Pallet Tips and Advice

Pallet Principles

Use a standard size and construction:

1000 x 1200mm pallet
uses standard timber sizes
less expensive to repair
easier to recycle
saves you money on shipping costs

Utilise multiple use pallets whenever possible:

Multiple use pallets can result in substantial savings when you look at the pallet's cost per trip.
If a pallet is going to be used several times, buying a lower cost pallet that will last two or three trips ends up costing far more than a slightly more expensive but higher quality pallet that will last for far more trips/years.

Get what you pay for:

Ensure you have a specification
Provide this to your supplier
Select five pallets per load at random and compare the actual pallets against your own specifications.

Ensure Supplier can meet supply promises:

A pallet from a cheaper supplier may end up costing substantially more if your production line, container loading etc is delayed due to non delivery.

Teach proper pallet handling to operators:

enter the pallet straight on.
never push or nudge pallets with forklift tines - most pallet damage is caused by fork tine impact.
lower pallets slowly and smoothly all the way to the ground, instead of dropping them the last few centimeters.

Pallets should also not be dropped from the top of stacks or tossed onto a stack. This can result in fasteners protruding, component damage and eventually pallet failure.

Use professional pallet repair facilities:

Pallets need proper maintenance and repair to achieve their full life span and prevent the untimely destruction of the asset. Pallet Repair Economics

Consult the professionals:

No matter what your current situation may be Pallet Supply Company can help you develop a pallet plan that is cost effective and meets your materials handling needs in the most cost effective way.

Pallet Parts

Freight Containers

[ISO FREIGHT CONTAINERS] Standard sizes (Include. BS ISO 668:1995)

Type	Container Dimensions (mm)	L	B	H 8'6"	NETT Cont. Mass	GROSS MASS	VOL M3
6 Metre 20' x 8' x 8'6" (20 foot) ICC (Std)	External (Nominal) External (ISO Minimum) Internal (Nominal) Internal (ISO Minimum) Door opening (Threshold)(Nom) Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)	6058 6052 5900 5867 - -	2438 2433 2340 2330 2335 2286	2591 2586 2395 2350 2280 2261	2000 - 2400Kg	ISO = 24000Kg	33
12 Metre 40' x 8' x 8'6" (40 foot) I AA (Std)	External (Nominal) External (ISO Minimum) Internal (Nominal) Internal (ISO Minimum) Door opening (Threshold)(Nom) Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)	12198 12182 12030 11998 - -	2438 2433 2340 2330 2335 2286	2591 2586 2395 2350 2270 2261	3550 - 4000Kg	ISO = 30480Kg	68
12 Metre ONLY 40' x 8' x 9'6" (40 foot) I AA (High)	External (Nominal) External (ISO Minimum) Internal (Nominal) Internal (ISO Minimum) Door opening (Threshold)(Nom) Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)	12192 12182 12022 11998 - -	2438 2433 2348 2330 2337 2286	2896 2891 2710 2655 2270 2566	3550 - 4000Kg	ISO = 30480Kg	76

6 Metre 20' x 8' x 8'6" (20 foot) ICC (Std)

Container Dimensions (mm)
External (Nominal)
L:	6058
B:	2438
H 8'6":	2591
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33
External (ISO Minimum)
L:	6052
B:	2433
H 8'6":	2586
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33
Internal (Nominal)
L:	5900
B:	2340
H 8'6":	2395
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33
Internal (ISO Minimum)
L:	5867
B:	2330
H 8'6":	2350
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33
Door opening (Threshold)(Nom)
L:	-
B:	2335
H 8'6":	2280
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33
Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)
L:	-
B:	2286
H 8'6":	2261
NETT Cont. Mass:	2000 - 2400Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 24000Kg
VOL M3:	33

12 Metre 40' x 8' x 8'6" (40 foot) I AA (Std)

Container Dimensions (mm)
External (Nominal)
L:	12198
B:	2438
H 8'6":	2591
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68
External (ISO Minimum)
L:	12182
B:	2433
H 8'6":	2586
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68
Internal (Nominal)
L:	12030
B:	2340
H 8'6":	2395
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68
Internal (ISO Minimum)
L:	11998
B:	2330
H 8'6":	2350
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68
Door opening (Threshold)(Nom)
L:	-
B:	2335
H 8'6":	2270
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68
Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)
L:	-
B:	2286
H 8'6":	2261
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	68

12 Metre ONLY 40' x 8' x 9'6" (40 foot) I AA (High)

Container Dimensions (mm)
External (Nominal)
L:	12192
B:	2438
H 8'6":	2896
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76
External (ISO Minimum)
L:	12182
B:	2433
H 8'6":	2891
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76
Internal (Nominal)
L:	12022
B:	2348
H 8'6":	2710
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76
Internal (ISO Minimum)
L:	11998
B:	2330
H 8'6":	2655
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76
Door opening (Threshold)(Nom)
L:	-
B:	2337
H 8'6":	2270
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76
Door Opening (Threshold) (ISO Minimum)
L:	-
B:	2286
H 8'6":	2566
NETT Cont. Mass:	3550 - 4000Kg
GROSS MASS:	ISO = 30480Kg
VOL M3:	76

Important to stack correctly to minimise damage to contents e.g. sagging.
Remember to include inside support (see drawing)
We will assist you in solving your stacking problems
Call us for fast professional service and advice

Pallet Repair Economics

Example with 100 pallets

	Pallet Supply		Joe Bloggs
Number of pallets rejected	8		30
Replacement of rejected pallets with new pallets	8 @ R130.00 each	R 1,040.00	30 @ R130.00 each	R 3,900.00
Repairs done to remainder of pallets	92 @ R35.00 each	R 3,220.00	70 @ R25.00 each	R 1 750.00
Total cost		R 4,260.00		R 5,650.00
Total cost per pallet		R 42.60		R 56.50
Savings per pallet		R 13.90

Pallet Supply	Joe Bloggs
Number of pallets rejected:
8	30
8 @ R130.00 each Total: R 1,040.00	30 @ R130.00 each Total: R 3,900.00
Repairs done to remainder of pallets:
92 @ R35.00 each Total: R 3,220.00	70 @ R25.00 each Total: R 1 750.00
Total cost:
R 4,260.00	R 5 650.00
Total cost per pallet:
R 42.60	R 56.50
Savings per pallet:
R 13.90	R 0.00

Important factors to consider:

Are extra nails added to strengthen the pallet?
Are the appropriate length nails used for repair?
Are the nails used ring shank nails?
What grade of timber is used for repairs?
Are repairs carried out using the same dimension timber as the original specification?
Are the pallets sprayed or remarked again in any way?
Are a full set of statistics available to allow full control of pallet movements?
How long is the repair turn around time?