Pallets Make it Possible to Enjoy a Super Party this Sunday

Ahhh, the Super Bowl. Football, friends, funny commercials, and finger food. Yes, this is the time when food & beverage companies ramp up their shipping operations and grocery stores race to stock savory snacks. And, in case you’re counting, you have just four days to take advantage of pre-game savings for the munchies on your menu!

However, whether you prefer crackers, chips, or cookies, none of these products would make it to your party this Sunday without one crucial item in the supply chain.  You guessed it—pallets.

Wood and plastic (polyethylene or polypropylene) are the two most widely used materials for pallet construction. Wood is by far the more common of the two and, because of this, wooden pallets have a longer record of safety in transporting food products. In fact, in the United States alone, 40% of the wooden pallets that are in circulation daily are used to ship food including dry groceries, dairy, frozen foods, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

The most common size pallet for such use is the 48×40 four-way pallet or GMA pallet. Designed by the Grocery Manufacturer Association (or GMA) with stringers of 48 inches and deckboards of 40 inches, this standardized size helps to make distribution operations smoother so that packaged consumer goods can be quickly and efficiently transported around the country.

Also, with a standard size, it is possible for shippers to design a unitized load that is acceptable to nearly every buyer. Plus, GMA pallets are built to be stacked (or nestable), which means they fit nicely together when not in use to help save space on the warehouse floor.

Ultimately, all of these factors work together to ensure that your favorite Super Bowl treats are available in your grocery’s snack aisle for game day. What a relief!  Because it wouldn’t be a party without the corn chips, right?  So, get crack’in on those recipes and don’t forget to invite your neighbors, even if they’re rooting for the wrong team. And, from all of us at Rose Pallet, enjoy the game!