Pallet Freight Shipping: Your Top Guide to Getting It Right

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Pallets are essential tools for shipping or transporting items, especially if you are transporting them in bulk. First, they are easily stackable, making them easy to handle and enhancing storage efficiency during transport and warehousing. Pallets also enable quicker loading and unloading of cargo, are easy to move when using forklifts, are readily available, are recyclable and reusable and allow for better inventory management, among several other benefits.

However, a lot can go wrong if you don't prepare your freight correctly to ship on pallets. Generally, several factors can dictate whether your pallet freight reaches its destination damage-free. And here are a few ways to make your pallet freight shipping successful.

Choose The Right Pallet Size

Pallets come in virtually all sizes. Therefore, you can always find the right size for your cargo. And even if you don't, you can consider custom pallets, although these will often cost you more. When choosing pallets, the rule of the thumb is to go for something large enough for your cargo to fit without leaving an overhang. That's because overhanging cargo is generally susceptible to damages. Therefore, get the correct measurements of your shipment and select boxes that will fit perfectly on your pallets.

Use Fit-For-Purpose Pallets

It's also imperative to use pallets designed for the kind of cargo you intend to ship. For instance, some pallet materials may not be ideal for the types of items you have. Therefore, don't forget to mention what you need to transport when selecting your pallets. In addition, it would be best to choose a pallet that can support the weight of your heaviest cargo. Generally, pallets can only support up to a certain amount of weight. Therefore, be sure to check the pallets' maximum weight capacity to ensure the cargo doesn't exceed that capacity. Otherwise, the pallet may break under the weight of your shipment.

Pack Properly

Packing also plays a vital role in the efficiency of pallet freight shipping, so remember to do it correctly. For instance, use strong and new boxes and seal them properly with high-quality packing tape. In addition, you need to pack your boxes fully. Don't leave empty spaces inside because this can result in your cargo moving around while in transit, causing a few damages. Therefore, use materials like air pillows, packing paper and bubble wrap to pad your boxes internally.

Label Correctly

Properly labelling your cargo also goes a long way in ensuring a hassle-free experience. First, it helps the carriers to stack your cargo correctly. For instance, they can distinguish heavier items from lighter ones, enabling them to stack perfectly. Proper labelling with instructions like "fragile cargo" can also help the carriers to handle your items carefully.

For more information about palletised freight transport services, contact a local service, such as Ditton Bulk Haulage.


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