News - Tagged: pallets
Pallets, Packaging and the Future of Materials Handling
Regular readers of our news section or subscribers to Modern Materials Handling should be familiar with Bob Trebilcock’s annual pallet use survey. Each year, we run a summary of Bob’s findings and include a link to the survey results in an effort to keep our readers informed on the latest pallet industry trends. This month, Pallet Enterprise did a fascinating interview with Bob that covers the MMH survey results and materials handling trends as they relate to the future of the pallet industry. In case you missed the article, we’ve taken the time to summarize the key takeaways.
2013 Pallet Use Survey Key Findings
According to Trebilcock, one of the key takeaways from the 2013 MMH survey is a greater emphasis on looking at how pallets fit into overall operations in an attempt to achieve greater efficiencies and lower costs. The data suggests some movement toward alternative pallet materials such as plastic and metal, but this change still represents a small chunk of the market. Increased demand for plastic pallets has been fueled primarily by the uptick in the automotive sector and the need to replenish pallet pools at Ford, GM, and Japanese manufacturers to keep up with demand. In the retail world, Trebilcock sees a movement toward smaller plastic pallets too. Retailers are taking more store deliveries on smaller, half-sized pallets instead of traditional 48 x 40’s to reduce handling costs.Continue Reading…
Buy Export Pallets Online: Litco International Announces Launch of New E-Commerce Website
After months of development, Litco has officially launched a new website to facilitate the online purchase of export pallets, core plugs, inflatable dunnage, void fill, anti-friction mats, desiccants, and our innovative LITKIT® Universal Washing Machine Shipping Stabilization Kit online. Although the new website does cater to the needs of buyers looking to purchase small and LTL quantities online, we also incorporated new response mechanisms that allow buyers to request RFQ’s for bulk and truckload quantities as well. The new website also demonstrates our commitment to assist purchasing agents and logistics professionals as they research potential solutions to their domestic and international shipping needs.Continue Reading…
Online Retailing and the Future of Pallets
With the holiday shopping season just around the corner, economic forecasters are already trying to make sense of the numbers. How will retailers fare this year? Will consumer spending rise or fall when compared with last year’s numbers? When will 2012 retailer profit levels move from red to black? Chaille Brindley’s recent article in Pallet Enterprise takes this discussion one step further, using the upcoming holiday shopping season to explore connections between the growth of online retailing and the future of pallet demand.Continue Reading…
The Future of Pallets and The Unit Load
Rick LeBlanc’s latest article in Pallet Enterprise is a fascinating look at how one research scientist’s lessons learned from the Internet may help us improve logistics and rethink the concepts of palletization and the unit load.
Although many are quick to point to the successes of the modern logistics supply chain, research done by Dr. Benoit Montreuil of Laval University paints a far different picture. According to Montreuil, today’s logistics system is inefficient, unsustainable, and a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. The system represents a 10-20% burden on GDP in most countries, with worldwide logistics costs growing faster than world trade.Continue Reading…