Top 10 Pallet Delivery Tips

When sending your goods through a pallet delivery network, it's normal to have a few concerns that need ruling out. 

Essentially, you will be handing over your valuables to people you have never met before so developing equal trust is crucial at this point. 

Also, by taking on board recommendations given by logistic experts, your pallet delivery is far more likely to run smoothly. 

Luckily, we are offering our expertise to help set you on the right track!

Let's jump straight in!

1) Ask For Delivery Quotes

Despite what you may have heard, asking multiple pallet couriers for their best shipping rates is a great way to learn which of them offers the best price in or around your area. 

All couriers offer different rates based on their network, i.e. at PalletOnline, our network partner is Palletline and our rates are postcode driven. 

However, there may be other pallet couriers out there that are slightly behind the time and only offer quotes via direct customer requests, like phone calls and emails.

Choosing which pallet courier is the most reliable and cost-effective is down to you, but aim to select one that offers instant quotes as this is generally less time-consuming!

2) Select Correct Pallet Sizes

Before arranging for your goods to be picked up, you need to check that you have selected the correct pallet size! 

The right size should comfortably hold your items with absolutely no overhang.

Also, there should be no gaps between any of the boxes. 

For whatever reason your goods don't fit a full pallet, you must bring this to the couriers' attention. 

They may ask you to supply additional full pallets to account for an oversized pallet. This is normally the case for all oversized items. 

Your items will need to be placed and secured to an oversized pallet if they simply will not fit comfortably on standard UK pallets.  

3) Check Courier Weight Restrictions 

All distribution companies that handle pallets have weight and height restrictions in place. 

Normally, customers can view these on their website in advance to help them better prepare for their pallet deliveries. 

Being partnered with Palletline, our weight limit is set at 1,200 kilograms. 

Anything heavier than this would need to be handled by a forklift and secured to an oversized pallet ready for collection.  

4) Maximise Space When Packing

Using space wisely is great in any situation but learning how to maximise space when pallet packing is a handy skill to have! 

Doing this the right way can prevent you from spending unnecessarily on extra pallets that you may not even need.

But that doesn't mean to say you should squeeze as many boxes onto one pallet as you can and hope nothing gets damaged. 

There is such a thing as overpacking, and in which case, your goods are at far more risk of becoming damaged beyond compare. 

All we're saying is that you should use the space you have efficiently and position boxes side by side, leaving no gaps! 

Gaps mean room for movement, and this can only lead to damage. 

5) Secure Your Items with Shrink Wrap

Now, sure you can place your goods on a pallet and ship them away to your heart's content but if there's no extra protection, then what's the point? 

With no protection, your items are likely to be a guaranteed write-off when they reach the end of their journey. 

Packaging is crucial if you care for the condition of your goods when they reach their destination, and even more so if you don't want to fork out money on a second batch!

You can avoid this entirely by wrapping your pallets with plenty of pallet wrap, i.e. shrink wrap or stretch wrap. 

Also, be sure to aim to apply at least a few layers of pallet wrap. 

6) Use Extra Strong Strapping To Prevent Loss

By all means, you can skip this step if you aren't shipping heavy or loose items but surely you would want to opt for the most protection, right? 

Using strong straps, like ratchet straps is guaranteed to offer more protection and prevent damage.

Not just that but securing your goods to the pallet with ratchet straps will also help prevent anything from falling off and going missing. And believe us, it can happen when you least expect without straps!

7) Get Familiar with Pallet Sizes

For your goods to be accepted by any pallet courier, they need to be loaded and secured to the right sized pallet. 

To learn which is the right pallet size for your goods, it pays to become familiar with the couriers' size guide (if they have one!). This will normally show you their sizes, along with weight and height limits too. 

Pallet couriers and such companies who handle pallet shipping usually have very busy schedules, so they won't be able to do much if you fail to select the right pallet size before they arrive to pick up. 

Picking the wrong one will land you additional charges and the hassle of offloading, then reloading and packing your goods onto the right pallet. 

8) Be On-Site and Ready for Collection 

We recommend being onsite and ready for your pallet collection.

Like all other delivery drivers, pallet couriers typically make one attempt to collect their pallets. 

If there's nobody on-site at the time, the courier is likely to class this as a failed collection attempt and you will be charged for the failure as well as a second attempt!  

9) Know the Whereabouts Of Your Shipment

All reliable pallet couriers understand that you will want to know every movement the driver makes with your goods. 

For your peace of mind, you must keep tabs on where your goods are at every point of their journey. 

Being in cahoots with the courier will help you identify if there are any issues or delays related to your shipment. 

Plus, it always feels great when you see that your goods are one step closer to delivery!

So, be sure to check in with your courier now and then! Or, if they have a tracking page, look on this as often as you like. 

10) Purchase Insurance for Your Shipment

Last but by no means least, we always advise purchasing insurance if it's not an option when booking your delivery. 

Most pallet couriers offer standard and upgraded insurance, but the upgraded option is usually the highest compensation their network offers. 

So, if you are shipping anything of significant value, we advise purchasing higher insurance through a third-party insurance provider.