Let’s keep it real, there are all different types and sizes of pallets one can use from wood, to cardboard to plastic to aluminium. We are not going to dive in all the different kinds in this blog, we are going to focus on the most popular kind “The wooden pallet”.
What is a wooden pallet? A pallet is a horizontal platform, typically consisting of three or four stingers that support deck boards. When we hear the word wooden pallets, we think about pieces of wood placed together to create a square, we also think about what products and items are placed on to ship from point A to point B safely. Say it isn’t so, oh no, there are so many different uses for pallets, yes of course the main one being in the packaging/ logistics industry for transportation of goods.
Wooden pallets are not only used for shipping, come on! Let us think outside of the pallet for a moment. There are so many other creative ways to use wood pallets you will be surprised. Yes, we will cover the obvious use in shipping and then move on to the fun stuff.
The most important use and why the wooden pallet was created back in the 20th century was to facilitate the logistics process, by getting products safely from place to place. Since then the wooden pallet has become a staple when it comes to distribution or storage of goods. The standard pallet size is 48 X 40, however at Colt Paper we are able to customize any pallet to fit your product and storage needs. Wood pallets also come in a variety of different colours: brown, blue (also known as a chep pallet) and orange (also known as a CPC pallet). You may also notice markings on the side of a wooden pallet, for example: HT (heat treated), DB (Debarked), KD (kiln dried), DH (dielectric heated). Then there are the different styles of pallets, block pallets, stringer pallets, double face pallets and solid deck pallets.
Are you all pallet out? It is a lot of information to process but hang on just a bit, wait don’t go. We still need to get to the fun stuff. Kind of like saving the best for last, in this case you will have to come back next week to read Part 2.