The Humble Pallet – One of the Most Important Items in the World Economy
A pallet is a structure that is used to carry goods and materials while they are being moved and stored. Pallets can be made from metal, plastic, paper and other recycled materials, but are most often made out of rough (undressed) timber. Pallets are considered essential in practically all supply chains all over the world and serve as a base for handling, sorting, assembling, storing, and transporting goods as a unit load.
No International Standard Pallet Dimensions
Hundreds of different pallet sizes are used globally, but although pallets come in different dimensions to serve their purpose optimally, the most common are 4 x 4 feet and are typically designed for a maximum pallet weight of 1000 kilograms. The standard pallet size in Australia is 1165 x 1165 mm. Unit loads are often relatively cubic to minimize the risk of tipping. Wooden pallets are usually made up of three or four stringers which support several deckboards.
Items Should Be Secured to the Pallet
Goods that are placed on pallets and have been secured adequately with strapping and shrink wrap can then safely be moved around by a pallet jack, forklift or crane. There is a wide range of cargo that is suitable for palletisation, including boxes, roofing tiles and bricks. The nature of the goods being stored on the pallet will help to determine how it should be secured. Pallets can be designed with two or four entry points.
CHEP - Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool
Chep Pallets is a pallet and container pooling company. It was founded after the second world war where the Americans left millions of blue pallets behind in military bases in Australia. In 1949, the business became privatised, when bought by Brambles Limited from the Australian government. The pallet and container pooling services provided by CHEP enables organisations with a high turnover of goods to easily manage their materials, without the hassle of managing their pallets on top of that. It supplies pallets that are fit for purpose, continually repaired from damage to ensure the goods on the pallet are transported securely – maximizing an organisations efficiency. CHEP caters for a small business or a large company with an extensive supply chain. Either way, CHEP will control the entire administrative procedure.
More Than Just Pallet Supply with Chep
Once an account holder, an organisation gains the expertise of CHEP and its extensive range of platforms in the supply chain industry including standard pallets, plastic containers to store fresh produce, IBC’s and containers. CHEP would then help provide the organisation with an overview of their processes, and supply the pallets they need to complete their operations. CHEP’s business model is based on pallet pooling to maximize sustainability, which is why the pallets cannot be purchased. The pallets, once dispatched from the organisation’s warehouse, are then traced and tracked to the receiver. The pallets are then delivered back to a CHEP depot and the cycle repeats.
Freight Quote Australia is currently not an account holder with CHEP, but operates with several suppliers capable of moving CHEP and Loscam pallets.