Containers For Shipping

Pallets

• 4 way vs 2 way
• 48x40
• 48x48
• 60x48
• Custom

Other

Pallet design and styles

	4-Way Pallet Entry vs 2-Way Pallet Entry A 2 way pallet has un-notched solid stringers, limiting entry of the forklift to the two opposing ends of the pallet. In a 4-way pallet, use of notched solid stringers allows forklift to enter from both ends and sides of the pallet.
	48” x 40” Pallets Known as a GMA pallet, the standard 48 x 40 wooden pallet is usually constructed of heat-treated, 5/8” thick wood. The “GMA” acronym stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which originally drafted the guidelines for pallet construction. This standard size pallet has a weight capacity of 2,500 lbs. Like most wooden pallets, these are made from waste lumber and are usually recycled at the end of their usable life, so they are environmentally friendly.
	48” x 48”Pallets With a weight capacity of 3,500 lbs., the 48” by 48” wooden pallet can hold about 1,000 lbs. more than the standard 48” by 40” pallet. A double stringer in the center of the pallet adds strength while still allowing for 2-way forklift access. While wooden pallets are still the most commonly used pallets, plastic pallets have become increasingly available and offer greater weight capacity as well as a longer service life. These pallets are of particular interest to any shippers with heavy products which will be exposed to wet or extremely humid conditions.
	60” x 48” Pallets These larger sized pallets are commonly made of hardwood and used for shipping and storing building materials, tires and other heavy products. Their design allows for forklift access from all four sides. Many pallet manufacturers are now offering reusable and recyclable plastic pallets. These are a cost effective  and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional wood pallets. Both wooden and plastic 60” X 48” pallets typically have a maximum dynamic load capacity of 3,500 lbs.
	Custom Dimension Pallets Often, standard pallet dimensions simply aren’t practical for a manufacturer’s product. Custom-sized pallets can be built to virtually any dimension required. Most builders of custom-sized pallets realize the demand for their pallets is predominantly from manufacturers shipping larger and heavier products, so custom-sized pallets are usually built of PVC or a similar plastic material.  Not only do these pallets support more weight than conventional wood pallets, they also have a significantly longer service life than wood pallets.

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Non Pallet Containers

	Bags Bags are one of the most commonly used products in shipping. Whether it involves 2,000 small bags containing a dozen electrical components per bag or one enormous gusseted bag used to line a shipping container or to cover boxes of goods on a pallet, there is a bag for virtually any need—even small bags designed for shipping small items through the mail.
	Bales Shipping bales are rectangular shaped blocks of merchandise or material. Bales are usually wrapped in plastic or cloth sheeting and then bundled together by plastic or metal bands. The most common use for bales is the shipping of aluminum, plastic, paper or cloth materials to recycling facilities. These materials are compressed into blocks, then baled up for shipment. Often, hay for feed and straw destined for environmentally friendly building purposes are also shipped in bales.
	Boxes Cardboard boxes are commonly used for shipping products. Usually stacked in columns on a pallet and covered with stretchwrap and strapping, corrugated cardboard has proven to be a durable and cost-effective manner of containing goods while in transit. Made of 100% recyclable material, the cardboard box is also environmentally friendly.
	Bundles Long, thin, cylindrically shaped objects (such as fence posts and lathe strips) are often packaged in bundles for shipping. Even rolls of carpeting or flooring material can be bundled, depending on the total weight. Bundling helps contain material which is awkward or time consuming to handle individually. Such items are usually contained with strapping and/or plastic sheeting to keep them together in a bundle.
	Carpets If you have ever seen the long rolls of carpeting in the back of your local carpet store, you can imagine how awkward it can be to ship multiple rolls of carpeting. Manufacturers typically bundle their product and load it onto specially designed pallets to accommodate the weight. Since the product will ultimately be used inside someone’s home, protection during transit is essential. Heavy-duty plastic sheeting is commonly used to protect against dirt and rain while in transit.
	Coils Shipping large spools of steel coil is, to say the least, a challenge. The sheer magnitude of the weight involved has led to a variety of ingenious solution for securing coils for shipment. From specially designed slings for lifting them onto cargo ships to custom cradles for keeping coils in place inside container shipping boxes, manufacturers and shippers alike take extreme care to ensure the safety of both products and workers.
	Crates Shipping crates are most commonly built of wood and have been used for the conveyance of everything from archeological treasures to motorcycles and farm animals. Although there are companies offering a standard range of different sized wooden crates, they can be constructed to custom dimensions to hold virtually anything you may need shipped.
	Intermediate Bulk Shipping Container Also known as an IBC, these containers are used for transporting and storing fluids and bulk material. These containers are typically made of plastic, composite material or steel. A variation of this container is the Flexible Intermediate Bulk Container (FBIC), which is usually made of a synthetic woven material and used for transporting and storing granular materials.
	Cylinders Cylindrically shaped containers made of cardboard, plastic and even metal are used for a wide variety of product shipments. Cylinders can range from as little as one-foot in length to 20-feet or more in order to ensure the safe transit of materials and products. Diameters can vary widely, also. Bottom line: if you have a cylindrically shaped product in need of a protective container, there are specialty producers who will custom fabricate whatever you need.
	Drums These cylindrically shaped containers are most commonly used for liquids, but also see use for transporting granular material. Sizes can range from 5-gallon to 30-gallons and may be open-head (lid can be removed) or closed-head (lid permanently secured). Drums are usually constructed of carbon steel, stainless steel or plastic, all of which are recylable when the drum can no longer be safely used for transport.
	Pails Pails used for shipping range from a capacity of 1 gallon to 12 gallons and have either a removable cover or a sealed cover. Like the pail you know from your laundry closet, these pails also have a handle. Shipping pails are used for all kinds of liquid and pourable materials. Some specially designed pails are also used for the transport of hazardous waste and other dangerous materials.
	Reels Manufacturers who need to ship conduit, wire or cable require lightweight, yet heavy-duty reels onto which the material is wound. Designed to be as light as possible while still being able to safely hold several tons of material, these reels are the evolution of the traditional wooden reel. While you still see lineworkers hauling wooden reels with power cable, shipping large quantities of wire demands a larger and lighter solution than this.
	Rolls Products shipped in large rolls are by their very nature susceptible to rolling around—often at the worst possible moment, such as in-transit. A 5,000 lb. roll of sheet metal rolling around inside a semi-trailer makes for a really bad day. Likewise, anecdotes of 3-ton rolls that somehow fell off a forklift never end well. Fortunately, there are a variety of ingenious packaging solutions to protect both the rolls and those who transport and warehouse such products.
	Tubes We all are familiar with the cardboard mailing tube used to send posters and architectural renderings via mail. Imagine such a tube on a much larger scale, perhaps made of a heavy-gauge plastic, and you will have an idea of what is available for manufacturers and distributors needing a protective container for cylindrically shaped products. Often, many units can be packaged in one tube, as in the case of garden stakes or other similarly thin, cylindrically shaped products.
	Pipes Shipping large quantities of steel, iron, or even PVC pipe requires special equipment and expertise. Steel pipe in particular is susceptible to damage from corrosion and should be protected from rain, condensation and excessive humidity. Pipes of all material require careful handling due to the potential for damage—particularly at the ends, which can easily get notched or dented while in transit.

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