One of the major concerns while shipping furniture is the cost of shipping. Whether you are shipping resin chairs, plastic chairs or stackable chairs, most companies want the shipping cost to be kept at the minimum so that they could pass on the benefit to the customers.
Shipping cost involves various components like packing cost, labour cost, transportation cost and additional surcharges incurred. One aspect of shipping cost where you can bring a significant change is the packing cost. Pallet packing is one method adopted by most shipping companies to bring down the cost of shipping.
What Is Pallet Packing?
Pallet packing is a type of cargo packing in which flat structures called pallets are used for supporting the goods in the container. Goods are loaded on top of the pallet and they are stacked one on top of the other, thus creating a more compact shipment. This is then wrapped securely with plastic sheets to prevent the unnecessary movement of goods. The entire process of pallet packing is called palletizing.
Palletising is the safest way of dispatching consignment through the sea as it helps in the easy handling and storage of the cargo. The goods will not be damaged easily as they have pallets to keep them safe.
What Are The Benefits Of Pallet Packing?
What Are The Different Types Of Pallets Available?
Pallets are made of different types of material like plastic, recycled wood and plywood. Here are the different types of pallets used for shipping
These are pallets with blocks of wood kept on all four sides. Thus, the pallet can be accessed from all four sides using forklifts. This is also called the four-way pallet.
These pallets have boards called stringers on each side and the middle. The stringers run lengthwise and provide good support to the pallet.
As the name implies, these are pallets with two decks on either side. Thus, both sides can be used for placing goods. Stringers are provided on both sides of the deck for support.
These are pallets with a large sheet of wood on one side without any space. This types of pallets are mostly used for transporting small items.
How Can Pallet Packing Save the Shipping Cost?
Unlike other forms of packing, pallet packing of stackable plastic chairs can accommodate 35 pieces in one stack. A carton pack with four pieces in each carton can load 1100 pieces. Thus, through pallet packing, a total of 2400 pieces of stack chairs can be loaded in a 40hq container.
When more quantity of modern chairs are loaded in a container, the shipping cost per chair gets reduced.
Palletizing plastic chairs stackable makes it easy to load and unload. The pallets can easily be stacked one on top of the other using forklift. Similarly, at the destination, it can easily be unloaded using the same method. Thus, the requirement for manpower is considrabley reduced through pallet packing. This again helps to reduce the shipping cost.
Whether wood or plastic, pallets can be reused again and again. Thus, the same pallets can be used for a number of shipments. This not only helps to reduce the cost but also the carbon footprint in the long run. Cardboard boxes or shipping sacks, on the other hand, gets damaged easily and requires replacement which can add to the shipping cost.
Pallets are very light in weight. In case of shipments where weight plays an important role in deciding the shipping cost, pallets are a great choice as it helps to reduce the overall cost.
In addition to all the above, the damage of chairs can be considerably reduced when pallets are used. This reduces the need for replacement which can save on shipping cost.
How Is Pallet Packing of Chairs Done?
Whatever type of chairs you are shipping, whether dining chairs, arm chairs or rocking chairs, it should be dismantled to the smallest unit. All small items like screws and knobs should be packed separately in a ziplock pouch.
Cover the corners and edges
All the sharp corners and edges of the chair should be neatly wrapped with bubble wrap or foam wrap. During shipment, sudden movements can cause scratch or dents on the chair. Sometimes sharp corners of the furniture might even break because of the sudden movement. Bubble wrapping helps to protect all the corners.
Wrap the individual parts
All individuals parts should also be packed properly and neatly arranged in a box. It is very important to select box of the right size so that there are no empty spaces. In case of empty space, the same should be filled with packing material.
Label the box
You should now wrap and seal the box and label it. The label should contain the name and address of the final destination. If you want the box to be handled in a certain way, you can also include “this way up” sticker.
Stack on the pallet
Now you can stack the boxes onto the pallet. While stacking you should make sure that the weight is evenly distributed in the pallet. Similarly, no part of the packing should jut out from the sides of the pallet. This ensures complete safety.
In case of stackable chairs that cannot be dismantled, you can skip the first three steps. Instead of hard pallets, paper pallets can be used to stack the chairs.
Conclusion
While shipping furniture, it is very important to keep the shipping cost at a low level. Palletising is the best way to achieve this. Besides reducing the shipping cost, palletising also helps to keep the furniture safe from damage and do away with the resulting cost.
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