Five Industrial Uses of Wooden Pallets

Wooden pallets are a staple tool in many industries, whether used for storage or imports and exports. Indeed, there are a surprising number of ways in which industrial wooden pallets might benefit your business. Find out more below.

What is a wooden pallet?

Consisting of a series of wooden slats fixed to a number of wooden feet for easy lifting, wooden pallets are small, flat platforms traditionally used to store, transport and deliver goods. An essential tool across many industries, wooden pallets are often referred to as timber pallets and are now also used for a variety of alternative purposes, including the construction of sustainable furniture.

Standard wooden pallets in the UK measure 1200 x 1000 mm, meaning they are almost a perfect square. This makes them more stable when it comes to supporting goods. They can support a weight load of up to 350 kg (or sometimes, up to 1250 kg, depending on their specifications), weighing in at between 15 and 22 kgs themselves. Standard-size wooden pallets are specifically designed to facilitate forklift access and storage in standard-sized shelving systems. It is, however, possible to opt for custom sizing, as well.

Wooden pallets are usually made from a mixture of hard and soft woods. For instance, sturdy oak may be used for the load-bearing sections, whilst softer woods like pine may be used for the other components. If your wooden pallets are made from plywood, the chances are this plywood is also constructed from layers of both hard and soft wood for an optimal strength-to-weight ratio.

Different wooden pallet types

Heat-treated pallets

The wood used to construct your pallets has to be dried in a kiln to remove any excess moisture. This ensures that your pallet is strong enough, in addition to making it more hygienic, since the heat treatment applied will kill any potentially harmful bacteria and fungi. Most wooden pallets are legally required to undergo heat treatment, unless you opt for pressed wooden pallets, which are heat treated at the same time as the wood is pressed.

Chemically treated pallets

Some wooden pallets may also be chemically treated to prevent mould, decay and even invasion by insects. It is important to check whether a chemical treatment like methyl bromide has been applied before using these pallets in certain industries or places where the chemicals used could produce an adverse reaction.

Industries that use wooden pallets

Now that you know more about the different pallet types, you may be wondering how industrial wooden pallets can be put to good use. The truth is that timber pallets can be used for a diverse range of key purposes across a plethora of different industries – and it would be difficult to outline them all in just one blog. As such, we’ve decided to share our top five industrial uses of wooden pallets across four major sectors, in the hope that it might inspire you when it comes to determining how timber pallets might meet your specific business requirements.

1. Movers and packers

Relocation companies rely on industrial wooden pallets to ensure the safe transportation of their customers’ goods, whether facilitating a residential house move across international waters or helping large retailers to relocate their commercial premises.

Because pallets can be neatly and securely stacked alongside – or on top of – one another, the likelihood of fragile items breaking loose or coming into contact with something that could potentially break them is vastly reduced. In fact, timber pallets make it possible to deliver all kinds of goods without a scratch. That’s why many packaging companies also rely on them – even for packaging things like large batches of wine, confident that their industrial wooden pallets will prevent any unwanted spills, breakages or upset.

2. The automotive industry

Industrial wooden pallets make it much easier and safer to carry heavy or awkwardly shaped parts across factories and warehouses. In fact, thanks to the convenient gaps in their base, they can be easily lifted with forklifts for maximum convenience (though the exact base structure depends on pallet type).

This is why timber pallets are so popular in the automotive industry. They provide a safe, efficient and cost-effective way of transporting vehicle parts from one area of your workshop to another, without the risk of personal injury or damage.

3. Export manufacturers

Of course, we’re all familiar with using wooden pallets for export. With a stable platform that’s easy to store in both standard and non-standard shelving systems – in addition to a high weight-bearing capacity – timber pallets are ideal for exporting all kinds of goods. In fact, because you can ship and deliver on a larger scale in fewer journeys using wooden pallets, they help to decrease both your export expenses and carbon footprint, too.

What’s more, when appropriately stacked, wooden pallets practically eliminate the risk of falls and breakages entirely, giving you full peace of mind as well as reducing your insurance premiums. The advantage of using industrial wooden pallets over plastic pallets for large-scale shipping is that they offer long-lasting strength and are much better for the environment, particularly when operating with used, reconditioned and recycled pallets.

4. The FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) sector

Fast-moving consumer goods essentially constitute perishable items like fruit, vegetables, milk and pharmaceuticals, likely to sell quickly at a relatively low cost. Businesses in the FMCG sector tend to ship their products with industrial wooden pallets rather than other alternatives like plastic crates, as they are able to send larger quantities in one journey, reducing transportation costs. Moreover, wooden pallets are recyclable, helping them to operate more sustainably, as well.

5. The warehousing sector

Last but not least is the warehousing sector. Regardless of the industry that you’re in, being able to store your goods safely and securely is essential. Industrial wooden pallets work well with all kinds of different racking and shelving, serving to ensure that you can find things easily, exactly when you want them. What’s more, with fewer objects blocking your hallways, your warehouse will become a much safer place to work.