News - Tagged: export pallets
The Unplanned Costs and Penalties of Non-Compliant Merchandise Exportation Due to ISPM 15 Regulations
Recent Changes that Impact Wood Packaging Material
The penalties for non-compliant ISPM 15 wood packaging materials (WPM) are a serious matter to take into consideration when selecting components for the design of a unit load. Besides penalty costs, the end user will require a duplicate shipment if customs liquidates the product held up instead of denying entry. With customer delivery late fees becoming a common business occurrence as well, the actual cost of saving a few cents on some pallets could become a costly mistake in the long-term.
WPM is a key component for the transportation and handling of unit loads throughout supply chains in today’s global market. The objects classified as WPM are pallets, skids, crates, bracing, dunnage, and wood components that are thicker than 0.24 in. (6 mm). The shipment and treatment of these items across any major country’s border have been regulated due to the negative impact on forests, from the migration of several insect species across the globe.
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…
2012 Pallet Usage and Trending Survey
Each year, Modern Materials Handling conducts a Pallet Usage and Trending Survey. The results of the 2012 study are summarized in Bob Trebilcock’s recent Modern Materials Handling article, “The Pulse on Pallets.” In addition, MMH offers an hour long webcast that features comments from Trebilcock and Dr. Mark White, Professor Emeritus of Virginia Tech’s Center for Unit Load Design. This post highlights some the survey’s key findings and discusses the state of the pallet industry in 2012.Continue Reading…
Presswood versus Plastic Pallets
One popular misconception in the logistics world is that plastic pallets are inherently superior to wooden alternatives thanks to their (optional) nestable design and resistance to edge impact and infestation. Their manufacture does not result in deforestation, and at the end of their useful life, plastic pallets can be converted to re-grind and used to manufacture new items. For these reasons, some logistics managers view their plastic pallet use as the ultimate nod to environmental sustainability. Many of these claims seem valid when comparing plastic pallets to conventional, slatted wooden pallets. But, the picture becomes murkier when presswood pallets enter the equation.Continue Reading…
Clarifying IPPC- ISPM 15 Standards for Recycled Pallets
The ISPM-15 standard is designed to prevent the spread of insects and disease via overseas wood packaging materials such as crates, dunnage, and pallets. The ISPM 15 logo stamp certifies that a wooden pallet has been manufactured using debarked lumber and heat treated or fumigated, making it free of insects and safe for export use. Although the ISPM 15 standard for new pallets is quite unambiguous, the same cannot be said of recycled pallets. Because recycled pallets constitute a significant component of the available pool, the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association (NWPCA) recently sought clarification from American Lumber Standard Committee (ALSC) to eliminate discrepancies in how various ISPM-15 certification agencies view recycled pallets.Continue Reading…
How Pallet Selection Can Reduce Your Carbon Footprint and Logistics Costs
We have arrived at the dawn of a new age of pallet marketing where “less” is becoming a popular area of consideration for decision makers in the logistics and materials handling fields. Although much of today’s promotional pallet literature still touts more – more size and material choices, greater strength, or increased resistance to mold and insect infestations – the notion of less is taking off in marketing circles. Nowhere is this better illustrated than in the carbon footprint discussion, as Rick LeBlanc suggests in a recent article appearing in Pallet Enterprise.Continue Reading…
Reduce Shipping Costs and Go Green with Custom Boxes and Litco Pallets
A recent online survey conducted by Peerless Research Group for Packsize International cites reduced shipping costs as the primary concern of logistics and materials handling professionals seeking to improve operational efficiencies. The study was based on findings from 521 logistics and materials handling managers responsible for the daily shipment of more than 2,000 packages from their respective facilities.
Although this survey is welcome news to executives at Packsize International, a company specializing in the manufacture of lean corrugated packaging systems used to create custom size boxes, this research also reinforces the message we share with our prospects and customers: lighter pallet solutions can substantially reduce shipping costs.Continue Reading…
Pharmaceutical, Food Companies Find Presswood Pallet Ideal For BP-Free Transit Packaging
The use of BP-free export pallets is particularly important to ensure product safety in the food, produce, and pharmaceutical industries.
Although banned in the U.S., many of the materials used by overseas pallet manufacturers to prevent mold, insect infestations, and fire hazards, including Brominated phenols (TBP), trichlorophenol (TCP) and methyl phenols (MP), can impart strong odors that result in product contamination. The toxicity of these materials poses significant public health and environmental safety concerns.
Leading pharmaceutical companies, including Abbott and Alcon Laboratories, are now partnering with Litco to meet their BP-free transit packaging pallet requirements. Litco’s solution, the Inca presswood pallet, is certified to be free of these harmful chemicals.Continue Reading…
Building the Case for a Greener Supply Chain
David Biederman’s recent story in Journal of Commerce suggests the growing environmental logistics movement is more than just a corporate nod to sustainability. Although sustainable logistics makes for good PR, companies such as Nike, Wal-Mart, Cisco Systems and Baxter International are also embracing a greener supply chain to improve bottom line.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…