materialhandlingupdate
BY SUSAN K. LACEFIELD, ASSOCIATE MANAGING EDITOR
How to reduce
pallet damage
The cost of pallet damage can add up quickly.
Fortunately, there are some inexpensive steps you can
take to minimize the problem.
PALLET DAMAGE CAN ADD SIGNIFICANT COST AND WASTE TO YOUR SUPPLY CHAIN.
And it’s not just the cost of repairing or replacing the pallet itself; you also have to factor in the
expenses your company will incur if the product loaded on that pallet is damaged as a result.
“Whenever the pallet is damaged, most of the time, the product on top is also susceptible to
damage,” says Skip Miller, vice president of global quality for pallet pooler CHEP. “Even if it’s not
damaged at the same time the pallet is, it’s more susceptible to damage during the rest of the trip
through the supply chain.”
And the damage to the pallet doesn’t have to be serious in order to create problems down the
road. According to Laszlo Horvath, director of the Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design at
Virginia Tech, even minor damage can compromise the integrity of the pallet, which can lead to
product damage.
So what can you do to reduce pallet damage? For starters, you can look into products designed
to protect pallets—like the PointGuard, a plastic shield that screws onto the ends of a wood pallet. Another option, Miller notes, is to invest in forklift attachments that act as energy-absorbing
bumpers, like the Blue Guardian or the Product Protector.
