Pallet Observations

Of course we love pallets, our name gives us away. Thanks to the social media site, “Pinterest”  we know how much other people like to use pallets in their everyday life. Apparently repurposed wooden pallets are used for shelves, art mediums, kitchen tables, coffee tables, bed frames, shoe racks, planters, and many other creative purposes. Some people leave them natural for a rustic look and some paint the pallets for a modern look.

At Dominion Pallet we sell mostly to product manufacturers. If you are a DIYer looking for a pallet for your next project, there may be some used pallets a warehouse or store will give or sell you on the cheap, but make sure you ask permission first. If the pallet is still in good condition, the store/manufacturer is likely going to use it for the product again, so don’t take it before they say it is OK.

We’re looking forward to seeing more creations inspired by wooden pallets!

This video is of our M2L lumber stacker we purchased from the Pallet Machinery Group behind our Newman band saw.  We stack everything from half inch boards  to one 1.5 inch runners on the stacker which can stack up to 12 layers per minute. We have had this stacker for about 5 years and before that we had a similar M2L in the same spot. A different stacker from PMG is behind our notcher.

Lumber Stackers Keep Production of Wooden Pallets Moving Fast

These stackers help keep us rolling here at Dominion Pallet, bringing you high quality, wooden pallets for international or domestic shipping.

This morning I spoke with a potential customer who said he was shipping his product out of the country and needed to use heat treated pallets for the products going to China, but not to the rest of the countries to which he shipped.  I told him I thought it was a good idea to heat treat pallets going to any destination overseas.

Don’t Let your Shipment get Quarantined in Port

According to the NWPCA there are some countries that may be enforcing ISPM 15 (a regulation satisfied with heat treated pallets) that are not on the official, published list of countries.  The last thing a shipper wants is to have his product quarantined in port because his wood packaging does not have the ISPM 15 stamp on it.  Heat treating only costs about $1 extra per pallet and that is much less expensive than having a load quarantined.

ISPM 15 Compliance

For wood packaging to be ISPM 15 compliant "Wood packaging material should be heated in a schedule that achieves a minimum core temperature of 56ºC for a minimum of 30 minutes."  Pallets should also be marked with the IPPC stamp.  Below is a list of countries that are enrolled in the program.  

From the NWPCA website:

Washington D.C. September 20, 2011

Last week I traveled to Washington DC for NWPCA committee meetings in conjunction with Federal Legislative Fly In. At this event, NWPCA members come to Washington to lobby lawmakers and make them aware of issues affecting our industry. This year forty attendees came from all over the country to participate. For me the most exciting news of the meeting was that the newest version of Pallet Design System (PDS 5.0) will be available in late October 2011. 

PDS 5.0 Improvements

This new PDS is 3D and allows the user to design the unit load and pallet together.  Whether you are putting bags, pails, boxes or blocks on the pallet, we will be able to show you how the load fits on your pallet and the pallet's capabilities. This is different from versions past that only allowed for the user to design the pallet without the unit load on it.  PDS 5.0 will also design and analyze larger pallets than previous versions that only allowed for design, but no analysis.

At Dominion Pallet, we are excited to employ this new technology to create and deliver better pallets to you.

New pallets are designed and manufactured specifically for your company’s use.  The weight, the length and width, and species of wood have all been talked about by the buyer and the sales person. The need for heat treated pallets has been evaluated, depending on your product and its destination. When you buy new pallets, you know what you are getting every time.  The specs are consistent and you do not have to worry about the quality of the loads you receive.

Who Knows What was Shipped on Used Pallets?

As the buyer of a new pallet you know exactly where your pallets are coming from.  You don't have to worry if your pallets have been contaminated or damaged in a previous use.

Branded Pallets for Easier Retrieval and Reuse for the Same Product

Pallets could also be a form of advertising, not just something that carries your product.  Your company’s name can be branded or painted (in your colors) on the load.  This is good for brand recognition and also makes retrieval easier for re-use of the pallet carrying the same product.

Recycling pallets is a good thing for the environment and for the economy, but if you want a consistent pallet, made for your special shipping needs that can double as an advertisement, then buying new pallets is the right choice for you.

