There were pallets aplenty at the inaugural Modex 2012 show in Atlanta. Here's a look at just a few of the more interesting pallet products on display.
Contributing Editor Toby Gooley is a writer and editor specializing in supply chain, logistics, and material handling, and a lecturer at MIT's Center for Transportation & Logistics. She previously was Senior Editor at DC VELOCITY and Editor of DCV's sister publication, CSCMP's Supply Chain Quarterly. Prior to joining AGiLE Business Media in 2007, she spent 20 years at Logistics Management magazine as Managing Editor and Senior Editor covering international trade and transportation. Prior to that she was an export traffic manager for 10 years. She holds a B.A. in Asian Studies from Cornell University.
Who doesn't like pallets? They make warehousing and transportation easier and more efficient, they save time and money, and they're found in just about every warehouse in the world—even in Antarctica. In other words, they're both ubiquitous and indispensable. But ... they're not exactly exciting. After all, they just, well, sit there.
Which is why you might be tempted to think that there isn't much new in the world of pallets. But appearances can be deceiving. As a walk around the floor at the Material Handling Industry of America's inaugural Modex 2012 show showed, pallet manufacturers are putting a lot of thought and effort into innovations and refinements that reflect changing market demand, such as the growing interest in environmental sustainability.
Nearly two-dozen exhibitors at Modex had pallets on display. We can't describe them all, but here's a quick peek at some that were a little out of the ordinary.
Aluminum goes airborne
When AL Pallet says its patented pallets are lightweight, it means it. The low-cost aluminum pallets weigh just nine pounds each but can hold up to 2,500 pounds. They're fireproof, noncorrosive, and easy to repair and clean. They're also fully recyclable and have a high scrap value, according to the manufacturer.
Perhaps the biggest benefit, the company says, is that their remarkably low weight helps reduce airfreight costs. Companies like Samsung, Nokia, LG, and Dell use the pallets for international shipping worldwide. Because they're aluminum, there are no worries about water absorption, toxicity, pests, or product contamination, making them a favorite of pharmaceutical companies. (AL Pallet USA)
Universally appealing
Buckhorn Inc. clearly believes its reusable plastic Universal Pallet can handle whatever comes its way in almost any manufacturing, distribution, and warehousing application. According to the company's website, the model delivers such superior performance that it "makes wooden pallets look like twigs."
According to the manufacturer, the 68.3-pound Universal Pallet is a 48- by 40-inch size with an edge-racking capacity of up to 2,800 pounds—without support—and a full range of configuration options. Buyers can decide whether to have perimeter lips or not, a solid or ventilated top deck, and metal or plastic reinforcing rods. The low-profile pallet also comes with replaceable bottom runners and rubber anti-slip plugs on the top deck, rails, and fork entry. (Buckhorn Inc.)
Have it your way
Conitex Sonoco says its LoadRunner corrugated board pallets are ideal for operations that want to save on freight costs by reducing pallet weights; want to minimize vibration and shock; and/or need clean, sanitary pallets for medical, pharmaceutical, and food products.
Buyers can essentially custom-design the pallets. For the top and optional bottom sheets, they can choose from single-, double-, and triple-wall corrugated or honeycomb decking of various thicknesses. The top sheet can also be die-cut to accommodate a particular product; the bottom sheet can be die-cut to accommodate a pallet jack or other material handling devices. The pallet runners include cylindrical supports and can be engineered in almost any size and strength to match the buyer's specific application. The runners can also be purchased separately and directly applied to a product in lieu of a pallet. (Conitex Sonoco)
Stick to it
De Luxe Paper Products is best known for its food and consumer packaging, but the Canadian company also makes a useful accessory for pallets: a nonslip paper sheet that is placed between each row of product on pallets to prevent them from sliding during warehouse handling and transportation. The sheets stabilize pallet loads by introducing friction between cartons, which helps to keep them in place even when the pallet starts to tip or the load comes to an abrupt stop. This reduces the need for corner boards, straps, glue, stretch wrap, and other packing materials, the manufacturer says.
Made from recyclable materials, the sheets are non-toxic and water-resistant. Ideal for grocery applications, they can be used in temperatures ranging from -5 degrees F to 160 degrees F. (De Luxe Paper Products)
Best of both worlds
As president of a pallet rebuilding and recycling mill, Robert Kessler knows more than most about pallet damage and its causes. Concerned about pallet-related waste and the number of trees used to build short-lived wooden pallets, Kessler invented the Green Line Armor Hybrid Sustained-Use Pallet, a wooden pallet with molded bumpers. The bumpers, made of 100-percent recyclable, biocomposite material, resist impacts, reducing damage and lengthening the useful life of wooden pallets.
The pallets themselves are made of heat-treated white oak, with alloy self-tapping screws and six-sided protective stain for mold/mildew resistance and UV protection. Each pallet is equipped with two EPC Gen 2 RFID tags, one at each end of the pallet in built-in RFID compartments in the bumpers. The pallets come with a 10-year limited warranty. (Green Line Armor)
Great for groceries
The Grocery Distribution Pallet from Orbis Corp. was specifically designed to efficiently store, ship, and handle product throughout the grocery supply chain. When nested, the pallets optimize space in standard 53-foot trailers. Their anti-skid surface effectively holds cases and boxes in place in transit and in the retail operation.
