Difference Between Package Shipment and Pallet Shipment?

You can use both pallet shipment and package shipment to transport consignments from one point to the other.

While package shipment is ideal for smaller and lighter goods, pallet shipping is suitable for transporting larger and bulkier consignments.

Package Shipment

Standard package shipping is more common and widely used to transport small size goods.

Most courier companies will describe the maximum weight and dimensions of goods considered a single shipment.

Consequently, a package is a single shipment/parcel transported in a sturdy container or cardboard boxes.

You can also put the goods in a well-wrapped suitcase, either placed in an outer container or not as preferred by the carrier, and consider it a single package.

Pallet Shipping

You can transport the same packages in pallets if they are many and bulky rather than shipping them as isolated items.

You can stack the cardboards/boxes on a pallet and transport them as a single shipment.

When you consider pallet shipment for your goods, the boxes will not be separated anywhere a mid-transport and will reach the destination as a whole.

In a scenario where you have bulky consignment, pallet shipment is cheaper and more efficient than standard package shipment.

You can also use pallet shipment for bulkier cargo other than just stacked boxes and card boxes.

How Can You Prepare Your Shipping Pallets for Shipment?

The process of preparing your pallets for shipment begins with selecting the most appropriate shipping pallet for your cargo.

Besides, the desired type of pallet, size, construction material, etc., will depend on your specific shipping needs.

Ensure that the shipping pallet you select is sturdy enough to hold the volume of goods you are shipping and large enough to prevent overhangs.

Choose shipping pallets with closely spaced decks but without protruding nail heads or broken deck boards.

In preference, select a shipping pallet that possesses a four-way forklift entry to ease the loading and offloading process and prevent shipment damage.

Packaging the Shipping Pallets

Choose a packaging system that is compatible with your freight needs.

Your palletizing system should efficiently utilize the available space, optimize weight, and protect your goods against damages.

A well-organized palletizing system eases your carrier’s work, thus facilitating faster and safe delivery of your goods to the final destination.

You can follow the guidelines below to ensure efficient palletizing:

Stacking the Boxes/Cargo

If your shipment consists of consignment that you pile up, then consider the following;

  • Use new and strong cartons.
  • Insert adequate amounts of dunnage within the cartons to protect your cargo against damages caused by internal vibration. Ensure that there are no voids and spaces left that can damage the goods. Ensure that your packaging system evenly distributes the weight within each box.
  • Closely secure and seal the cartons appropriately. Use plenty of sealing tapes for optimal protection.
  • To achieve optimal stack strength, align your boxes from corner to corner along a column.
  • Do not rotate layer patterns or interlock
  • Fit all the boxes within the pallet edges
  • Avoid aligning the boxes corner on the gaps between adjacent board deck to prevent imbalance and potential damage by a forklift.
  • Stack the heaviest boxes at the bottom-most to prevent excessive weight on top of other boxes
  • Avoid the creation of pyramids and maintain a flat top layer to avoid damages from top layers
  • Solidify loose boxes and evenly distribute the shipment weight by inserting flat cardboard sheets below the load and throughout the shipment layers.
  • Stabilize your loads by covering your shipment using stretch-wraps. Twist the stretch-wraps for more strength and wrap at least five revolutions in each direction.
  • Should your shipment require extra protection and stability, use nylon straps and bands to tighten the load down through the middle of pallets.
  • Correctly label each piece with the address information, telephone numbers of the consignee and shipper.

What Types of Shipping Pallets Are There?

There are two broad categories of shipping pallets and other smaller subcategories within the two main categories.

The main broad categories of pallets include:

Stringer Pallets

These are also known as stringers or two-way pallets.

Stringer’s have two main openings for a forklift on only two different sides and are also referred to as ‘unnotched.’

However, you can also cut a notch into them to allow for a ‘four-way’ entry and fork lifting of the pallets.

The stringer pallets have three or more main parallel wood blocks that support both ends and the middle of the pallet deck’s.

Block Pallets

These are also known as four-way pallets because you can lift them on all four sides using a forklift.

A block pallet has blocks on all sides and the middle of individual edges of the pallet’s upper and lower decks.

The block pallet’s design encompassing parallel and perpendicular stringers makes these pallets stronger and bigger, and more suitable for bulkier shipment.

