Why the World is Palletizing

Modern day industry may take the use of pallets and palletization for granted yet it was not always so. Pallets and their predecessor, the shop skid, came into use in the early 20th Century. The wooden skid, often combined with iron or steel components, consisted of stringers or legs fastened to a top deck.

Pallet-like prototypes were probably in use as bases for at least a few hundred years for applications such as the safe stacking and stabilization of kegs. Skids were classified as “live,” containing casters on the base for manual positioning of the skid, or “dead” if they did not have casters.

With the introduction of the high lift fork truck in the last half of the 1910s, the stage was eventually set for the eventual introduction of the bottom pallet deck, resulting in the modern pallet. With the pallet came a dramatic impact on the improvement of material handling efficiency.

These are all tales of bygone days. Today, pallets are powerful components of materials handling strategy and their popularity is because of the multitude of pros they bring to businesses.

Palletized products can be moved more quickly than by the manual handling of individual palletized cartons. This results in a faster turnaround of delivery vehicle and increases operational efficiency of transport equipment. There is a faster, quicker availability of the trailer door for the next arrival, reduced labor requirement versus manual handling and a reduced risk of temperature abuse for perishable products on unrefrigerated docks. Palletized products can also be stored more efficiently in warehouses.

Palletized goods require less manual handling, thus there are less chances of product damage and lowered risks of worker injury.

Pallets from A&M Pallets are typically easier to handle with material handling equipment than other styles of unit load bases such as slip sheets, which may require specialized equipment. These pallets also provide drainage and circulation for commodities requiring this, including fresh produce. Customers also often prefer the receipt of A&M palletized good.


A&M Pallets is a leading name in the manufacture, repair and retrieval of wooden pallets, chemical pallets, standard pallets and customized pallets in the Houston, Texas area and continues to play a superior and efficient role in the field of material handling and storing.