Nestable Plastic Shipping Pallets
Pallets are useful equipment that make storing and shipping more efficient. However, when you command several hundreds or thousands of pallets, this can become a big inefficiency in and of itself if you do not have a way to store them effectively. Stray pallets get in the way, slowing down productivity of your workers and equipment. Furthermore, they present serious health hazards which you can be held liable for. Nestable plastic shipping pallets are the perfect solution to this problem. These types of pallets are precision crafted to fit (nest) into each other as you stack units that are not in use. This ensures that you are using the least amount of space to store unused pallets, which maximizes the amount of room you have to store actual product, as well as directing employees and equipment safely. In the event that you need to rearrange your warehouse schematics or transfer your pallet units to another location, the nesting ability of these pallets also makes it much easier and faster to transport several units all at once, minimizing the amount of trips that you have to make within or between warehouses.
How much space can nestable plastic shipping pallets save? The amount will vary with the size and type of pallets that you are using, but on average you can expect to securely fit between forty and fifty standard units within a six foot stack.
‘
Prices will vary on nestable plastic shipping pallets. However, the price per unit is mostly dependent on weight holding capacity. Heavy duty nestable plastic shipping pallets will typically sell for about fifty dollars to eighty five dollars per unit. Heavy duty models will have a 10,000 pound to 30,000 pound static capacity, and a 4,000 pound to 5,000 dynamic capacity. Generally, the more weight a unit can take the more expensive it will be. Light duty nestable plastic shipping pallets will typically be priced at fifteen dollars to twenty five dollars per unit. Light duty and small models will usually have a static weight holding capacity of 3,000 pounds to 6,000 pounds, and dynamic weight holding capacity of 1,200 pounds to 1,400 pounds. Standard, medium duty units will sell for about twenty five dollars to thirty five dollars. These units have a static weight capacity of 6,000 pounds to 8,000 pounds, and dynamic capacity of 2,000 pounds to 2,400 pounds.
There are several models available. The model that you should purchase depends on the unique needs and requirements of your business and industry. However, there are some features which make certain models better than others. For example, smooth lipped edges and ergonomic handles make a unit much easier and safer to work with as they allow for a better grip. Reinforced legs is another great feature to have. Nestable pallets have at least nine legs. If just one of them gives out, it will render your pallet useless. Having reinforced legs will ensure that you are getting a safe and reliable pallet that will last for several years. For solid deck pallets, we recommend that you purchase a model that has ribbed reinforcement underneath so that the deck will not cave in or warp. We also highly recommend that you buy models that feature anti slide and anti tilt technology. This will help ensure that your cargo and inventory remain stationary, keeping your equipment, product, and employees safe.
You may also like reading about:
Stackable Plastic Shipping Pallets
If you want to maximize the space in your delivery vehicles, stackable plastic shipping pallets are the ideal solution. As opposed to nestable plastic shipping pallets, which are designed to stack together when empty, stackable plastic shipping pallets are designed to stack together when filled with cargo or inventory. These types of units make it possible for you to fit as much product in your delivery vehicles as possible, making your operations more efficient and reducing overall costs. Alternatively, they also can be used to effectively use the space in your warehousing units for product that has to be shipped at short notice. When not in use, these pallets can stack securely together in neat stacks because they have picture frame bottoms or bottom runners that interlock to the top of the pallets below.
Filled stackable plastic shipping pallets are able to sit on top one another because they have a consistent bottom deck which distributes weight evenly so that the product below each subsequent pallet is not damaged. Each supplier will have a unique design to the bottom of the pallets which they sell. However, the most common designs are 1) a picture frame bottom with a centered cross bar, and 2) a three runner configuration. Stackable plastic shipping pallets can be made for either two way or four way access.
Please keep in mind that because these units are meant specifically for placing product in high stacks, they require reinforced decks on the top and bottom. This gives them the advantage of being ultra stable and durable. However, this also presents a disadvantage because their design ultimately prevents them from nesting (sliding into each other when not filled, like ice or beverage trays). This means that they take up much more space, about three or four times more, compared to other types of pallets. This can be problematic and unprofitable if you do not have a warehouse that is large enough. There are a few businesses whose unique needs require the sole usage of stackable shipping pallets. However, most businesses will benefit more from having a combination of nestable, stackable, and other types of pallets. Stackable pallets are, not always, but usually best utilized in the delivery or transport of goods. While other pallets such as the nestable or rackable designs, are best utilized in the warehousing of goods.
Prices on stackable plastic shipping pallets will vary slightly between the various vendors. However, you can expect to pay an average of one hundred dollars per standard 48″ x 40″ unit. Standard models will usually have a 6,000 pound to 8,000 pound static weight holding capacity, and 2,000 pound to 2,500 pound dynamic weight capacity. Heavy duty and larger sized models will typically be priced at $200 to $250 per unit. Heavy duty models will have a static weight holding capacity of 10,000 to 30,000 pounds, and a dynamic weight holding capacity of 3,000 to 4,000 pounds. Larger sized models will have dimensions larger than the 48″ x 40″ standard. The most commonly sold large sized stackable plastic shipping pallets will have dimensions of 48″ x 60″ or 48″ x 72″.
You may also like reading about:
Rackable Plastic Pallets
Rackable plastic pallets are designed to work in conjunction with various racking systems to maximize space in large warehouses. This is done by loading product on rackable pallets and docking those pallets on racks which stand several stories high. This frees up floor space and allows for massive quantities of product to be stored and ready to ship. If you have a high volume business, a well managed rack and pallet system can lead to drastically increased profits due to the savings in bulk purchasing and quicker order fulfillment. To maximize the value of having such a system, it is best that you use plastic rackable pallets as opposed to other pallets such as wood. When you have several tons of product stacked several stories high, you want to have the most reliable and safest pallets. Broken pallets pose serious safety issues to workers, can and often do damage valuable product, and cause inefficiencies due to equipment jams. The simple truth is, wooden pallets break and splinter, more often than not. You would be much better served by plastic pallets. Ounce per ounce, plastic pallets are the strongest, most reliable, and most economical solution available, if you want to introduce a racking system to your warehousing units. Moreover, plastic units require less maintenance and are much more easy to clean.