They are heavier and more durable than stringers and offer superior cargo handling capabilities compared to stringer pallets.

The other subcategories of pallets within the two broad categories include:

  • Single-wing pallets: Either the top or bottom deck pallets extends beyond the stringer’s edge to increase their load capacity.
  • Double face pallets: Have two decks that increase the pallet’s strength and allow you to use either side.
  • Double-wing pallets: All the top and bottom decks extend beyond the stringer’s edge to provide more surface area and support.
  • Flush pallets: Thee edges of flush boards are entirely square and has no overhangs
  • Solid deck pallets: These types of boards have a single sheet of material without gaps in between. It is easier to clean than regular boards.
  • Reversible pallets: The top and bottom parts are identical, making it easy to use any side up.
  • Non-reversible pallets: The top part’s configuration and the bottom parts are dissimilar and thus cannot be used any side up.

Are There ISO Standard Shipping Pallets Sizes?

There are no ISO standard shipping pallet sizes and dimensions. However, ISO recognizes certain pallets’ sizes as according to different shipping regions.

Why Select Shipping Pallets Over Packaging?

The choice of a particular shipping method will primarily depend on the volume and content of goods you want to ship.

If your consignment comprises a few lightweight goods/packages, you should choose standard packaging and shipment.

Though you can also use shipping pallets, it will be costlier than standard package shipment.

However, in cases where you need to ship bulkier, heavier, or many packages, Pallet shipping provides an efficient, cheaper, and more reliable freight option.

Besides, shipping pallets also offer the following benefits as opposed to standard package shipment.

  • Pellets safely secure goods and protect them from damage and loss as it moves through multiple handling stages.
  • Pallets reduce cargo handling time as it enables faster cargo loading and offloading, speeding up cargo delivery.
  • You can efficiently store your goods in a warehouse or transit when you use pallets because they have an ideal shape that facilitates easier stacking.
  • You can combine several but different goods and ship them as a single entity. Combining goods saves space and time that you would otherwise use to track several packages.
  • Pallets are easier to handle using forklifts, while package boxes can be heavy and difficult to handle.

The heavy boxes may also require more specialized equipment to handle, limiting their acceptance by standard cargo handlers.

  • Pallets also have provision for air circulation for goods that require to ‘breath.’

Pallets are ideal for transportation of such goods as fresh produce, which would otherwise spoil when packages are enclosed.

  • Unlike packages, you can still reuse pallets for several shipping trips and even for supplementary use, like for storage in warehouses after shipping.

What Types of Goods Can You Transport on a Shipping Pallet?

You can ship almost all types of goods using shipping pallets.

The goods can range from food products, building materials, industrial materials, machinery, computers, boxes, stackable items destined for one direction, etc.

What Material Can You Use to Construct Your Shipping Pallets?

You can use diverse types of materials to construct your shipping pallets.

Some of the most common materials for making shipping pallets include:

Wooden Pallet

Wooden shipping pallets are low cost and by far the most widely used in cargo shipping.

You can use the following types of wood to construct your wooden shipping pallets:

Softwood

They are soft by nature and readily pliable compared to other types of wood.

They are cheaper because they grow faster and therefore readily available.

Softwoods are lighter because they don’t develop denser stems as hardwood and are thus easier to manage.

Arguably, using softwood for pallet construction reduces deforestation compared to using hardwood due to faster growth.

However, pallets made from softwoods also have drawbacks.

Notably, they have limited durability due to lower density, making them vulnerable to splinters and warps.

Softwood also has a lower weight capacity due to lower material density.

As a result, you will have to use more wood when constructing pallets to compensate for the low density.

Pine and oak are some of the most commonly used softwoods for the fabrication of pallets.

Hardwood

You will get hardwood from angiosperms. They take more extended periods to grow and are thus more expensive than softwoods.

Due to higher costs, they are less used in the construction of shipping pallets compared to softwood.

The key benefits of hardwood are durability and strength, which arise from the higher density. However, hardwood is expensive, environmentally less sustainable, and bulky.

Heavy pallets are not easy to handle and often result in higher wear and tear of warehouse machinery.

Technical Wood

It is a compressed wood that offers an ideal alternative to both soft and hardwoods.

It is less susceptible to decay and rot over time and henceforth long-lasting.

