Pallet Shipping 101 – How to Prepare and Pack Your Pallet

Are you looking to ship something large in the near future that will require a pallet?  Pallet shipping takes a special level of care beyond your average package. Knowing how to pack your contents and then load them onto your pallet for pickup is critical. Before the forklift shows up to whisk your pallet off, follow these tips to ensure it reaches its destination in the same condition it left your care.

1. Pack boxes properly. 

Before you’re even close to loading your items onto a pallet, each box must be packed with extra care. They must be both full and have no extra space. If the box is larger than the contents, make sure to fill the extra space with bubble wrap, geami paper, or packing peanuts to reduce the air and keep the contents tight. When you have packed them and there is no excess air, make sure to tape or secure all flaps thoroughly to keep them from coming open during shipping. 

2. Stack your boxes or contents.

Like a game of Jenga, or loading a moving truck, some spatial skills are needed at this stage. Stack the heaviest and largest items on the bottom. Stagger boxes and packages stacked on top. Distribute the weight as evenly as possible and consider what it will be like when the recipient is unpacking the load.

3. Take advantage of extra pieces

Having loose cardboard around comes in handy after you have stacked the contents. Use these lingering pieces to place between the cases, making them sturdy while being shipped. Much like the interior of the boxes, you want to leave no room for open space between the pallet contents. Any gap creates a weakness that, if collapsed, could alter literally everything on the pallet.

4. Wrap it up

Once the pallets have been thoroughly stacked, take shrink wrap and wrap the entire package as one. Ideally, three wraps around the entire contents should suffice. For highly fragile items, you may even want to go up to five. If you have cardboard corner beads, they can be applied under the wrap to strengthen the load. Be sure not to wrap the bottom of the pallet where the forklift would go and consider twisting the wrap as you go for added strength.

Safe transport starts with a well-built pallet.

Before you ever get to packing your crate, ensure your crate is well built. BECK fasteners are ideal for pallet construction. Their fasteners and tools such as Crating SCRAIL® give packages that extra sturdiness and security. For more information about our tools and fasteners, contact our main office today.