There are many goods that can be very risky to ship without a pallet. A pallet gives much greater safety to the transported loads. The larger the size and weight of the shipment, the less suitable a cardboard box may be for packaging. Below we describe the 3 most important advantages of pallet shipments and suggest which goods should not be shipped only in a cardboard box.
In accordance with applicable laws, the carrier is responsible for the safe delivery of the goods. However, it is the sender’s responsibility to properly pack and label the shipment. If you choose the wrong packaging, in most cases you can only blame yourself for damage during transport.
The 3 biggest advantages of a pallet
Before you start packing a pallet, you should check what size of shipment you will be able to send. Standard pallets have the following dimensions: 1200 × 800 mm (CEN standard – Comité européen de normalisation), 800 × 600 mm (½ EUR, EUR 6, EPAL 6), 1200 × 1200 mm (enlarged EUR), 1200 × 1000 mm (“English “, EUR 2, EPAL 2), 1000 × 1200 mm (EUR 3, EPAL 3). The maximum loading height of a pallet can be e.g. 1800 mm (DHL) or even 2000 mm (UPS). The maximum weight limit for a pallet shipment is usually 700-1000 kg. Regardless of the dimensions of the pallet you choose, you will always get these three benefits:
- fast and easy packing – a pallet is much easier to pack, especially when you are packing a large number of goods in regular boxes – you just place them on the pallet, wrap the whole lot with stretch foil, which protects against mechanical damage and weather conditions, and that’s it,
- cargo security – goods on pallets will never be placed upside down during transport (the courier will not confuse the bottom of the load with the top), they are very well protected against deformation and impacts from hitting the ground while being moved, and the risk that they will be accidentally dropped is minimal – the courier cannot throw your parcel, which often happens to goods in cardboard boxes only,
- favorable price – if you are able to collect a larger number of parcels and ship them all together on a pallet, the cost will be much lower than sending each product separately.
However, when you have a larger number of pallet shipments and the goods to be shipped on a pallet are of different sizes, you may face the problem of optimal stacking of the pallet. In such a situation, it is much easier to use an algorithm to Find a Missing Dimension. You have only to enter any number of parcels with their specific dimensions (you can enter many different dimensions of parcels) and the algorithm will arrange them in such a way as to maximize the use of the available space. You receive an immediate answer to the question of how many parcels will fit on a pallet of a determined load height. It is just as easy to plan the arrangement of goods in a container or in any cargo space.
What goods should be shipped on a pallet?
- Basically, all heavy goods that are sensitive to impacts, falls and being thrown should be placed on a pallet. Here are the most obvious loads that require pallet shipment: household appliances – pallets should be used to transport all appliances under the category of large household appliances: refrigerators, washing machines, dryers, dishwashers, ovens, gas cookers, etc.,
- audio/video equipment / IT – electronic equipment – servers, plotters, shredders, laser printers, TV sets, monitors – transported in large quantities or of large sizes should be placed on a pallet,
- furniture – DIY assembly furniture packed in cardboard boxes and ready-made furniture are safer on pallets – in this way you will avoid damages due to packages being thrown, but also the deformation of long elements,
- machines – workshop machines, construction equipment and other devices of considerable weight that are prone to damage, should be effectively protected on pallets,
- bagged goods – securing bags on a pallet and wrapping the whole load with stretch foil is a simple and effective way to protect bags from being torn or squashed,
- building materials – both bagged and not, ceramic (e.g. tiles), items made of stone and glass, fittings – pallets are simply required when transporting glass and ceramic sanitary fittings for kitchens and bathrooms.
To sum up – any shipment of heavy weight and/or significant value should be placed on a pallet. Thanks to this, you minimize the risk of damage during transport. The pallet not only perfectly prevents parcels against overturning and hitting the ground, but also effectively protects against moisture, dirt and freezing (from the ground) of the contents of the shipment during reloading.
EN
PL