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The containerization of the flow of goods has led to the democratization of the use of pallets. This tool, which helps the handling of goods, was created in the United States in the early 1940s. In France, 60 million are produced per year but 600 million are loaded, or 10 pallets per year per French citizen !
Why use the palletization of your goods?
It protects the goods. Indeed, packages on a pallet are more stable (especially with filming) and less risk of falling than when they are simply stacked on top of each other without support, especially in a truck.
This also facilitates the movement of goods and their loading as well as their unloading in trucks and containers because thanks to handling equipment it is possible to move several at the same time rather than one by one.
Goods on pallets are also protected from the weather because they are wrapped in plastic stretch film. This film holds the parcels together and protects them from the rain, for example, when loading or unloading outdoors. The pallet also protects against wet or dirty floors.
Palletization optimizes the space required by the goods and therefore optimizes transport by truck or in containers. In the same way, storage is optimized because a certain number of packages take up a small floor space by being on a pallet, unlike the space that bulk goods would take.
How to choose the most suitable type of pallet for your products ?
There are different categories of pallets which are made of different materials, have different sizes, have different strengths and therefore can carry different goods. Regardless of the goods that will have to be transported on a pallet, there will necessarily be one type more suitable than the others.
How to choose the size of your pallets ?
First of all, you have to ask yourself what dimensions the pallets will have to be according to the needs.
The most widely used pallets in the world are:
- The ISO pallet, or American pallet
This type of pallet is most often used on the North American market but also in Japan. It measures 1200mm x 1000mm x 131mm. It is therefore larger than the Europe pallet which we will discuss below. We can therefore have more goods on it. On the other hand, since it is a pallet that is not widely used in Europe, its size is not suitable for European trucks.
- The EURO pallet, or EPAL pallet
This type of pallet has several standard dimensions but the most common dimensions are 1200mm x 800mm x 145mm. This pallet is exchangeable, i.e. you can unload it full somewhere and leave with another empty Euro pallet. Pallets of this type are identifiable by a black "EUR" or "EPAL" logo.
- The quarter-pallet
This type of pallet has dimensions of 600 mm x 400 mm.
- The half pallet
This pallet measures 600mm x 800mm. It is smaller than the universal palette. This is for single use called “One-Way”.
Which materials to choose for your pallets of goods ?
If your goods need to be refrigerated or frozen, you should favor a pallet made of a material capable of withstanding cold and sudden changes in temperature.
The different pallet materials that exist are wood, wood molding, plastic, cardboard, polystyrene and metal.
- Wood pallet
The wooden pallet is by far the most widespread in the world. It is used in all industries. This type of pallet is adaptable according to the goods to be transported, it is more robust than most other types of pallets. Regarding its strength and recycling, it offers more possibilities than its competitors. Wooden pallets are subject to the ISPM15 standard which requires that they be treated before traveling around the world to avoid transporting diseases and insects that could harm the ecosystem and/or humans.
- Wooden molding pallet
The molded wooden pallet is lighter than a classic wooden pallet but it benefits from the same advantages: it is robust, it protects the goods against moisture from the ground. In addition, it has no nails, which could damage the packages.
- Plastic pallet
This type of pallet is more durable over time than the wooden pallets mentioned above. It is also possible to recycle them. They are as rigid and easy to handle as classic wooden pallets.
- Cardboard pallet
- Polystyrene pallet
The polystyrene pallet is light, handy, recyclable and rot-proof. It ensures an irreproachable level of hygiene and safety when handling goods. It is light and resistant at the same time.
- Metal pallet
Metal pallets are made with either steel or aluminum. The advantage of these pallets is that they are the most resistant. On the other hand, this makes them very expensive pallets.
What is the ideal weight to choose?
There are 3 different strength categories for paddles: light, medium and heavy.
You have to choose your type of pallet according to the load of goods that will be transported on it.
- Lightweight
The light resistance category, the paddle can weigh up to 9 kilos for a resistance of up to 400 kilos. Pallets in this category are disposable pallets, i.e. they are single-use.
- Half-heavy
Pallets in the medium-heavy category are pallets that weigh between 10 and 17 kilos. They can withstand a load of 400 to 800 kilos. These paddles are limited use or multi-rotation.
- heavy
Pallets in the heavy category can weigh between 17 and 25 kilos. They can withstand a load ranging from 800 to 1500 kilos. These are multi-rotation paddles.
What is the ideal price ?
The prices below are unit and approximate prices which may vary according to the seller and also according to the desired pallet size and the material, in particular because the price of wood changes over the years. The prices shown here are based on pallets in standard format with dimensions of 80 cm x 120 cm.
The price of the 80 x 120 molded wooden pallet is around 14.50 euros for a purchase with packaging of 5 pallets.
The price of the wooden pallet lost in 80 x 120 is around 20 euros for a purchase with packaging by 5 pallets.
The price of the 80 x 120 plastic pallet is around 22 euros for a purchase with packaging of 5 pallets.
The price of the 80 x 120 Europe wooden pallet is around 26 euros for a purchase with a packaging of 1 to 20 pallets.
The price of the metal pallet in 80 x 120 is around 130 euros for a purchase with a packaging of 1 to 5 pallets.
The price of the 80 x 120 cardboard pallet is around 11 euros for a purchase with packaging of 6 pallets and more.
The price of the 80 x 120 polystyrene pallet is around 10 euros for a purchase with packaging of 15 pallets.