Outsmart the Pallet Shortage. Get in the Queue. Now.

You love the sofa on the floor at Pickering and Clydesdale Furniture Emporium so you plunk down your credit card to make the purchase. Nine months? Nine months??? That's an entire school year. Think about that. A kid meeting his new teacher today may be starting summer vacation before you're sinking into that comfy new couch.

Welcome to the post COVID-19 supply chain nightmare.

Is it time to rethink the miracle of the US supply chain?

Pallet Shortages and Delays

​If you do any kind of shopping, you already know products that were readily available 18 months ago have become increasingly difficult to source. Translating this to pallets, the landscape is littered with shortages and delays the likes of which we have never seen.

In a previous blog post on skyrocketing pallet prices, we did our best to explain why prices on pallets are going through the roof. In fact, as one pundit in Pallet Profile Weekly put it, price has become almost irrelevant. The issue now is availability. Left with little choice, companies are rushing to grab any pallet they can. Budgets are taking a backseat to maintaining operations.
  

Navigating the Pallet Crisis

Ok, we have talked about why. Now let’s talk about what to do about it. The shock of “out of stock” or “on back order” has a lot of pallet buyers scrambling. Luckily, these issues have become so pervasive that receivers down the supply chain have adjusted their expectations. Transparency is the first step in managing this crisis.

Here is what we suggest for outsmarting the pallet shortage:
  

• Be Proactive
  If you haven't already, start informing your downstream partners. We are living in a new reality and waiting is just part of what we'll have to contend with for the foreseeable future.
  
  
• Get in the Queue
  Assess your needs and place your pallet orders NOW. Machines are running and pallets are being produced. If you are not on the list, pallets will go to others.
  
  
• Think Ahead (or Rethink)
  Like never before, prior planning can minimize the impact of these delays. The virtual "just in time" nature of sourcing just about anything from stainless steel truss head 18/8 screws to 48 x 40 3 rod reinforced plastic pallets has become expected. At least for now, it is time to adjust expectations. 

In a pinch for pallets? Call your trusted pallet professional or post your concerns here. We will do our best to help in any way we can.

​Post by: Hartson Poland, Business Development - Plastic