Wood Pallets Key Terms

Some key terms for using wood pallets in a business
By J. Stoltzfus, writer/programmer LOCAL CITIZEN Wood pallets are just simple lumber constructed items with a flat area for shipping and storing goods, and room for forklift prongs. So what's to know? Well, plenty: the common use of wood pallets has led to some very common industry terms and practices that any business dealing in these wooden shipping tools will want to know about to make sure they are handling their wooden pallets in a way that will benefit the business over time. Read up on these wood pallet terms to see how lots of businesses handle this aspect of inventory shipping or storage.

Skids

When people talk about "skids" for moving goods, they are talking about wood pallets. The skid is a synonym for a conventional pallet for moving and storing all kinds of goods.
Try:  See definitions of skid including the one for materials handling at the Free Dictionary.

Recycled pallets

Recycled pallets are pallets that have either been re-manufactured with recycled wood product or reconditioned at a distributor for re-use. Many buyers are seeing advantages in buying recycled pallets and helping to control waste.
Try:  See more on recycled pallets and grades of offerings at Premier Pallets.

Pallet sorting

As many businesses use a tremendous amount of pallets to move goods every day, these shipping solutions can get somewhat disordered. Pallet sorting is the process of getting all of a company's pallets neatly arranged by size and use to save time.
Try:  See more about pallet sorting and how it gets done at Cetec.

Pallet buy back program

A pallet buy back program is a system where a company pays for pallets and then re-distributes them. It is just one of the ways the pallet industry has dealt with excess over the years.
Try:  See more on the history of pallet buy back and other industry trends at Pallet Enterprise.

Pallet exchange program

A pallet exchange program is where different businesses trade used pallets on a one to one basis. This is another way of handling pallet re-distribution, though it may take some work at an administrative level.
Try:  See more on pallet exchange programs at Abel Womack.

Pallet standardization

Because different pallet types are generally used for specific products, pallet standardization is key in getting the best uses. Pallet standardization breaks down standard pallet sizes for various products.
Try:  See a list of standard pallet sizes and much more at Allied Pallet.