How long do plastic pallets last?

That’s the $64,000 question in our industry. Predicting a plastic pallet’s lifespan is both simple and impossible to determine.

How Long Do Plastic Pallets Last?

What Is the lifespan of a plastic Pallet?

The Simple Answer

Plastic Pallets last forever!

Disclaimer: The claim that plastic pallets last forever assumes the following

• the pallet is not stored in the sunlight
• the pallet is not lost or intentionally damaged
• the pallet is always loaded properly within specifications
• the pallet is always handled perfectly

The Impossible Answer

A Plastic Pallet’s Lifespan? It depends!

Plastic Pallets last forever if… there are a lot of “ifs”.

• Pallet lifespan depends on the users application and handling practices:
• It’s also important to make sure the pallet being used is appropriate for the application.
• Often times, the cheapest pallet can become the most expensive, hiding the true expense of using a pallet that is not up to the task. After all, you must you consider product damage/loss due to overloading or improper use.

Reality Check

Neither answer is really helpful in the real world of material handling.

However, we do know that when the right pallet is selected for an application and it’s handled appropriately, it will outlast a wood pallet many times over.

At One Way Solutions, we’ve seen pallets in active use that were produced more than a decade ago.

The Bottom Line Pro Tip

Treat your plastic pallets well and they will return the favor- they’ll last longer and you’ll save money by drastically reducing the frequency of pallet replacement.

What do you think?

We value your option and pallet expertise!

• How long have your pallets lasted?
• What handling tricks have increased pallet lifespan?

Please leave your comments below and contact us for assistance on finding the perfect plastic pallet for the right price.

About Robin Kiefer

Robin Spencer Kiefer connects customers with solutions and products. Robin is the Digital Marketing Manager of One Way Solutions.

• Mail
|
• LinkedIn
|
• More Posts(57)

And now, the thrilling conclusion to True Pallet Detective! (Note: Part One here)

The next night…

Five stocky, burly men stacked the pallets in the back of a truck. Slowly, the empty space in the warehouse became larger and larger while the inside of the truck became smaller and smaller.

I kept watch at the lip of the loading dock, making sure there were no unexpected visitors. The only visitor I expected was Randy Livingston, who I told to meet me at the warehouse under the pretense that I had some evidence that would incriminate Bass and Jimenez.

“Oy, Saunders,” shouted The Needle, “great idea, kid.”

Then, as unexpected as a heart attack, I heard my name come in from the other ear. Continue reading →

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

• Mail
|
• More Posts(33)

While the statistics and facts below are real, the narrative that follows is a work of moderately well-written fiction:

Shipping warehouses, loading docks, unattended trucks lay victim to an epidemic, an epidemic that plagued American businesses between $750 million to $1 billion each year.

Plastic pallets and containers were victims to large syndicates of grinding operations that grind down stolen goods into plastic pellets and sell to plastic manufacturers overseas cheaply.

It was a dark time for businesses and business owners who had to deal with increasing shipping costs.

Pallet-related theft became so rampant in Los Angeles that the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department put together a Plastic Industrial Theft Taskforce in 2011. However, it would be shut down in 2013 due to lack of funds (this is true)

Unfortunately, even with their success, which lead to the recovery of up to 7.4 million in plastic pallets and containers, 74 arrests, and 30 illegal grinding operations being shutdown, these taskforces never became more prominent. Most American businesses were left to fend for themselves.

That’s where I come in.  My name is Joe Saunders. I’m a private eye, and I brought down the largest plastic grinding syndicate to date and this is how I did it. Continue reading →

About Brian Pigott

Brian Pigott is an engineer and customer-centric entrepreneur. Brian is the Managing Director of One Way Solutions.

• Mail
|
• More Posts(33)