Some Interesting Facts about the Pallet Industry

Pallet transport is on the increase in the UK. It is, of course, one of the most effective methods of moving goods, and figures for 2016, which are the latest available, showed that the construction industry took around 32% of all new wood pallets manufactured that year. The estimated number of new pallets manufactured was 42.5 million, while 41.4 million were repaired. The average cost of a new pallet was £6.31. These figures are from the Timber Packaging & Pallet Confederation (TIMCON).

TIMCON also said that apart from the construction industry, other big users were Distributors with 18%, FMCG’s with 14%, Chemicals (12%), and the Engineering and Automotive Industries (11%). It was estimated that there are approximately 250 million pallets in use for pallet transport in the UK, which is far short of the US where the figure is 2.6 billion. TIMCON members are reported to have used 688,000 cubic metres of wood for pallets and packaging, of which 72% was home grown timber and 28% imported.

TIMCON members either employed directly, or indirectly in outsourced activities, 3,020 people at 128 locations throughout the UK, 43.7% of which related to new pallet production and 53.3% related to inspecting or repairing pallets. The other 3% went on packaging.

Quite obviously, pallet transport is alive and well in the UK and is the most cost-effective method of moving many goods around the country and also exporting goods. Wood pallets are mostly environmentally friendly, using sustainably sourced wood, and are known for their durability and the fact that they are very easily recycled.

However, not all pallets are made of wood. Some pallets are made from corrugated paper honeycomb, corrugated and moulded pulp being a cheap option, and easy to manufacture. There has also been an increase in the use of plastic pallets, which are most commonly made from PVC, HDPE, or polypropylene. The use of plastic pallets is expected to increase. However, there has been no growth in the use of metal pallets, which are commonly made from carbon steel, stainless steel, or aluminium, as there is a very niche market for these. 

Things to Consider When Hiring a Rigid Lorry

Here is something many people wouldn’t know – even those in the freight haulage business: the word “lorry” comes from the Old English “lurry” and “to lurry” meant “to pull”. The word “van” was first recorded as being used in 1829 for a covered wagon used for transporting goods, and was a contraction of “caravan” which was first used in the 1670’s.

Of course, today there are different sorts of vans and also lorries from the rigid through articulated, and up to road trains. Which one you choose for any specific job will depend on the load that you need to transport and also your personal skills at driving. Driving a rigid is very similar to driving a car because there is no flexibility between the cab and the rest of the vehicle. It is just a lot larger than a car, so takes some getting used to.

If you only need occasional use of a lorry you can obtain rigid day hire from a number of different companies. Rigid day hire can cover a wide range of different vehicles depending on what you need to do. You might want a 3.5T GVW tipper, a 7.5T GVW drop-sided truck, a 3.5T GVW tail-lift Luton, a 7.5T GVE curtain-sider, a 12T GVW box van, or a larger one up to 26T GVW. There are other sizes and weights in between, too.

The most important thing to consider is the size and weight of the goods that you need to transport, because wasted space wastes money. The most cost-effective way to travel is with a lorry or truck that is as near full as you can get it. If not, you are simply paying for empty space.

Even so, rigid day hire is not as expensive as you might think. For example, a typical rate for a 3.5T GVW Luton with a tail lift is only £65 a day or £300 a week. Even a 26T GVW tail-lift curtain-sider is only £120 a day or £595 a week. When you take into account the cost of these things from new,that can be a very cheap way to get your goods from where they are to where you need them to be.