Plastic rackable pallets last several times longer, and many can hold several thousand pounds more than their wooden counterparts without warping or breaking. Did you know that the standard 48″ x 40″ wooden rackable pallet will have a life expectancy of only ten trips, while the standard plastic rackable unit will have a life expectancy of 250 trips? That’s twenty five times longer! The average price for a single wood unit will range from ten dollars to fifteen dollars, while the average price of a standard plastic unit is between thirty dollars and thirty five dollars. Although you are spending twice as much on a plastic unit as you would a wooden unit up front, you will save hundreds of dollars in the long run with the plastic unit. You would have to buy and replace twenty five wooden units, spending between $250 to $375, to get the same wear out of one plastic unit, which is a one time investment of $30 to $35.
There are a number of different models and styles available. The one that you should purchase depends on the specific demands surrounding your business and industry. But there some features that you should look for in rackable plastic pallets as they will provide you with the best value for your dollar. You will want to purchase pallets that have at least a 3,000 pound static capacity and a 2,500 pound dynamic capacity. These will cost around $30 to $35 dollars. These are the most versatile and will meet the needs of most businesses. There are only a few businesses who will need to buy heavy duty models. Heavy duty models will have a static weight capacity of 10,000 pounds to 30,000 pounds, and a dynamic weight capacity of 4,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds. The average cost per unit for these models is about $100, which is about three times more than the cost of a standard unit. Furthermore, heavy duty units weigh more than standard units, about two times as much. These can place a lot of stress on your racking systems. So, please ensure that the demands of your business warrant the purchase of heavy duty units and that your rack systems can bear their weight. Another helpful feature that you want to look for in a rackable plastic pallet is construction free of metal fasteners. A pallet that needs to be held together with metal fasteners will have far less durability and stability than a pallet with a one piece construction, produced via a injection molding or thermoforming process. If you are in the food distribution business, ensure that you are purchasing only pallets that are FDA and USDA approved for food contact. If you are storing product that is sensitive to heat or needs to be kept at an even temperature, make sure that you purchase units that have a ventilated deck instead of a solid deck, so that you can encourage better air flow across your inventory. Hard goods and non perishable goods are generally better secured with solid deck pallets. Another great feature to have is tapered bottom edges. These will allow for easier entries and exits. Although two way entry pallets are widely accepted as sufficient units, four way pallets are preferred as they allow for easier entry and versatile pallet placement. Picture framed bottoms with runners on all four sides is ideal for racking systems.
You may also like reading about:
Used Plastic Shipping Pallets
One of the best things about plastic is that it is highly durable. That is why used plastic shipping pallets are such a great deal. You pay less per unit, yet get great life out of them. When you buy from a respectable used pallet broker, you can rest assured that the units that you are purchasing are in good condition, and have been inspected, cleaned, and sterilized before they had been put back on the market. Although you will often see some cosmetic imperfections, there will not be any structural damage. If nothing else, when you buy used you are doing your part to drive sustainability, helping to preserve Earth’s valuable resources and reducing the need for landfills. When you avoid buying completely brand new units, you reduce the consumption of virgin resources (first time out of the Earth). Moreover, units that have gone through their complete life cycle can be submitted to recycling programs to be used towards the production of newly remade units.
When buying used, it is best to buy pallets that were originally manufactured by highly respected brands. Respectable used pallet brokers will usually only acquire their inventory from quality manufacturers such as Orbis, Linpac, Rhrig, Hampel, and Stratis. When you contact your broker of choice, it is worth asking if they carry any of those brands. Some companies are so specialized in the used pallet business that they even have a return program. Return programs work by allowing clients to track and monitor pallets through the supply chain via an internet based program. The program alerts the client when new, or additional inventory is needed. Pallets that have exceeded their recommended usage can then be returned for trade in value towards a purchase for another working used unit. Not only can these programs save their clients thousands of dollars annually in the actual expense of buying pallets, but they can also help their clients operate more efficiently, which in the end increases the bottom line.
So how much can you expect to pay when buying used plastic shipping pallets? Prices will vary with things such as the size, type, the number of pallets you plan to purchase, and the specific broker you are dealing with. However, in general you can expect to pay about twenty five to fifty percent less on a used unit compared to the suggested retail price of its newer counterpart. For example, while a new 40″ x 48″ standard duty nestable unit will typically sell for twenty five to thirty five dollars, a used comparable model will sell between fifteen to twenty five dollars. There is substantial savings in buying used heavy duty stackable plastic pallets. Newer 40″ x 48″ models are very expensive, selling at an average price of one hundred dollars. However, a used comparable unit will sell between thirty dollars to fifty dollars. That’s anywhere between a fifty percent to seventy percent discount. Keep in mind that many brokers will require a minimum order of twenty units. Furthermore, they will often advertise a low per-unit price and lot quantity. These lots vary, ranging from a couple hundred units to a couple thousand units. Although they won’t require you to buy the entire lot all at once in order to place an order, they will add a surcharge to each unit if you order less than the specified lot. For example, if a broker is selling a lot of 275 units for thirty dollars per unit but you only want to order 100 units, you can still place an order with the broker but you will probably pay an extra 10% per unit, which brings the per-unit price to thirty three dollars.
You may also like reading about: