When running a warehouse, there are many things that will add to your costs. One cost that is also a major necessity will be the wooden pallets you need for storage and shipping. Luckily, pallets are a cost that you can reduce fairly easily by following a few simple practices. Learn how to reduce costs on your pallets by reading below.
Consider Buying Refurbished Pallets
A refurbished pallet is generally just as strong and sturdy as one that is newly produced. Although not as aesthetically pleasing, if you’re trying to save money on your pallet costs, it might be best to look into purchasing refurbished pallets. Not only are they as strong as new pallets, but they’re available at a cheaper rate. They use combinations of different wood species to replace the damaged areas. It’s important that the recycler only uses boards of like dimensions when replacing the broken lumber components. Plus, some refurbished pallets are put through a heating treatments to alleviate risks of insect infestations.
Look Into a Repair and Return Program
When you use pallets over a long period of time for numerous jobs, they eventually wear down and break. Rather than tossing them out and spending money on brand new pallets, many companies offer a repair and return program. You can send your damaged pallets to a pallet distribution company for repairs, and they will return them to you completely refurbished, all for a fee much lower than the cost to replace them.
Buy Pallets in Full-Truckload Quantities
Pallets are often sold in either full-truckload quantities or partial-truckload quantities. If you need more pallets but don’t think you want a full-truckload, you might think that paying for the partial-truckload is the better option. However, because the company will be looking to make up for the leftover space in the truck, they will likely tack on a delivery fee. Ordering the full-truckload will eliminate this fee. Essentially, the unit freight cost per pallet is lower. Even though you don’t need the extras at the moment, you can store them somewhere safe, so you’ll have them when needed.
Keep Lead Times in Mind
When wondering how to reduce costs on your pallets, it’s important to also consider lead times. If you find yourself in a position where you’re ordering a pallet shipment at the last minute, you should consider that some pallet suppliers will charge a fee for having to rush the order to you. To avoid paying this kind of increased price, work out an inventory system to ensure you have enough pallets on hand currently and will have more pallets on backorder to arrive exactly when you’ll be needing them.
If you’re in need of a quality wooden pallet supplier, visit First Alliance Logistics Management. Here, you’ll find one of the top pallet distribution companies in the industry with a reputation for increasing efficiency and reducing costs for companies of all sizes. FALM also uses special pallet design software to design pallets for specific load requirements.