Monday 5th August 2019 | View all Blogs

First and foremost, before considering contacting a pallet courier for the collection of your engine, you must get rid of all oil and fluids that are still inside. 

Each component that you wish to ship must be fully drained of all fluids, including oil and water. Keep in mind that even after you drain the fluids, there may be some residual liquids in there. In which case, we always recommend placing absorbent or oil-resistant material between the engine and the pallet, to prevent any spills or leaks during transit.  

Also, before actually accepting your engine and loading it to the delivery vehicle, the courier will always test the oil level. They will need full access to the dipstick to ensure there is no oil left in the engine before handling it; oil left-over oil can cause problems further down the line, such as leaks and damage to other consignments on the delivery vehicle. 

When it comes to wrapping your engine with protective shrink or stretch wrap material, please ensure you leave a space around the dipstick. If you cover this part of the engine, the courier may refuse to collect and you will be forced to unpack and re-wrap everything accordingly. Thus, costing you more money and time in the short run. 

Plus, ensuring your engine is wrapped properly the first time will help you avoid any additional charges for a second collection attempt. It's always worth getting it right the first time around!

Preventing Leaks

To prevent any sort of leakage, you should drain your engine and ideally place it on an absorbent material, like oil-resistant rags, for example.

Doing this will better help to soak up all residual fluids and dry out the engine. 

More importantly, if your engine has any fluids left inside, the courier is likely to refuse to handle it altogether. 

If you don't have any oil-resistant rags or proper absorbent materials, you can use things like old bits of carpet or any alternative material with small holes. 

Such materials have small holes (like a sponge) which are ideal for soaking up liquids quickly and offering more cushion and protection in transit.

However, this must be done before placing the engine on the pallet otherwise it serves no purpose. 

Positioning The Engine

The engine must be centrally positioned on the pallet and you must allow at least three inches over the pallet area, on all sides.

If there is any movement during its journey, this excess space will prevent the engine from overhanging and causing significant damage.

In most cases, engines that overhang the pallet will result in a 2nd, 3rd or sometimes 4th pallet space charge.

So, it's always vital that you query which pallet size you need for your engine to prevent damage and any potential additional charges. 

Securing The Engine

Most of the surface of the engine should make contact with the pallet.

You must secure the pallet with ratchet straps or alternatives to prevent it from moving and tipping.

When securing your pallet with straps, at least two straps should be used on the top of small pieces to minimise their movement during transit. 

Top Tips And Tricks

Two important factors when shipping an engine with a pallet courier are position and stability.

Your pallet will have to be loaded and unloaded several times until it reaches its destination; that's just how pallet networks run.  

With this in mind, you must make sure you stick to the rules. Not only to avoid surcharges, but also to make sure that your engine reaches its destination intact. 

Some have said that one of the safest ways of shipping an engine is by placing it inside a rubber car tyre before actually securing it to the pallet.

You would then attach ratchet straps to the engine, but essentially the tyre would absorb any shocks and stabilise the engine during its journey. 

Doing this will offer much more stability but you must check this with the pallet courier beforehand.

The last thing you would want is to have the tyre overhang the pallet and your engine be refused by their network.

Plus, if your engine is well protected and wrapped, it may be perfectly fine without additonal support like such. 

But again, it is always a great idea to see what the pallet courier advises before loading your engine to the pallet.

Each courier will have a different process, therefore, one may recommend using something else to support your engine. 

If you need any additional support or advice, please feel free to get in touch with PalletOnline.

We are available via Live Chat from Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm. 

Questions & Answers

The engine should be properly secured to the pallet by at least a ratchet strap. Professional plastic or steel banding with two bands should be acceptable. Straps and bands must be protected where they come into contact with the engine to prevent any sliding.

Start by draining the engine of all fluids, including water and oil and then secure the engine to the base of the pallet. Keep in mind that the collection can only be made on solid ground and you will also need to make sure your pallet base is sturdy enough to hold the weight of the engine.

The standard UK pallet size is 1200 by 1000mm and is available in a number of types and weight bearing capacities. Standard pallets are widely used throughout the UK and mostly for the export of goods.

You can buy pallets directly from pallet manufacturers and you can even have them custom-made to fit your items perfectly. Alternatively, you can get them second-hand from industrial areas, supermarkets, small businesses and wholesalers who usually have plenty of spare pallets.

They advise standard pallet dimensions to be 120 x 100 x 60 centimetres. Pallets of that size are often referred to as quarter pallets.