When it comes to shipping or transportation of shipment, there is a myriad of choices, whether for individuals or for any business. But how does anyone know where to start?
Shipping is governed by rules and regulations depending on the materials being shipped. Individuals and businesses need to weigh their options to decide which type of shipping they need and the costs. First thing to do would be to find a Transparent marketplace where one can diligently search out available options to see which one best fits their purpose. There are different types of shipping solutions available and the main types are:
- Courier services
- International shipping
- Boat transport / Sea shipping
- Truck / trailer service
- Haulage
- Pallet shipping
- Fragile goods transport
- LTL and FTL freight carriers
The humble shipping pallets have been around since the beginning of the 20th century. They have been such an indispensable part of so many different industries and well-known to be a safe way of dispatching marine cargo consignments. Pallets are usually made of hardwoods or softwoods. Pallets can also be made of plastic, metal, paper, and recycled materials. The superstructure which they possess is quite useful in supporting the weight of big and heavy goods.
Here are six reasons why pallet shipping should be considered when shipping large amount of goods or heavy and bulky items:
- Whether the goods are small or big, it is easier to stack them on top of each other and the items are pretty much safe from any kind of damage which could occur during the handling process. All of the pallets have a single size, universally making them easier to lift with a pallet jack or a fork-lift.
- Palletized shipment enables effective tracking and counting of inventory.
- For certain commodities like fresh produce, pallets provide beneficial air circulation and drainage which regular shipping containers don’t, thus preventing spoilage of goods.
- Palletized shipments are stronger because they are on a base of strong plastic, wood, or metal rather than being wrapped in cardboard or plastic
- Despite being lightweight, pallets are still very durable and can take on heavy weights. They take up the least amount of space in the warehouse and one can store goods in an orderly manner with pallets.
- Pallets are made out of materials which help the manufacturers or buyers to recycle them easily. Metal and plastic pallets can be melted down into some other materials while the wooden ones are generally used as firewood or in some construction projects.
When deciding whether you should ship a pallet, send multiple packages, use air freight or truck, the factors to be considered are the size, weight, number of your shipments, distance and the urgency in shipping the items. In general, it is more expensive to ship a pallet than a single package. However, if you have many packages to send, it may actually become cheaper to place them on a pallet rather than sending a few boxes separately.
Pallet shipping is part of the standard shipping method in almost every industry that ships freight. They make it quick and easy to unload onto trucks and containers. Whichever method you decide to use to transport your goods, you can take a look at instant quotes for all types on the Shiply platform. Give it a try!