No buying guide would be complete without alerting
readers to “shortcuts” some pallet vendors take. If
you order (and are paying a lower price for) pallets with these
characteristics, finding them should be no surprise. But if you
expect new pallets, to your spec, inspect your delivery for these
cost-cutting tricks and demand excellence from your supplier.The
consequences could be pallet failure, damaged product, injured
workers, production line downtime, customs problems overseas,
missed deadlines and potential for legal problems and additional
costs well beyond the savings or even total cost of the pallet.
1) “Extendo-pallet.”
You order a custom pallet size, longer than
a “standard” pallet. No problem. A shifty pallet provider
just tacks on some extension and reinforcement blocks and slaps
on another deckboard. The dimensions are what you want, but will
the pallet perform?
2) “Why don’t we meet half-way?”
AKA, not full-length deckboards. Sourcing and
cutting wood to precision is expensive, and can produce shorter
scrap boards. When lacking wood, some pallet vendors will use
half-length boards nailed together in the middle or just overlap
them one next to another. Sometimes, boards aren’t even
trimmed and broken wood is nailed to your pallet.
3) “Bait and Switch.”
Quote you a lower price on your pallet spec,
even delivering at least one perfect load. But turn your back
and the lumber gets downgraded, substitute materials used, boards
taken out, etc.
4) “Used Means ‘Broken.’”
Instead of repairing and refurbishing used pallets
to industry standards, pallets are merely restacked and resold
with no apparent attempt to repair stringers and/or deckboards.
You should get 100% usage from your pallet load.
5) “What We Have is What You Get.”
Even though you have a pallet spec that calls
for a specific type and/or dimension of lumber, you get whatever
is convenient for the pallet manufacturer. For example, instead
of a 1x6, some thin-board 1x4s are nailed next to each other.
Or leftover plywood strips are used instead of wood. In any case,
you get mismatched pallets that don’t perform to your spec.
Or, any old pallet close to your size is what you get, even if
it should have been one for the wood grinder.
6) HT Stamp Shopping.
Pallet manufacturers that can provide Heat Treated
pallets for international shipping are licensed and audited. They
are assigned a specific mill number and internationally recognized
stamp to mark their products. Less reputable vendors respond to
their customers’ HT pallet requests by cutting any HT stamped
lumber out of an existing pallet and using it in “new”
pallets. The pallet is then “stamped” HT. Make sure
your vendor uses an official stamp, its own mill number and is
audited regularly.
7) Shim stock (“peeler core”)
instead of 1x4 deckboards.
When boards are resawn from dimension lumber,
the edges are square (barring defects), and measures 11/16x3-1/2”.
A residual of plywood manufacturing is a round “log”
that is too small to provide plywood veneers. If you cut off the
rounded edges, you are left with a thin, beveled strip called
“shim stock” which approximates a 1x4 but is less
than 5/8” thick and 3” wide. It is smaller and flimsier,
and although it serves a purpose, know what you are getting.
8) Shiners, stubble, and staples.
Shiners are nails that have gone through one
board but are entirely or partially exposed. This occurs when
the nail gun is located in the wrong place and after going through
a deckboard it misses the stringer entirely, or if the nail gun
is angled, the nail goes through the deckboard and through part
of the stringer, with the tip of the nail exposed. Stubble refers
to portions of nails (sometimes broken) that stick up on a board.
Staples are great for paper, and even crates, but are not a durable
or reliable fastener for pallets, where screw-type nails should
be used.
9) “Promises, Promises…”
Many vendors will promise you the moon, but
then not deliver. Sometimes they don’t even show up, leaving
you holding the bag.
10) “Don’t
be Blue.”
48x40 pallets painted blue and marked “Property
of Chep” are rental pallets and only available through Chep.
Although there are a number of unresolved legal challenges in
the industry, it is clearly illegal and unethical for a pallet
recycler to sell those directly to a customer.
Back To Top
Back To Home
|
