One of the most dependable mainstays of the warehouse world, pallets have a bright future even as material changes lie ahead.
A survey conducted by Modern Materials Handling shows that while 96% of companies are sticking with wood pallets, but more than 40% are also using plastic or metal pallets. A strong 18% of businesses are reporting plans to begin pallet pool programs.
Warehouses can count on their material handling equipment supplier to help maintain pallet use as the convenient, efficient, cost-effective, and traditional solution. Even businesses that may be switching over from stringer pallets to block pallets can benefit from continuing to use their fork lifts and cart tuggers to maneuver those pallet loads.
New Pallet Materials and Innovation
The Modern report also highlights the fact that 42% of companies are using more wood pallets than they were a year earlier. Regarding plastic pallets, 88% will maintain or increase their usage in the next year. Metal pallets are primarily used for heavy international shipping, and even its usage is ticking up slightly.
These increases come despite the fact that some companies are experiencing pallet shortages or price increases. Making up for these difficulties, in part, is the pallet pooling movement. This helps businesses to essentially outsource and scale, using the pool service as a material handling equipment supplier that takes care of sourcing and storage.
Are you switching to block pallets or changing your approach to warehouse pallets? Let us know what you need from your material handling equipment supplier, and check out our cart pushers and tugs for an even easier solution for moving pallets.
