The Right Way to Save on Pallets

When pennies are pinched, your first instinct may be to buy lower-priced goods. While you could get away with switching shampoo brands for a less expensive variety and not notice much difference, the same cannot be said about pallets. When it comes to your pallet management program, here’s what to do and what to avoid:

Do This:

1. Invest in quality. Regardless of pallet type, not all are built the same. It is important to know and trust your supplier. Poor quality pallets may cause jams or faults in automated systems, leading to time-consuming maintenance and They can also cause product damage or even safety incidents.
2. Increase quantity. Just as buying in bulk saves money, placing a large order versus a small order willsave money
3. Be informed. The price of a pallet goes up or down based on its construction. New pallets are most expensive followed by combo and then reconditioned. Pricing further varies by grade which isdetermined by the number/type of repairs performed on the pallet (fewer repairs equate to a higher grade and a more expensive pallet).
4. Consider size. The smaller they are, the more units can be packed into one load. More pallets on oneload equates to a lower transportation cost per A full trailer is always more economical than less-than-truckload shipping methods.
5. Plan ahead. The longer lead time you provide, the less you will pay in freight because your supplier can use standard transit services.

Don’t Do This:

1. Take up space. If you store pallets in your warehouse, you are taking up valuable space. The cost per square foot taken up by unused pallets can quickly add up.
2. Overburden resources. Does it make sense to use an internal team to sort and load pallets or will it pay to outsource this?
3. Dump used pallets. Pallets are valuable, no matter the condition. If you’re not taking advantage of recycling or buy-back options from your supplier, you are missing out on savings.

Rose Pallet would like to help you optimize costs; contact our pallet specialists today to find out how you can save.