When the earthquake that shook the east coast on Tuesday began, the Dominion Pallet office employees thought the chipper next to the office was causing the shake, but it was soon obvious that this was way more than a machine shaking the building.  The power went off immediately and the ground and wall continued to shake for about half a minute.  Men in the plant said the concrete floors rippled like they were water and the outside storage sheds swayed back and forth.  When the rumbling finally ended and the shock of the earthquake wore off we were relieved to see that we did not suffer any damage from the quake.  After a quick clean up the employees went home, but Dominion Pallet was back to work on Wednesday morning.  We would like to thank so many of our friends and colleagues who called and emailed us to check and see if we were alright.  We also extend our thoughts and prayers to everyone in Louisa who has suffered damage from this earthquake.

I started working for Dominion Pallet 23 years ago, but before that I had never really thought about pallets. Before coming to Dominion Pallet, I worked in the shipping department of a company in Charlottesville, VA. The guys in the warehouse ran into pallets with their forklifts as they were loading and unloading trucks and would even use the pallets to stand on. If they broke a board they never gave it any thought as they pitched it in the trash pile. I never really thought about the cost or construction of those pallets.  I always thought that a pallet was just several pieces of wood nailed together. Boy, was I wrong.

Have you ever thought about what is involved in the purchasing of pallets? Pallets must meet the shipping requirements of the products they carry to prevent accidents and lost revenue. A company shipping a product must determine

• What product will go on the pallet
• The weight the pallet will hold
• The cost of the pallet
• Will the pallet work for the business

With this information, someone at the company contacts the pallet manufacturer, like us.  Dominion Pallet builds pallets to each company’s exact specifications. We have over 1,000 different specs in our database that are required by the various companies we serve.

We are PDS trained to design pallets that meet or exceed the performance level of your shipping needs. We ship to locations in the Mid-Atlantic region with quick turn-around.

If you have questions about shipping pallets, contact us. We’re happy to help determine the pallet that will best suit your shipping needs. Contact Joyce Sprouse  or Matt Yancey.

We have added a Glossary of Terms to better understand pallets and the way they help meet shipping needs.

The Hot, Humid Temperatures of Spring and Summer are Conducive to Mold

During this time of year we begin to fight mold on wooden pallets.  We do everything we can at our plant to deliver a mold-free pallet. One common misconception is that heat treating pallets prevents mold.  This is not true.  Heat treating pallets for international shipments kills bugs but does not prevent the growth of mold on your pallets.

To Prevent Mold on Pallets Dominion Pallet:

Uses kiln dried pine lumber
Keeps lumber and the pallets in an area where there is as much air flow as possible
Uses lumber that is less susceptible to mold (white and red oak) than others that grow mold quicker (gum and poplar).

What Can You Do to Prevent Mold on Pallets when they arrive at your Facility?

Keep them in a cool area.  Mold cannot grow if the temperature is not hot enough.  
Keep them dry.  Mold needs moisture to grow.  Keeping the pallets out of the elements will go a long way towards them remaining mold free.  
Rotate your pallets.  Use a first in, first out system to make sure pallets do not remain in the warehouse for an extended amount of time.

By Matt Yancey, General Manager and Sales Director

I was recently asked by a customer what makes our business and industry "green".  In my opinion, the wooden pallets are the "greenest way to ship."  This is what I told him.

At Dominion Pallet, our manufacturing process makes every effort to let nothing go to waste.  Wood waste and scrap lumber never end up in a landfill.  We find a use for every bit of wood we have on our lumber yard.  During the sawing of the lumber, saw dust and shavings are collected using a blower system. That dust is later sold for animal bedding, boiler fuel or to wood pellet manufacturers.  While making the pallets, wood that is not up to standard is put in racks and either cut back to fill another pallet's spec, chipped to be used as bedding or sent to a pallet recycler.

Wood pallet manufacturers use industrial graded lumber.  If this lumber was not used in pallets it would be chipped into mulch, or boiler fuel immediately.  Wooden pallets are the "greenest" way to ship. 

From cradle to grave, wooden pallets are better for the environment:

• Use the least demanded part of the tree
• Used repeatedly to ship goods and are repaired to extend life
• Can be recycled and when it is not practical to repair the pallet anymore are chipped and used for mulch