Although many people are unaware of the value of a pallet, it is essential for moving cargo
The Brazilian economy depends on the transportation of cargo from one region to the other in Brazil. The large producing centers – mainly in the industry, civil construction and agribusiness segments – distribute their products throughout Brazil using mostly trucks. In the first semester of 2021, there was a 67% increase in cargo transportation when compared to 2020, which had already recorded a 62% growth in relation to the previous period, according to a study from the online cargo transport platform FreteBras.
So, imagine transporting all that without using pallets?
Pallets are wooden platforms that ease moving, transport, and storing products. With them, one can safely transport heavy loads in any appropriate means of transportation. When it comes to unloading, they ease the movement of the cargo with carts or manual or electric forklifts. Its format allows for the correct storage of the products in appropriate locations.
Wooden pallets are the most broadly used, mainly due to being an eco-friendly solution – since they are low-cost solutions produced with raw material from certified forests, and, if they are broken, can be easily repaired. Eucalyptus is the most common wood used for their construction, since it is more resistant to rotting, with a low trend for cracking, and also resistant to termites. They are understood as logistic tools for the movement of materials in several industry segments.
According to Douglas Mendes, general manager at Paraná Wood Indústria Madeireira – which houses a pallet factory within its facilities in São Jerônimo da Serra (PR) -, the extensive use of wooden pallets is increasing in several sectors because they are a versatile solution. “In addition to their low cost, when compared to other materials, they can be recycled for other uses after their shelf life for the cargo sector expires, which occurs after about three years of usage”, he declares.The factory at Paraná Wood produces approximately 25 thousand pallets per month, in several sizes – standart (measures: 38.5 KG – 100 cmX120cmX13mm, with dynamic capacity of 1,000 to 1,200 KG and static capacity of 2,000 to 2,200 KG); one way (measures: 30 KG – 100 cmX120cmX13mm, with dynamic capacity of 600 to 800 KG and static capacity of 1,200 to 1,600 KG), and stringer (measures: 20 KG – 110 cmX110cmX10mm, with dynamic capacity of 200 to 500 KG and static capacity of 800 to 1,000 KG). “However, if the client requires pallets with specific measures, we can also produce them according to their specifications,”, Mendes explains.
