The most popular standard pallet size in US inches is 48L x 40W. How popular? The 48x40 accounts for approximately 30% of all wooden pallets produced each year.

The 48x40 standard was set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) more than forty years ago. For this reason, you may hear it called a GMA pallet. But, not all 48x40 pallets are designed to GMA specs nor are they all used in the grocery industry. Interestingly, that's true of most any "industry standard" pallet. Even though a pallet may have originally been standardized for a specific trade, its use is often not exclusive to that industry alone.

Most Popular US Pallet Sizes

You'll notice many of the most popular sizes on this list are square pallets or nearly square. That's simply physics. A square base can help to prevent load tipping. Below are ways you'll most often see these popular pallet sizes used:
  

• 48x40 in  Grocery and general warehouse
• 42x42 in  Telecom; technical coatings and paint
• 48x48 in  Fits four 55 gallon drums without overhang
• 40x48 in  Military; cement bags and blocks
• 48x42 in  Packaged chemicals and beverages
• 40x40 in  Dairy, designed to fit stacked milk crates
• 48x45 in  Automotive, meets AIAG specs
• 44x44 in  Chemical drums and FIBC bulk bags
• 36x36 in  Beverage, specifically Coke and Pepsi trucks
• 48x36 in  Roofing and shingles; paper; beverage

    
Pallet Sizes for Exporting

The 1200x800 Euro pallet (you may see it labeled as EUR, EUR1 or EPAL) is Europe's market leader by a landslide. Many European conveyor systems and other handling equipment cannot accept larger pallets. Ship in the wrong size and you may get hit with disposal and repacking fees. Many metric dimension pallets in use around Europe, Asia and other foreign locations are similar in dimensions to popular US pallets bringing us close to global pallet size standardization:
  

• 1200x800   mm (US 48x32) Most popular; designed to fit European trucks and machinery
• 1200x1000 mm (US 48x40) Computer warehouses and distribution centers
• 1140x1140  mm (US 45x45) Maximizes freight density for shipping containers 
• 1100x1100  mm (US 43x43) Granular chemicals in bulk bags
• 1190x1135  mm (US 47x45) Export alternative to US automotive standard​

Protecting rolled products from damage is one of the more challenging jobs for unit load material handling.

If you work with heavy rolls of foil, film, paper, plastics or other high-value material, you know that damage during transport or storage can make the product unusable. That's a costly mistake no one wants to make.

Shipping Roll Products

To develop a better protection system for transporting factory rolls, everything from the roll properties to customer requirements must be considered. A minor dent is not so minor when it causes thousands of dollars in loss. Equally cringe-worthy is a load that shifts during transport and causes product to open or roll away.

There are three main ways to ship rolled products:
  

1. Vertical Rolls
   Vertical Rolls put the least stress on a pallet or platform. This solution is best suited for rolls that can handle being shipped in a upright position. Advantages include lower-cost pallets and minimal unitizing to keep the roll(s) secure on the pallet.
   
   
2. Cradle Supports
   Cradle supports work best when rolls can withstand pressure from the pallet or packaging and can ship in a horizontal position. This option requires more pallet support and some type of "cradle" to hold the roll secure. Made from wood, plastic, foam or paper, cradles can be permanently attached to the pallet or added at time of shipping.
   
   
3. Suspended Rolls
   When rolls cannot withstand pressure from the pallet, they are suspended. Roll cores are typically attached to header boards at each end to keep the roll suspended above the pallet. While this is the most protective shipping method, the strength and stiffness requirements for the pallet are much greater. Extra nails, wider boards at tine tips and other securement reinforcements help prevent any part of the pallet from touching the roll during handling.

Maximize Protection while Minimizing Cost

If you are experiencing too many callbacks due to roll damage, it may be time for a change. And not just for damage control. Shifting over to a better roll pallet design can also save time by streamlining the palletizing process. Delivering products on time and in pristine condition saves money plus offers a competitive advantage.

Recycled wooden pallets or remanufactured?

​It's a question that comes up often. Before we get into which pallet is better for your packaging needs, let's sort out the definitions of recycled vs remanufactured.