Plastics Pallets

You can use either Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC), Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS), or polyethylene (PE) to construct your pallets.

However, high-density polyethylene offers the best material for making a high-quality plastic pallet.

Technically, plastic pallets are a better substitute for wooden pallets because of the following superior qualities:

  • Non-porous thus does not absorb chemical spills and moisture
  • Easier to clean hence ideal for foodstuff
  • Not susceptible to pest attack
  • More consistent and durable than wooden pallets

Paper/Cardboard shipping pallets

Also known as corrugated shipping pallets, these pallets constitute corrugated paper such as boxes.

They have a laminate layer that makes them water-resistant.

Corrugated pallets have the lightest weight and are relatively cheaper too.

The manufacturing process follows the layering of boxes across different axes to give to achieve the desired strength.

When planned well, your cardboard pallets can hold up to four-time the weight held by a wooden pallet.

The more layers, the higher the cardboard strength.

However, these pallets are more susceptible to moisture or temperature levels and have a weight limit.

Metal Pallets

You can also construct metal pallets using steel, aluminum, or any other suitable metal and its alloys.

Metal pallets are the most robust and most durable of all pallets but also the most expensive.

Using metal pallets is only feasible when you are constantly shipping heavy loads for an extended period, thus the need for reusability.

Metal pallets are also resistant to pest attack and are easy to clean since the metals’ surface does not easily attract dirt.

How Does the Different Pallet Materials Compare?

Wood pallets are less expensive and can hold more weight compared to plastics and cardboard pallets.

However, they are susceptible to attack by pests, molds, and rot and, therefore, less durable.

Plastics pallets are about ten times more expensive than wood pallets, more durable, and not susceptible to moisture and temperature fluctuations.

They are also easy to clean and not susceptible to pests, molds, and rot.

Also, they have a relatively low weight compared to wood pallets and can be recycled.

Cardboard pallets are the cheapest, ideal for a one-off use, and highly sensitive to fluctuating moisture and temperature.

They are lightweight and completely recyclable.

What Factors Should You Consider When Selecting a Shipping Pallet?

You should consider the following factors when selecting the type of shipping pallet based on construction material.

Types of Goods

The type of products you will be shipping is a primary consideration when selecting a pallet.

The type and nature of goods will help you settle for a specific type of pallet for shipping your goods.

For instance, plastic pallets are more suitable for transporting beverage and food products.

Packaging Dimension

The width, height, and length of the products you intend to ship will help you determine the ideal size of a pallet to choose from.

Frequency of Use

Metal and plastic pallets are more durable and ideal for frequent shipment operations that will require you to reuse your pallets more often.

In case of a one-time shipment, you can consider using reconditioned wood pallets because they are cheaper to purchase and easier to dispose of.

Shipping Conditions

The storage and transportation conditions and temperatures are critical when deciding on the material of choice to fabricate your pallets.

Plastic and metal pallets are resistant to fluctuating moisture and temperature levels, while paper and wooden pallets are highly susceptible.

Shipping Destination

Some countries require export goods using pallets that comply with ISPM15 standards.

Under such scenarios, wooden pallets come in handy.

Budget

Budgeting for maximum profit means that you have to minimize all the transportation costs and maximize profit.

Spending less on pallets with a limited life-cycle will be costly in the long run, while investing in expensive pallets for a one-off shipment is also expensive.

How Long Can a Shipping Pallet Last?

The life cycle of pallets varies widely depending on numerous variables like materials used, shipment conditions, carrier’s policies, etc.

Whereas some companies’ policies advocate for using pallets only once, others provide room for refurbishment and reuse of old pallets.

Some pallets, such as paper pallets, are naturally designed for a one-off shipment, while plastics and metal pallets will last several trips.

Wooden pallets can make two or more trips or last for several months or even years, depending on how well you manage them.

Plastics can last for five or more years with good management, while metal pallets can last forever when well taken care of.

How High Can You Stack Your Pallets?

You should maintain a safe stack height for your pallets to avoid unnecessary workplace accidents.

Though the regulatory stack heights may vary from one country to another, a general rule of thumb keeps the stack height below 60 inches.

Similarly, stacking the heavier pallets at the bottom and the lighter ones at the top will also help you reduce the risks of workplace injuries.

Ensure that your pallets are free of hanging materials on their sides.

