Effective Ways To Pack Pallets

Timber shipping pallets are one of the most popular packing materials in the industry, often acting as the foundation of your shipment and looking after your goods wherever they go in the world. Whilst the importance of the pallet can sometimes be forgotten, using high-quality pallets and stacking your items efficiently means that these pallets can last for years, prevent damage to your items, and keep the costs down for your business.

If you’re thinking about taking pallets seriously, it’s a good idea to make a plan that includes the box sizes you ship regularly, the combinations that they stack well in, and how these will fit snuggly on your pallets to maximize space. These simple steps will take your ordinary timber pallets and make them into tools you can use to impress customers, clients and business competitors.

Stack in a ‘Bricklayer Style’

When arranging your goods for shipment, make sure to begin by placing the heavier items on the bottom of your stack so that your lighter goods are protected from crushing, and you’ll also see the benefits of the sturdy and stable base with a lower centre of gravity. Make sure that all the boxes you arrange are snug and close together, with no room in between. Space among your boxes allows for movement and can contribute to damage and reduced packing strength.

As you place your items on the pallet, adopt a bricklayer style and stack boxes in an overlapping brick pattern. With the first layer of boxes placed in columns and facing one direction, your second layer should be rotated so that these columns face the opposite direction. Repeating this process and constantly changing the direction that you stack in will maintain stability and strength when you secure your shipment with strapping and shrink wrap later. It’s also worth remembering that stacking in a pyramid shape will reduce the stability of your shipment and does not lend itself well to wrapping, so avoid it if you can.

Make Sure Not to Overhang

Overhanging boxes stacked on your base unit load can increase the risk of damage to your goods. Any overhang, even small, might affect the condition your goods arrive in and also reduces the stability of the load altogether – which compromises your reputation and adds unnecessary expenses. Whilst you might think that a little overhang will mean that the space is used efficiently, it’s better to choose a pallet that is a little bigger than you think you’ll need.

If you require non-standard timber pallets, then ABC Crates can design and manufacture pallets that are specific to your business needs. Once you’ve got your pallets ready for shipping, place your boxes as close to the edge as you can get them – not over the edge – and begin to strap them down securely.

Safely Secure

Securing your shipment to the pallet will mean that your products and the pallet will act as one and work to support and protect each other through their transit journey. Using at least two straps on each side of your pallet for this will add further stability to your shipment, meaning your goods arrive as intended. The best packing straps for this task include steel, polypyrene, rayon and polyester – but it all depends on what suits you. Running these strong and heavy-duty packing bands through both the top and bottom deck boards of your pallets and around your boxes will pull everything together before you apply the shrink-wrap layer.

If you’re concerned about your freight and want more security through the strapping process, you can also use cardboard while stacking your boxes by laying flat cardboard between rows like slip sheets and adding sturdy cardboard corners around your boxes.

Use Lots of Shrink Wrap!

There is no such thing as too much shrink wrap when it comes to securing your goods and pallets. The primary purpose of shrink wrap is to keep your shipment together, and for wrapping success, begin by tying the wrap to the bottom of one corner and working your way up and around the rest of the wooden pallet.

Always overlap your shrink wrap by at least 50% to make sure it’s tight all over. Repeat this action three to five times with quality shrink wrap to create a barrier between your items and the outside world. An extra step you can follow to ensure the safety of your items is twisting the wrap like a rope to fortify its robustness. Once shrink-wrapped, your boxes will behave like one unit instead of many separate items.

To finish the job off, you can further safeguard your shipping pallets from the outside by covering the load with tarpaulin or dust cover sheets to stand up against any dust or dirt and the various weather conditions your shipment might come up against. Making sure that your goods are ready to go is your responsibility – so make certain to allow time for this step so it’s completed effectively and your products don’t run the risk of moving around.

Why Should You Choose ABC Crates?

ABC Crates are the leader in timber shipping pallets in Perth, and with over 17 years of experience operating in the industry, we know a thing or two about how to get your shipment to its destination safely. With high-quality wooden pallets at cost-effective and competitive prices and a team who can design and manufacture pallets, especially for your business, ABC Crates will help your goods get from A to B without any fuss.

If you need advice or have any questions about our pallets, the experienced team at ABC Crates are here to guide you, whether that be online, on the phone or in person.

For more information and ideas from ABC Crates, contact us today at (08) 9493 1228 or email our team at australianboxesandcases@gmail.com.