P allet damage can add signif- icant 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 pal-
let 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.
But to truly reduce damage, you
need to start with the basics: choosing
a better pallet and doing a better job of
training your employees.
INVEST IN A BETTER PALLET
It may seem obvious, but if you want
your pallets to last longer, you have to
The cost of pallet damage can add up quickly.
Fortunately, there are some inexpensive steps
you can take to minimize the problem.
How to reduce
pallet damage
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