​Defining Recycled vs Remanufactured

Buying wooden pallets starts with understanding the industry lingo. If you're just beginning your search, you're learning that not everyone speaks the same language. Worse, many of the terms sound confusingly similar. Below are the most common interpretations:

Recycled Pallets

Recycled wooden pallets are repaired quickly without complete deconstruction. The mending results in a pallet similar to the original design. Recycled pallets may also be called:

• Repaired Pallets
• Refurbished Pallets
• Reconditioned Pallets

Remanufactured Pallets

Also called reman pallets, these are completely rebuilt using dismantled boards reclaimed from unrepairable wooden pallets. A variation of reman pallets are built using a mix of old and new materials. Alternate names for both varieties of remanufactured pallets include:

• Rebuilt Pallets
• Hybrid Pallets
• Combo Pallets

​Choosing Between Recycled and Remanufactured Pallets

Recycled and remanufactured wooden pallets each have their own advantages. Recycled pallets tend to be cheaper. Reman pallets offer design flexibility. Your unique packaging requirements will determine which one is best.

Choose Recycled Pallets

Recycled pallets are easiest to find in industry standard configurations and sizes. They are typically sorted by size and grade. Choose recycled pallets if your load safely fits within the guidelines for an industry-specific pallet. Common examples of recycled pallets include:

• GMA Pallets
• EPAL Pallets
• CP1 Chemical Pallets
• CP3 Chemical Pallets

Choose Remanufactured Pallets

If your load exceeds the weight or size guidelines of a more readily-available pallet, choose remanufactured. Reman pallets can be custom built to adjust the spacing or length of deckboards. Have a lighter load? Ask about money-saving designs engineered to use less lumber. The point is that reman offers almost endless opportunities like these:

• 48x40 with Special Top Deck Spacing
• 48x31 Built Only with Reclaimed Wood
• 72x36 Built using New Stringers and Used Deckboards

A Smart Choice in Pallets

Now that you know what we mean by recycled and reman pallets, it shouldn't come as a surprise that most wooden pallets in circulation are not new. Repairing and rebuilding is a smart choice for saving money and reducing waste. While heavily-regulated industries might not be a good fit, most pallet users can benefit from using recycled and remanufactured pallets.

Do you have recycled or remanufactured pallet success story? Share it here or ask about ways for creating a new success story.

Post by: Jonathan Haynes, Regional Sales Manager

Here we go again. If you thought 2013 was a bad year for industrial lumber availability, 2018 may make five years ago look downright mild.

Lumber Prices are Going Up

Crisis breeds opportunity, or so they say. Here are increases we've already seen in raw materials:
​  

• Softwood Composite
  Prices are up about 34% in the last 12 months
  
  
• Hardwood Pallet Cant Composite
  Prices are up 11% in the last 5 months

Right now, lead times for industrial lumber are extended and supplies are tight. This means wooden pallet and crate prices have to go up.
  

How to Save on Pallet and Crate Costs 

I'm being asked all the time if anything can be done to combat these price increases. The answer is, yes! Retrieval programs for pallets and crates can save your company 10-50%.
  

• Take Back Control of Costs
  A pallet and crate retrieval program transfers the cost control lever back to manufacturers and shippers. Start by looking at all operating costs with a focus on cost-per-use.
    
• Reuse Existing Packaging
  You might be surprised to learn that return programs do not have to be all inclusive to save money for the shipper. Existing packaging is almost always reusable in its current state.
  
  
• Reduce Packaging Waste
  It gets better. You'll help stop wood-based packaging from going into the landfill. Your company gets to reduce its carbon footprint while also saving money.

  

Change your Packaging from Expense to Depreciable Asset

Need even more reason to consider a packaging return program? The US economy is growing and so is demand for lumber. Logging and sawmill capacity has not yet caught up - and may not. Inflation is real and will grow as the economy grows. If there has ever been a time to get with a program and take control of packaging costs, this is it.

If a packaging return program isn't your best match, here are 3 other money-saving solutions to help with the rising cost of wooden pallets and crates.

As the cost of lumber continues to rise, how are you preparing your business for increased packaging costs? Share your strategies or ask questions in the comments below.

Post by: Rich Reiher, Vice President

​Why is my 2x4 lumber not 2 inches by 4 inches?

Many decades ago, lumber purchased from a sawmill physically matched the common dimensions we use today. So why does that pine or spruce 2x4 from your local lumber yard now come up short? The short answer is modern surfacing and shrinkage.

Over time we've come to accept these nominal (approximate) dimensions as standard. But there's still a catch. Shrinkage can be highly variable. This makes it very difficult to manage and regulate dimensional accuracy.

