When it comes to preparing your pallet for shipping, making sure that everything is packed in properly can be the difference between a perfect shipment or an accident waiting to happen. While we’ll do everything we can to ensure that your delivery reaches its destination in the same condition it was first sent in, there are some situations that we unfortunately don’t have control over and ensuring that your goods are well packed can keep them safe in the case of an accident.
To help you out, we’ve pulled together a list of dos and don’ts for your pallet shipping.
THE DOS
- Always ensure that your pallets are in good working order – This may seem like a given, but too many deliveries have been damaged due to a weak pallet that isn’t strong enough to support the goods on top. We understand that buying brand new isn’t always necessary, but if you want to have that extra peace of mind, making that extra investment may be the best thing you could’ve done.
- Place a wooden sheet on top of the slats – When you come to pile your goods onto the pallet, try and put a wooden slab that matches the size and shape of the pallet down before your goods. This will protect the pallet from the weight of the loads, and add extra security for your goods. While it’s a very rare occurrence, it also stops things from slipping between the slats or poking up through them and damaging your shipment.
- Make sure your goods are well wrapped too! – If you’re shipping anything breakable, make sure you wrap them all with good quality packing materials before you wrap the pallet. Wrap things in bubble wrap and fill any gaps in boxes with packing peanuts or crumpled paper for extra cushioning in case of bumps and jumps along the journey.
- Strap your goods if they’re heavy – Heavy items can move around, and once they’ve moved, we could struggle putting them back into place. If what you’re shipping via pallet is heavy, make sure that you strap it securely in place to prevent any unnecessary movement during the journey.
- Remove any old labels – If you’re reusing boxes, make sure that you fully remove or scratch over any old labels. While your pallet will usually be shipped in one piece, in the case that it comes apart in transit, your boxes won’t find themselves being shipped to the wrong destination.
- Band and shrink wrap the pallet – All bands need to ensure that they keep your goods in place, and the shrink wrap will add extra protection and prevent any other movement. Make sure that you wrap all shrink wrap around the base of the pallet too so all of your items are secured to the pallet and not just together.
THE DON’TS
- Do not overload your pallet! – Even if you’ve bought the strongest pallet that money can buy, overloading your pallet could result in tipping, collapsing or other forms of damage. While you may want to try and ship everything as one, splitting your delivery into two could mean a safer shipment for your goods and your freight forwarders.
- Do not make it top heavy – Put the heaviest items at the bottom of the pile. This will pretend any tipping that could result in damage to other items within your shipment.
- No overhanging goods! – If your shipment overhangs the pallet you’re using, then the pallet isn’t the right size. By this point, it may be easier to rearrange, split your shipment, or buy a new pallet. Overhanging goods can be more easily damaged, and make movement of your pallet much more difficult.
Hopefully this has given you a better idea as to just how to prepare your pallet for shipment. With good packaging and extra care, you can rest easy knowing that your goods will arrive at their destination in one piece.
If you’re looking for pallet shipment services, why not take a look at what we can offer? Alternatively, you can use our quote form today for a bespoke quote on your shipment.
