It goes without saying that freight transportation is a rather complicated process. It’s of prime importance to deliver cargo not only on time but also intact. If you cooperate with a reliable logistics broker, the specialist knows for sure how to protect your goods and products from potential damages or even losses. Yet, if you decide to transport items by yourself or dove into the world of freight forwarding, you have to know what tools and equipment to use to cushion containers.
These days one of the most popular solutions is pallets. It’s a flat platform used as a base for the unitization of goods in the supply chain. There are different types of pallets. Depending on the material they are made of, there are two major groups – wooden and plastic ones. They come in different sizes and colors. Although the greater part of transportation orders are completed with the help of pallets, in some cases, they are not obligatory. Moreover, sometimes it’s even better to cope without them. Below you find both advantages and disadvantages of pallets. This information helps you to make your freight forwarding safer and to save funds.
Major Pluses
One of the major benefits you can’t but appreciate is the possibility to reduce downloading and uploading time. It’s of prime importance when it comes to storing your items in warehouses. The faster containers are loaded, the less you pay. Palletized cargo is loaded with the help of special equipment. It’s more convenient than doing this manually.
The next important plus is the safety of your products. These elements assist to distribute the weight of the top layer evenly, so there is less likelihood of damage to the goods below.
Yet, if you are not able to pick up the most appropriate model of platforms and compute how many elements you need, you may ask for assistance from professionals. Logistics brokers or your 3PL partners are able to provide you with all the necessary supplies to make transportation as safe and convenient as possible. Moreover, there are some warehouses or firms which do not have special loading docks. In such cases, platforms are useless. Moreover, they may create additional problems. Logistics brokers help you to avoid such difficulties.
Significant Minuses
It’s necessary to consider financial issues. When shipping with pallets, you are to pay more. There are two main objects of expenditure – costs of the elements and extra space. You have to pay for the use of equipment. Moreover, platforms take additional space in the trucks or ships.
There is one important thing to be mentioned about pallets. Wooden models are more popular these days. They are durable and convenient. Yet, plastic models are more long-lasting. They are lightweight and are able to withstand different weights. Plastic samples are more expensive. No wonder, wooden alternatives are in greater demand. To sum it up, it should be noticed that it’s up to you to decide whether you have to ship cargo with platters or without them. Yet, sometimes it’s better to pay more in order to secure your items from potential damages.