What Factors Affect the Weight That a Single Pallet Can Contain?

The load capacity of a pallet depends on its static weight capacity and dynamic load capacity.

The static load capacity is the weight a pallet can hold when stationary and flat.

On the other hand, dynamic load capacity refers to the weight a pallet can hold when a forklift or jack is lifting it.

The total load capacity is not equal between all pallets and therefore vary to the following factors:

  • Type of material used to construct the pallet
  • Conditions of the working environment
  • Pallet’s specific application
  • Thickness of the material used to construct the pallet
  • Pallets size and dimensions
  • Type of pallet used

How Many Cartons Will Fit in Your Pallets?

The number of cartons that can fit on a single pallet can significantly vary from one shipment to the other and one product to the other.

Besides, the number of boxes capable of fitting in a single pallet will therefore depend on:

  • Size and dimensions of your pallet
  • Size and dimension of the boxes
  • Height of your pallet stacks
  • The stacking method you use

What Do You Need to Protect Your Shipment Pallets from Damage?

You can use the following techniques to secure your palletized goods and protect them from getting damaged while on transit.

Use a Load Protector

Use a top to bottom load protector to secure your shipment.

It constitutes several layers of heavy paperboards or corrugated fiberboards.

Load protectors are instrumental and can safely secure your shipment by evenly distributing the shipment weight that is stackable on each other.

Use Edge/Corner Boards

Using a corner board will help you prevent corner edge damage, increase your vertical stack strength, and stabilize your load.

For effectiveness, extend the corner boards to all corners and full height and length of the load.

Stretch Wrappings

You can effectively stabilize all pieces of your shipment by wrapping them together with a stretch wrap.

The stretch wraps have to cover the pallets together with the load to stabilize them as a unit firmly.

Ensure that the stretch wraps capture the pallets at the bottom layers and are tight enough to prevent load shifting.

Also, ensure that you twist the stretch wraps like a rope to provide more strength and enhanced stability.

Strapping and Banding

Strapping or bandings will safely secure all the shipment pieces together in the pallet, thus preventing them from separating from the rest of the load.

You might need to run the strapping underneath the board’s top deck to draw them tightly onto the load.

What Are the Phytosanitary Requirements for Using Wood Panels?

Wood pallets must conform to the International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Publication number 15 (ISPM15).

Some countries will require you to conform to the treatments and markings outlined in the standards before accepting your shipment.

Consequently, you can conform to these standards by adhering to the following:

Debarking

You have to construct your wood pallets using debarked wood.

The small pieces and separated barks can only remain under the following conditions:

  • The width is less than 3 cm
  • The width is greater than 3 cm, but the total surface area of an individual piece less than 50cm3

Heat Treatment

You must subject the wood pallets to heat treatment through a special kiln.

You should heat the materials until the minimum core temperatures reach 56°C for 30 consecutive minutes.

Heat treating kills most insect pests’ larvae and cells and spores of wood pathogenic bacteria and fungi.

Fumigation

You can also fumigate the wood pallets using a suitable chemical to manage insect pests and diseases of timber.

Also, you can use either methyl bromide or sulphuryl fluoride for fumigation.

You should ensure that the wood pallets have the ISMP15 compliance stamp or brand.

The stamp must include the IPPC certification symbol, the country’s ISO code where the wood was treated, a unique certification number, and the treatment abbreviation.

What Test Should You Carry Out On Wooden Shipping Pallets?

You can conduct the following wood-based composite tests for woods used in making shipping pallets:

  • 24-hour composite block soak test. This test determines the average percentage and standard deviations of dimensional change and the water-weight gain.
  • The pallet block side compression test helps determine the peak load at failure
  • A nail insertion force test. The test determines the maximum force required for nail insertion.
  • Nail withdrawal force test to determine the maximum force needed for removal of each nail.

At What Time of the Year Should You Consider Purchasing a Shipping Pallet?

You should arrange to buy your pallets off-shipping seasons, usually between spring and summer or the first two quarters of the year.

The prices significantly fluctuate during the third and fourth quarters of the year due to increased shipments just before the holidays.

During the holiday rush, the demand for pallets is usually higher than the supply, making pallets very expensive.

What Factors Influence the Cost of Shipping Pallets?