Rules for Calculating Dimensions

​So now you know that 1x3, 2x4 are 4x8 are really just names or nominal dimensions. But... it gets even more complicated. Dimensions change based on the width or the thickness. Here are the general "rules" for calculating softwood dimensions:
 
Nominal vs Actual Dimension Rules

​Dimensional Lumber

Softwoods (pine, spruce, fir, etc.) are generally known as framing or dimensional lumber. This wood is commonly used for framing walls and floors in our homes and regularly used for building wooded crates and pallets. Since no one likes unexpected dimensional errors, the handy chart below outlines the changes in dimensions you can expect:
​
Dimensional vs Actual Lumber Chart for Dried Softwoods

Regulating Lumber Dimensions

​The US Department of Commerce standardized softwood dimensions for green and finished lumber back in 1969.

Today, regulating dimensional accuracy in the US falls under the responsibility of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). The current standards are published by the government in a document titled the American Softwood Lumber Standard (PS 20). The latest version is labeled the Voluntary Product Standard PS 20-15.

Why is regulation so difficult?

State and local inspectors spot check lumber dimensions at mills and retail locations but determining if softwood boards are within limits is complicated. Here's why:​
​  

1. Shrinkage
   Green lumber has higher moisture content. As the wood dries (either in an oven or air dried) the dimensions reduce. Depending on wood species - and specifically wood grain direction - shrinkage can range from 2% to 15%. This equals anywhere from 0.012” to 0.6" for a 4 inch board.
    
2. Surfacing
   Boards with smooth sides are said to have a dressed surfaced. The process of smoothing out board surfaces further reduces the original width or thickness. Dimensional lumber is commonly labeled S4S. The designation stands for "surfaced 4 sides".
     
3. Inconsistent Testing
   Inspectors do not have nationally agreed-upon testing procedures. Everything from an individual inspector's sampling protocol to the device used for measuring can muddy the results. That's about to change.

 
If you're wondering about hardwoods, thickness measurements are slightly different, but most hardwood widths follow the softwood standard. As an example, a 6 inch hardwood board is actually 5.5".


New Testing Procedures Under Review

The Office of Weights and Measures (OWM) at the NIST has been working with the American Lumber Standards Committee (ALSC) since 2016 to develop new testing procedures for dimensional accuracy. The next big step in moving the new procedures forward is expected by summer 2018 when the proposal goes to a vote.

Have you ever wondered about about the impact of lumber's dimensional accuracy on wooden pallets and crates? Have your own wrong-size lumber story? Talk to me in the comments below.

Post by: Kent Longardner, Technical Sales Manager

Plastic lumber offers captive pallets a new future.

Captive pallets are designed to save money by being reusable. Plastic lumber is repairable and durable. Plus, it can be custom made to fit your specific requirements. Sounds pretty good so far. But will it work for you?

Below we explore the benefits and drawbacks to plastic lumber pallets.

Comparison to Traditional Wooden and Plastic Pallets

Captive pallets are pallets designed to last in a warehouse environment for repetitive use. Both traditional wooden pallets and plastic pallets are used in these applications.

• Heavy duty plastic pallets have become popular as a captive pallet in many industries. Unfortunately, they do not fit the needs of all customers because custom sizes and designs can be cost prohibitive.
    
• Wooden pallets are less expensive to produce and can be repaired when minor damage has occurred. Even though wood is often used for captive pallets, they can be easily damaged, require mold prevention treatment and can’t be easily sanitized.

Is Plastic Lumber Right for You?

The biggest advantage of a plastic lumber captive pallet is custom design. Custom designs are often worth looking at because they can uncover hidden savings.

A design team is critical to the this process. In addition to drafting a new design, the team reviews all supply chain systems to make sure the pallet will work with all material handling equipment. Utilizing a service such as the Nelson Tech Center provides expertise for reducing total cost of ownership and improved sustainability.

Here are some pros and cons to consider:

Benefits of Plastic Lumber Board

• Durable
• No moisture problems (reduces mold and decay)
• Cleanliness
• Can be nailed using the same equipment as wood pallets

Drawbacks of Plastic Lumber Board

• Higher initial cost
• Boards must be nailed or screwed together using metal fasteners
• Weight (plastic lumber can be heavier than most wood species)

    
Captive pallets have undergone many changes in the last 50 years - especially with the introduction of plastic pallets. While plastic pallets do not fit every need, the introduction of plastic lumber provides a new option for a custom-sized captive pallet.  

In what ways could a captive pallet made from plastic lumber work for you? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

Post by: Jonathan Haynes, Regional Sales Manager

​So what does the cost of my wooden pallets and packaging have to do with an improved economy and greater new housing starts? 

The wood packaging industry depends on many of the same lumber producers that supply the housing industry. Lumber prices (especially softwood dimensional lumber) go up with increased housing demand. Those higher prices trickle down to the housing industry's by-product lumber that we use for building pallets and wood packaging.

