Shipping & Freight Definitions — cargo, logistics and transport terms from Apparel Search
A pallet is a flat transport structure made of wood or plastic, and in a few cases metal, which can support a variety of goods in a stable fashion while being lifted by any mobile forklift device. Goods are placed on top of the pallet and can be secured to it by straps or stretch-wrapped plastic film. The most common ISO standard pallet measures 100 by 120 by 12 centimeters, slightly less than 40 inches by 48 inches by 5 inches, weighs 15 to 21 kilograms empty, and most pallets can easily carry a load of 1,000 kilograms. In Europe an EUR standard pallet measuring 80 by 120 by 12 centimeters is commonly used, its size determined by the internal dimensions of trucks making deliveries from warehouses to retail establishments. The cheapest pallets are made of softwood and are often considered expendable, while hardwood, plastic and metal pallets that can be lifted from all four sides usually require a deposit and are returned to the sender or resold as used.
The most common ISO standard pallet measures 100 by 120 by 12 cm (slightly less than 40 inches by 48 inches by 5 inches). It weighs 15 to 21 kilograms empty. Most pallets can easily carry a load of 1,000 kg. The gradual advent of containers for the transport of nearly all goods has spurred the use of pallets because the containers always offer the clean, level surfaces needed to make pallet movement economical. The common ISO standard pallets also fit neatly into common ISO containers, which in turn fit neatly on container ships, trains and trucks.
The cheapest pallets are made of softwood and are often considered as expendable, to be discarded as trash, along with other wrapping elements, upon reaching destination. These pallets are of a very simple construction which permits lifting from one of two opposite positions only. Slightly more complex hardwood pallets and most plastic pallets and metal pallets can be lifted from all four sides. These costlier pallets usually require a deposit and are returned to the sender or resold as used. Many of these "four way" pallets are color coded according to the loads they can bear, and other attributes.
Businesses in retail or manufacturing with accommodations for loading and unloading standard sized pallets and internal procedures for taking advantages of the modular nature of the pallets usually have a distinct advantage over businesses which do not exploit standardized pallets. The exceptions are those establishments which sell small quantities of luxury items such as jewelry stores or extra large items such as cars. But even they are at least indirectly affected. For instance, the distributors of costume jewelry and like items would normally use pallets in their warehouses and car manufacturers have long ago integrated pallets in their logistics systems for transporting components from their suppliers and for moving around spare parts.
One of the greatest advantages of pallets is the number of ways they can be moved around. They can be hauled by forklift trucks of different sizes and they can also be transported by hand-pumped and hand-drawn jacks which require no more than muscle power, wherever a solid and even clean floor with enough room is available. A forklift truck often costs the same as a luxury automobile but a good reconditioned hand-drawn "pumper" jack can be gotten for a few hundred euros. The greatest investment is thus in the time it takes to plan for clearances and level surfaces in the construction of commercial or industrial buildings where the use of pallets could be economical.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/pallet). 6/6/05 Modified by Apparel Search. |
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Why Pallets Fit Containers, Trucks and Warehouses TogetherThe spread of containers for the transport of nearly all goods spurred the use of pallets, because containers always offer the clean, level surfaces needed to make pallet movement economical. Standard pallets fit neatly into standard containers, which in turn fit neatly on container ships, trains and trucks, so a load built once on a pallet can travel through several stages without being rebuilt at each transfer. In a clothing warehouse that means cartons of garments can be received, moved to storage, picked and dispatched as one stable unit, with straps or stretch-wrapped film holding the load together through each lift. That modular quality is the deeper advantage. Businesses with loading and unloading arrangements for standard sized pallets, and internal procedures that take advantage of their modular nature, usually have a distinct advantage over businesses that do not. A standard footprint lets a warehouse plan rack spacing, forklift routes and truck loading patterns once and reuse the plan for every delivery, instead of solving a new packing problem for each shipment. Moving Pallets Without a Forklift BudgetPallets can be hauled by forklift trucks of different sizes and also transported by hand-pumped and hand-drawn jacks that require no more than muscle power, wherever a solid, even, clean floor with enough room is available. That range matters for smaller apparel businesses and shops receiving palletized stock: a full forklift may be unnecessary for occasional deliveries, while a hand jack gives staff a safe way to move a heavy load a short distance without lifting cartons individually. The main investment is often in planning clearances and level surfaces in commercial or industrial buildings, so doors, aisles and loading areas are wide and flat enough for pallet movement to be economical and safe in daily use. Common QuestionsWhat is the most common ISO standard pallet size?The most common ISO standard pallet measures 100 by 120 by 12 centimeters, slightly less than 40 inches by 48 inches by 5 inches. It weighs 15 to 21 kilograms empty, and most pallets can easily carry a load of 1,000 kilograms. What is an EUR pallet and why is it that size?An EUR standard pallet measures 80 by 120 by 12 centimeters and is commonly used in Europe for retail business. Its size was determined by the internal dimensions of trucks making deliveries from warehouses to retail establishments, so loads fit the vehicles that carry them. What is the difference between two-way and four-way pallets?Simple softwood pallets permit lifting from one of two opposite positions only, while slightly more complex hardwood pallets and most plastic and metal pallets can be lifted from all four sides. These costlier four-way pallets usually require a deposit and are returned to the sender or resold as used. More to ExploreMore from Apparel Search: Shipping & Freight Definitions | Clothing Industry Glossary | Fashion Terms | Apparel Search Home
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