For small and medium enterprises that require frequent shipping, moving inventory can be costly. You may already make use of something like this trucking management software to help you manage the drivers that you have and are now looking to improve elsewhere within this important area of your business. The more effective you can be on every move the more you can make your general practices and operations efficient – and optimising your truckload can be a big money saver. Here are a few easy tips on how you can increase value by loading your truck up to the max.
1, Keep your goods compact
Pallets can hold a lot of goods and offer great value, so you must be able to utilise the space available as much as possible. Packing goods on a pallet is like a game of Jenga. A good tip, therefore, is to take your time and make sure you compactly fill every available space and don’t leave gaps. You could even consider using shrink wrapping to keep all of your items safe on the pallet. By visiting Pro-Tect Plastics, for example, people should be able to wrap their pallets with a heat gun. Make sure to look into that.
The more compact your goods, the more items can be packed per pallet – and the more that you will ultimately fit on the truck. Also, with good, solid compact packing, you help minimise the possibility of any damage en route. But be sure to pack bottom-heavy – you don’t want a leaning tower of Piza!
2. No gaps with pallets
Also pack your pallets tightly by carefully utilising all the lorry space. Leaving a space at the back of the truck can result in an entire pallet being left behind. So measure out the space on the truck, and count the pallet dimensions and number of pallets before loading up. As an alternative, if you have your own truck like a Toyota and plan to load the goods in it, you might want to invest in a retractable tonneau cover from online service providers (like https://www.peragon.com/shop/covers/Toyota/Tacoma) or reputable ones near you. The cover can ensure that your goods are always protected during transit. In the case of pallets, this will ideally be a matter of general practice and could save a considerable amount of time and money.
3. Inverting
If you need to send empty pallets or are shipping a combination of products with empty pallets, simply stacking three runner style pallets one on top of another will only yield a tower or ‘skid spot’ of 17. Turn those same pallets upside-down and you’re looking at a tower of 25 pallets. That’s eight pallets in one stack alone!
4. Nesting
The most practical empty pallets for shipping are called nestable pallets and they are made of plastic. With these pallets the legs neatly fit into one another. Nesting pallets will create skid spots of 50 pallets or more. Better yet, if you are able to disassemble and reassemble at your destination or facility you can fit roughly 800 empty pallets into a single truckload.
5. Choosing the right courier
If you are not an expert on cargo loads or you require a third party to provide the trucks, choosing a reliable national delivery service will offer your business an ally in the best means of shipping and handling your goods. Browse online to find a partner in pallet shipments that will help you maximise all of your shipping loads.
Load your pallets tightly and your pallets will keep your goods upright. Load your truck tightly and you’ll fit more pallets. Stack your pallets nicely to get more on every tower, and choose the right type of pallet to double or even triple the number of pallets on your towers. The more you load in one go the fewer trucks you’ll have on the go: be efficient to be cost-effective.