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What are the Different Types of Pallet Service?

Tess C. Taylor
Tess C. Taylor

Wood and plastic pallets are commonly used in many industries, including shipping, transportation, warehouse, and manufacturing businesses. To fill this need, there are several types of pallet service providers that produce, handle, and recycle pallets for the benefit of other companies. In addition, there are pallet services that wrap and prepare shipping pallets, stack pallets in warehouses, and manufacture new pallets.

A common type of pallet service is the pallet manufacturing and delivery service. New pallets are assembled out of wood or durable plastics according to customer specifications to serve a specific purpose. The pallets are tested for performance and then shipped or delivered to the customers for use in their facilities. Any pallets that become worn or damaged can then be retrieved by the pallet service for repair, replacement, or recycling.

Forklifts are used to lift pallets of goods onto a truck bed, trailer, or to a warehouse shelf for storage.
Forklifts are used to lift pallets of goods onto a truck bed, trailer, or to a warehouse shelf for storage.

Pallets are most commonly used to secure heavy loads for shipping or storage, therefore a pallet service that can handle this is in demand. Once loads are ready for shipment by a company, they are neatly stacked on top of the pallet, according to approved weight limits, and secured with ropes and ties to the pallet itself. Next, the entire load is wrapped securely in a thick plastic wrap to protect the elements from shifting during shipment or storage. Then the palleted load is tagged with identification or shipping information and a commercial hand truck or forklift truck is used to lift the pallet onto a truck bed, trailer, or a warehouse shelf for storage.

Many plastic pallets are actually made from recycled materials.
Many plastic pallets are actually made from recycled materials.

If a company does not have the storage space or wishes to keep manufactured goods at a separate location, a pallet service that can provide safe storage facilities is often required. Pallet storage services may also handle the wrapping of palleted loads and the transportation of the pallets to the warehouse where they will be stored. The pallet storage company may be authorized to ship pallets to other locations on behalf of the company it is providing these services to as well.

With regular use, pallets get worn out or damaged, which compromises safety. These pallets are generally discarded according to industry safety standards. A common pallet service is that of the pallet recycling company that picks up old or damaged pallets and takes them to a plant where they are disassembled and the raw materials are made into new pallets or other products. Wood and plastic pallets are often cut down into smaller sizes and used for other commercial and consumer purposes. Wood pulp from old pallets can also be broken down to produce wood composite and paper products.

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    • Forklifts are used to lift pallets of goods onto a truck bed, trailer, or to a warehouse shelf for storage.
      By: bugphai
      Forklifts are used to lift pallets of goods onto a truck bed, trailer, or to a warehouse shelf for storage.
    • Many plastic pallets are actually made from recycled materials.
      By: gavran333
      Many plastic pallets are actually made from recycled materials.