Modern Materials Handling - November 2012

MODERN reader surveyWhile there was a large demand forplastic pallets a few years ago followingthe introduction of a pool of plasticpallets by iGPS, demand for plastic palletsamong Modern’s readers is largelyunchanged in the last year. While 27%report they are using more plastic pallets,13% are using fewer and 60% saythere has been no change in their useof plastic.We suspect that non-wooden palletsare being used in niche applications,such as captive pallets in a manufacturingoperation, to ship back and forth toregular suppliers or customers or as aresult of a customer requirement.The 48 x 40-inch pallet is the mostcommonly used size, cited by 81% ofreaders. No surprise there either. Whatdid catch our attention was that nearly10% of respondents say they are shippingon a 24 x 20-inch half pallet. Thatis a relatively new size developed for thebeverage industry, but it may also haveapplications for end-of-aisle displays.Our readers’ pallets are circling theglobe: nearly 57% of readers say theyare shipping to both domestic andinternational customers; 39% of readersare only shipping domestically; and 4%are only shipping internationally.The leading recipient is Canada(74%), followed by Mexico/SouthAmerica/Caribbean (66%), China/Asia(57%), Western Europe (48%) andEastern Europe (36%).International business does requirea different pallet strategy for mostshippers, with only 21% reporting thatthey don’t do anything differently forinternational and domestic deliveries.Readers reported that 48% treat theirpallets; 20% use alternative materialsother than wood that don’t requiretreatment; 16% use wood pallets fromtheir own pool; and 3% use a pallet poolfor international shipments.Watch the number of treated palletsWhat has been your experienceobtaining used wood pallets?Have not experienced nor do we anticipateany issues procuring used pallets40%Quality is not as good, worse31%Fewer pallets are available21%More expensive17%Other7%By how much are used woodpallets more expensive?