Wood pallets may be sturdy, but they’re not indestructible and require proper upkeep!
Most wood pallets will last around five years or more, but this depends upon how a business takes care of their pallets in storage and transport.
It’s no secret that improved pallet longevity will inevitably lead to lower overhead costs, so maintaining your pallet supply’s durability is always a great strategy to keep your shipping costs down over long periods of time.
Below are some tips to keep in mind that’ll help you extend the lifetime of your wood pallets:
Training Your Staff For Proper Pallet Handling
Human mistakes and errors are the main causes of pallet damages, and these types of errors often come about due to a company’s priority towards efficiency.
This is why it’s so important for employees to be properly trained to handle, load and maintain wood pallets. Some basic training advice that a company’s employees should understand include:
Never pushing or pulling pallets along a floor. Pallets are designed to be picked up.
Always position a forklift cautiously and gently in order to prevent harming the pallet’s boards.
Engage a forklift’s tines and the pallet jack prior to lifting.
Pallets should never fall down.
Pallets shouldn’t be stepped on.
Pallets shouldn’t be stacked higher than about six feet.
Pallets must be stacked perfectly straight.
Don’t place pallets on their side.
Always be sure a pallet can handle a load before using them.
Regularly Repairing Wood Pallets
It’s extremely risky to use damaged pallets for your company’s shipping needs, but that doesn’t mean a slightly damaged pallet is useless. There are plenty of ways to fix damaged pallets and get them back to proper functionality, without needing to discard them.
The Pallet Guys will always be more than happy to repair your damaged pallets, and we’re one of the top producers of affordable, used pallets in all of Texas. A lot of companies have turned to purchasing used pallets in recent years due to lack of lumber supply and many other factors impacting the prices of new pallets, so there’s nothing to be afraid of when you think a pallet needs minor repairs.
Regularly repairing your wood pallets on your own or with the help of our specialists will help you maintain the longevity of your pallet supply for prolonged periods of time!
Consider Heat Treated Pallets
Heat treated pallets are generally more expensive upfront, but it’s likely that they’ll end up saving your business a lot of money in the long run. Untreated pallets are usually more susceptible to moisture and other types of degradation like insects and bad weather, and this subsequently leads to shorter lifespans.
So investing in heat treated pallets can actually help you increase your pallet supply’s long-term durability!
Make The Most Of Our Pallet Recovery Program
Another great benefit of working with The Pallet Guys is that our pallet recovery program can help you save expenses and increase your pallet supply’s longevity by letting us do routine pallet repairs for you.
You’ll be able to recycle your pallets multiple times with our team of specialists, who’ll be able to make proper maintenance repairs and keep your pallet supply in good condition.
Preventing Moisture
Another crucial step for maintaining the longevity of your company’s pallet supply is to prevent moisture at all costs. This means storing your wood pallets in dry parts of your facility where moisture won’t develop.
Water damages can significantly weaken even a seemingly perfect pallet, which is why pallets must always be stored properly inside safe facilities.
Reach Out To The Pallet Guys To Learn More Tips About Taking Care Of Your Wood Pallets!
The Pallet Guys are one of the top pallet, crate and lumber suppliers in the Houston Metro Area, and we’ve supported thousands of businesses with our high-quality wood pallets.
Reach out to us online or give us a call at 832-895-7555 to learn more about how you can protect your pallet supply for years to come!