Signs of an Improving Economy
The US economy continues to improve, albeit at a very slow pace.

• Unemployment is down and consumer confidence is on the rise.
• New home starts are up 7% from 2016 and are predicted to be between 1.2 to 1.3 million for 2017.
• US lumber consumption is up and expected to be almost 50 Billion BDFT in 2017 and 52 Billion BDFT in 2018.

Speculation Driving Lumber Costs
The US is the world's largest consumer of wood products and the second largest producer. We depend heavily on Canada to make up the difference. The US and Canada need to finalize a lumber trade agreement amid the rise in lumber costs. Canadian imports could be subject to a 25% tax starting in mid-2017. Speculators are driving up wood prices in the US in anticipation of this looming tax.

Preparing for Increased Wood Prices
Growth and a strong economy are good for businesses and consumers, right? Yes and no. More jobs create a higher demand for housing and greater production creates more demand for wood packaging. Both of which equate to higher wood prices.

​As the cost of lumber continues to rise, how can you prepare your business for increased packaging costs? Is it time to redesign your wood packaging or start that return program you've thought about many times? Or... maybe it is time to consider an alternative material.

If you are concerned about the future of wood prices, now is the time to start asking questions about ways to save money. Drop me a line or ask your question in the comments below.

Post by: Rich Reiher, Vice President

In my last post we discussed 7 basic types of pallet racks. Now that we know EVERYTHING (well, almost everything) there is to know about pallet racking, let's talk about how pallets interact with racks and why structure matters.

When is a Pallet Rackable?

We often hear the term rackable plastic pallet but what does that really mean? Traditionally we think of wood pallets as setting the standard for rackability. Simply stated, any pallet, plastic or wood is rackable when it has the capacity to bridge a span. Remember the span? This is the open space between supports in a rack. Let’s recap:
  

1. Beam Rack
   span is the distance between the front and back beams parallel to the aisle
2. Edge Rack
   span is the distance between rails or edges perpendicular to the aisle
3. Roller Rack
   span is the distance between roller sets, often like the edge rack but may have a center roller set eliminating the span
4. Push Back Rack
   span is determined by the design of the platform
5. Flow Rack
   like a roller rack but with a pitch to move pallets along by gravity
6. Cantilever Rack
   span is determined by the space between perpendicular beams
7. Supported Rack
   no span

So is it that easy? As long as the pallet is rated on the spec sheet for a racking load of say 2,200 pounds and our loads match the weight, we are good to go, right? Not necessarily.

Pallet Design Matters

There are two basic design elements we need to consider:

• Structure
• Material

In this post, we will talk about structure. The underside of the pallet interfaces (score one geek term) with the rack so the bottom structure should be designed to easily target the supporting horizontal structure of the rack:

Full Frame Cruciform Pallet
If we are looking at a simple beam rack with a front and back beam parallel to the aisle, the underside of the pallet should have enough structure to safely target on those beams. A full frame cruciform pallet provides runners in both directions allowing the pallet to be racked in both dimensions. 

Three Runner Pallet
In the case of the three runner pallet, the pallet should only be placed in the rack with the runners perpendicular to the beams. 

Pallets for Edge Racks

A pallet must have a bottom structure that will safely rest on the edge. Pallets with a radius on the runners (or heaven forbid a pallet that just has feet for support) is not suitable. Trying to target these types of pallets on racks with narrow edges would be like wire walking. Works if you're one of The Flying Wallendas, not so much for the average forklift operator. 

Pallets for Roller Racks

Any part of the pallet bottom that interfaces (there I geek again) with the rollers should be smooth enough to flow on the rollers without chattering or bumping along. Why? We don't want vibration to transfer to the load. Many plastic pallets tend to have ribbing in the understructure. In this case, the tighter the ribbing pattern the better. 

Pallets for Push Back Racks

The design of the platform being pushed back determines whether or not a full frame pallet, runner pallet or even a pallet with just legs may be suitable. Some platforms are fully solid while others have a frame like this one pictured below. 

Pallets for Cantilever Racks

Structure matters and the underside of the pallet should have enough length to safely reach from one rack arm to the next. As cantilever racking is often used for longer items like siding or lengths of tubing, pallets would need to be specifically designed to handle those lengthy items in relationship to the racks intended for use.

Now you know the basics of how pallet structure can impact how that pallet will work in the most common racking systems found in industry today. If you still have questions, please post them here.

Note: For the purpose of this post, we assumed that the pallets were stiff enough to safely bridge the span without unacceptable deflection (bending) cracking or breaking. Watch for my next installment on how we make pallets stiff enough to bridge the span in the first place.

