Why are my goods delivered on a pallet?

Every so often, you may notice that your goods have been delivered on a pallet. There are a number of reasons why this might be which we’d like to outline for you!  

Some goods suit palletisation

Standard courier transportation involves a lot of physical handling of individual cartons. This does not suit all our goods.  When cartons are packed onto and travel via pallet, they are not individually handled – meaning that they arrive in better condition than if they were sent individually via courier.  This applies especially to heavy cartons, awkward shapes and items prone to damage and/or bending.

Some items are too heavy

Because we distribute goods nationwide, our cartons are handled by many people.  This means we need to be mindful about the size and weight of our cartons.  Heavier items can cause injury to those trying to carry them, and they are more prone to damage.  In cases like this, it is better to send them via pallet.

It can be more cost effective

As you would know, we carry the freight fee in 99% of orders, giving you peace of mind that there are no hidden fees.  For us, this means that we absorb a significant annual freight bill.  As a result, we are always looking for ways to improve our distribution efficiencies both in pricing and labour.  These 2 factors impact our freight bill the most, so naturally we look to reduce them where possible.  Palletising larger orders is the most time and cost effective option for us & our freight providers, meaning we can continue to deliver a free freight service on a large majority of orders.

Better for the Environment

And last but not least, shipping some orders via pallet is a more environmentally friendly option.  Some of our larger orders would fill numerous courier vans whereas a delivery can be made by 1 truck, we prefer this option.

What do I do with the pallets?

We are mindful that disposing of shipping pallets can be difficult for some so here are some suggestions.  

Recycle: Pallets have all sorts of uses, https://www.designrulz.com/product-design/2012/09/35-creative-ways-recycle-wooden-pallets/

Return: Call us or speak to the truck driver as we can arrange for empty pallets to be returned, easy as!

Burn: Many people look for waste pallets as a source of firewood so ask around, there might be somebody you can help to keep warm.