The cost of a shipping pallet depends on the following factors:

  • Material of construction
  • Time of the year you are making the purchase, i.e., offseason or shipping season.
  • Size and dimension of the pallet
  • The urgency of the need
  • Location

Are There Differences in Regional Pallet Practices?

Generally, acceptable pallet management practices are standard across all regions.

However, there are slight differences in pallet sizes, requirements for ISPM15 compliance, certification for shipment, allowable pallet stack height, etc.

For instance, the USA’s standard pallet size is 48 × 40 inches, while Europe and other parts of the world mainly prefer 31.5 x 47.2 x 5.7 inches.

What Factors Must You Consider When Purchasing Your Shipping Pallets?

Purchasing the correct type of shipping pallet is fundamental to realize the optimal cost-benefit ratio in favor of your business.

The following considerations are beneficial when it comes to choosing the correct type of shipping pallets.

· Shipping Destination

Shipping pallets for overseas transit require more stringent cleaning than shipping pallets for local transportation.

You can use heat-treatment or chemical treatment, or both to protect your pallets against pests, molds, and rot.

The destination might also dictate whether you will require to make multiple trips or a one-way trip. You can use high-quality, new pallets if you make several trips and recycled pallets if you only need to make a one-way trip.

· Product Weight

The pallets’ overall weight is important specifically because it determines whether it will support the entire product weight.

Whereas plastic pallets are more weather-resistant, durable, clean, and easy to stack, they are also more expensive and costly.

On the other hand, block-style wooden pallets are ideal for heavier materials among the wooden pallets.

· Life Expectancy

Your pallet’s life expectancy directly determines the number of trips you can make using similar pallets and the corresponding investment worthy of the pallets.

You should ask yourself whether the pallets of choice can withstand extreme handling and shipping conditions.

You also need to consider whether your shipping program requires frequent or sporadic use of the pallets or, perhaps, just once.

Generally, plastic pallets last longer than wooden pallets, and for this reason alone have seen a steady rise in their adoption in the shipping business.

· Compatibility with Available Equipment

The choice of the desired pallet must fit in with the automation system employed in your shipping business.

You have to consider aspects such as the presence and type of conveyor belts, forklifts, pallet jacks, etc., and ensure that they are compatible with your machines.

Desired Pallet Size

The size of a pallet is one of the critical considerations when selecting a pallet.

Choosing a huge pallet will be a wastage while a smaller pallet will not accommodate all your products.

Ensure that you conduct your homework well before buying a pallet since they come in a wide variety of dimensions.

· Purchase Price

The cost of the pallet is a key consideration when choosing a pallet.

As a business, your priority is making profits, and settling for a pallet that will deliver the highest yield is desirable.

For a one-way shipment, cheaper pallets are reasonable for regular shipment, more expansive, and quality pallets are more profitable.

· ISMP15 Compliance

ISMP15 compliance applies to wooden pallets. Some countries demand that your pallets adhere to the requirements of ISMP15 standards.

ISMP15 refers to International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures Number 15.

The standards require all wooden pallets and other wooden packaging materials to go through heat treatment or fumigated before shipment.

ISMP15 standards enforcement helps minimize the spread of insect pests and pathogens of timber to new areas.

Always ensure that the timber pallets you are purchasing have an ISMP15 compliance stamp.

· Supplier

Hiring a supplier is also a key consideration when sourcing for your pallets.

Your pallet supplier should be capable of meeting all the necessary total pallet management needs as dictated by your business from time to time.

Also, you may require unplanned large quantities of pallets from time to time.

Your supplier should be capable of meeting the demand within a very tight window/schedule without failure.

Your pallet providers should also come in handy in managing your pallet inventory to caution you against potential future shortages.

Also, research pricing from the different suppliers ensures that you are getting the best deal for your money.

Though time-consuming, the alternative of settling for the wrong supplier can be disastrous and costly to your business’s operations and total health.

What eco-friendly Shipping Pallet Practices Are There?

You can implement pallet use practices that have minimal effect on the environment. They include:

  • Use of durable pallets to reduce the number of waste pallets ending up in landfills
  • Encouraging the reuse of pallets helps reduce wastes as well as deforestation
  • Using recycled pallets to reduce the demand for new wooden materials
  • Recycling plastic pallets to reduce the disposal of plas