You've probably noticed most plastic pallets are black. Why? That's easy. They cost less to manufacture.
And, yes, that means blue plastic pallets cost more. So do plastic pallets made in red, green, yellow or any other color in the rainbow. (Find out why in my next post on the five most popular colors for plastic pallets.) For now, let's look at the many benefits of buying plastic pallets in a specific color and why it's sometimes worth it to spend more.
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The market for used plastic pallets is strong and for good reason. Reusability. Plastic pallets are generally engineered for durability. Even the ones manufactured for one-way shipping can often survive multiple trips. The staying power of plastic has increased circulation numbers and introduced an interesting opportunity. Can we just say that 2018 will go down as a year that tested the patience of everyone and anyone shipping and receiving freight? As the year winds down, we're finally starting to see the pressure ease. Lower freight rates and improved capacities top the list of improvements. But, before we get our hopes up in a volatile freight industry, let’s look back to when things started to unravel. When I wrote my original post, 6 Freight Terms Everyone Should Know, I had no idea it would become so popular. Since that time, a lot of interesting freight questions from all over the world have come my way. I guess I shouldn't have been too surprised. Shipping stuff seems easy enough, but sometimes it feels like you have to learn a secret new language just to get a freight bill paid. That's why I've decided to expand on my first freight terms post. 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. Think custom-design means expensive? Allow me to change your mind. In this post, I'll show you how expert crate design and a return program can add up to big savings.
I'll even back it up with a real-life example of a returnable crate design that resulted in immediate payback for one manufacturer. |
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