Post by: Hartson Poland, Business Development - Plastic
Use of push back and cantilevere racking system photos used with permission from our friends at Warehouse Rack & Shelf, LLC.

Rackable pallets are designed to be used in racking systems - but what does that really mean?

Rackable pallets (plastic or otherwise) are pallets that are expected to bridge an open span. Much like the Brooklyn Bridge suspends high above the rushing waters of the East River, a rackable pallet spans a distance between supports in a rack.

You may be scratching your head right about now so let’s back up a little. Pallet rack? What the heck is a pallet rack? Any conversation about rackable pallets needs to start with the various types of pallet racks found in industry. This post will identify seven of the most common racking systems used with rackable pallets.
​  

1. Beam Rack
This is a typical shelf-like structure with steel uprights and horizontal beams front and back. The pallet sits on the beams. The "span" being bridged is the distance of open space front to back

2. Edge Rack
Typically designed to drive in with a lift truck, this type of rack has rails often made of steel angle iron running perpendicular to the aisle. The pallet sits on the rail and the span being bridged is the distance between the rails. 

3. Roller Rack
These are racks designed with rollers positioned at the pallet’s contact points. These can look just like an edge rack but instead of simple angle iron, the rails are replaced by rollers. The span in this case would be similar to the edge rack.

4. Push-Back Rack
This type of racking system employs an intrinsic platform that is loaded and then pushed back perpendicular to the aisle. The most efficient systems have platforms that deploy from on top of one another, exposing the next platform as the top one is pushed back. In this case the design of the platform would determine the span that would need to be bridged.

5. Flow Rack
These racks are designed to allow pallets to be loaded in one side of the rack and flow through the rack, usually by gravity, to be removed from the other side. Often designed with 3 sets of rollers perpendicular to the aisle, the roller sets would be on a slight downward angle from entry to exit allowing gravity to move the pallet through the rack. Sometimes there are "brake wheels" installed mid-way on the racks to slow pallets down on their way to the other side. In most cases, there would be a center set of rollers making for a short span. 

6. Cantilever Rack
This rack has uprights parallel to the aisle with support beams cantilevered out from the uprights, perpendicular to the aisle.  These racks are most often used for long items that would not fit into a conventional rack with uprights in the way every 8 feet or so. Pallets used in these racks are almost always custom designed to the specific product they are meant to carry.

7. Supported Rack
​This is usually a beam rack with some kind of support structure that helps with the span from front to back. This could be a series of spanning bars fit perpendicular to the beams front to back, or my personal favorite, the wire deck. In this case a section of heavy gauge wire mesh is placed on the beams, often with extra support members to hold whatever is placed in the rack.

You now know the seven most common types of racks used with rackable pallets. I avoided the panoply of custom solutions, sophisticated AS/RS, stacker-crane systems and the like as each really needs to be evaluated on its own. 

If you still have questions about pallet racks, please feel free to ask them here. Watch for my next post which will go into detail about how pallets interact with racks. Yes, Virginia, thus making them rackable!
​  

Did you struggle to source hardwood pallets two years ago? I wrote a blog in March 2014 called, Where has all the lumber gone?  Kind of sounds like a country western song.

The irony now is that the industrial hardwood market in the US is improving. Sounds like good news, right? I mean even country singer Frankie Ballard tells us, "bad times make the good times better." I'm afraid that might not be the case this time around. Instead, you may want to continue approaching lumber supply with caution.

Each year many local and global factors impact lumber sourcing

2013 was a tough year for sourcing industrial-grade hardwood lumber. The US markets were faced with tight supplies, solid demand from export markets and a flourishing natural gas and oil exploration industry.

So where are we now? 

• GDP in China has slowed 
• Oil pricing is around $40 per barrel and is forecast to go as low as $20 per barrel 
• Housing starts in the US are at their highest levels in years
• Interest rates are still low
• Unemployment figures have improved considerably

​If you take weather out of the equation, the overall supply of industrial grade hardwood in the eastern US is better than it has been for quite some time. Prices are down slightly and holding. Should buyers of hardwood pallets, crates and dunnage plan for price reductions going into 2016?

Not so fast. My concern is that the underlying issues from 2013 are still in place. The US lost much of its logging and sawmilling capacity after the fall of 2008 and is not getting it back. One bit of encouraging news is that increased demand for flooring will help provide some additional industrial-grade lumber.

So what happens when China increases their GDP and oil prices go back up? I think we’re right back to 2013. What do you think lies ahead?

Post by: Rich Reiher, Vice President