The all-plastic Grocery Pallet has contoured corners and smooth surfaces. It boasts an easy-to-clean design and is smooth and nonporous to avoid absorbing moistures or odors. Additional features include long service life, a lower per-trip cost than alternative pallets, and versatile handling, with four-way hand and fork truck entry. (Orbis)
Strong legwork
The ProStack Solid Deck Pallet by Polymer Solutions International Inc. features a solid top for consistent support across the full plane of the pallet's surface. It also includes a patented, telescoping double-leg design that incorporates a series of interlocking "teeth." This ratchet-style construction secures the top deck to the base via the interlocking legs, producing a connection that's three times stronger than welded or snap pallet construction designs, says the manufacturer. The double-leg construction offers superior resistance to potential damage caused by forklift and pallet jack impacts.
The hygienic pallets are made from 100-percent recyclable, FDA-approved high-density polyethylene (HDPE) with a smooth finish that is easy to clean and inspect, making it suitable for food, pharmaceutical, and medical environments. The ProStack Solid Deck Pallet is available in several different materials, including Factory Mutual Research Corp.-approved grades for fire-retardant applications, and with optional anti-microbial additives. (Polymer Solutions International Inc.)
The rest of the gang
In addition to the companies mentioned in this article, the following companies also exhibited pallet products at Modex:
Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders working on transformation efforts are focused on two major high-impact technology trends, including composite AI and supply chain data governance, according to a study from Gartner, Inc.
"SCP leaders are in the process of developing transformation roadmaps that will prioritize delivering on advanced decision intelligence and automated decision making," Eva Dawkins, Director Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, said in a release. "Composite AI, which is the combined application of different AI techniques to improve learning efficiency, will drive the optimization and automation of many planning activities at scale, while supply chain data governance is the foundational key for digital transformation.”
Their pursuit of those roadmaps is often complicated by frequent disruptions and the rapid pace of technological innovation. But Gartner says those leaders can accelerate the realized value of technology investments by facilitating a shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, with SCP leaders taking ownership of multidisciplinary teams to advance business operations, channels and products.
“A sound data governance strategy supports advanced technologies, such as composite AI, while also facilitating collaboration throughout the supply chain technology ecosystem,” said Dawkins. “Without attention to data governance, SCP leaders will likely struggle to achieve their expected ROI on key technology investments.”
The British logistics robot vendor Dexory this week said it has raised $80 million in venture funding to support an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) powered features, grow its global team, and accelerate the deployment of its autonomous robots.
A “significant focus” continues to be on expanding across the U.S. market, where Dexory is live with customers in seven states and last month opened a U.S. headquarters in Nashville. The Series B will also enhance development and production facilities at its UK headquarters, the firm said.
The “series B” funding round was led by DTCP, with participation from Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and Bootstrap Europe, along with existing investors Atomico, Lakestar, Capnamic, and several angels from the logistics industry. With the close of the round, Dexory has now raised $120 million over the past three years.
Dexory says its product, DexoryView, provides real-time visibility across warehouses of any size through its autonomous mobile robots and AI. The rolling bots use sensor and image data and continuous data collection to perform rapid warehouse scans and create digital twins of warehouse spaces, allowing for optimized performance and future scenario simulations.
Originally announced in September, the move will allow Deutsche Bahn to “fully focus on restructuring the rail infrastructure in Germany and providing climate-friendly passenger and freight transport operations in Germany and Europe,” Werner Gatzer, Chairman of the DB Supervisory Board, said in a release.
For its purchase price, DSV gains an organization with around 72,700 employees at over 1,850 locations. The new owner says it plans to investment around one billion euros in coming years to promote additional growth in German operations. Together, DSV and Schenker will have a combined workforce of approximately 147,000 employees in more than 90 countries, earning pro forma revenue of approximately $43.3 billion (based on 2023 numbers), DSV said.
After removing that unit, Deutsche Bahn retains its core business called the “Systemverbund Bahn,” which includes passenger transport activities in Germany, rail freight activities, operational service units, and railroad infrastructure companies. The DB Group, headquartered in Berlin, employs around 340,000 people.
“We have set clear goals to structurally modernize Deutsche Bahn in the areas of infrastructure, operations and profitability and focus on the core business. The proceeds from the sale will significantly reduce DB’s debt and thus make an important contribution to the financial stability of the DB Group. At the same time, DB Schenker will gain a strong strategic owner in DSV,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said in a release.
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
Serious inland flooding and widespread power outages are likely to sweep across Florida and other Southeast states in coming days with the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which is now predicted to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s northwest coast as a major hurricane, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While the most catastrophic landfall impact is expected in the sparsely-population Big Bend area of Florida, it’s not only sea-front cities that are at risk. Since Helene is an “unusually large storm,” its flooding, rainfall, and high winds won’t be limited only to the Gulf Coast, but are expected to travel hundreds of miles inland, the weather service said. Heavy rainfall is expected to begin in the region even before the storm comes ashore, and the wet conditions will continue to move northward into the southern Appalachians region through Friday, dumping storm total rainfall amounts of up to 18 inches. Specifically, the major flood risk includes the urban areas around Tallahassee, metro Atlanta, and western North Carolina.
In addition to its human toll, the storm could exert serious business impacts, according to the supply chain mapping and monitoring firm Resilinc. Those will be largely triggered by significant flooding, which could halt oil operations, force mandatory evacuations, restrict ports, and disrupt air traffic.
While the storm’s track is currently forecast to miss the critical ports of Miami and New Orleans, it could still hurt operations throughout the Southeast agricultural belt, which produces products like soybeans, cotton, peanuts, corn, and tobacco, according to Everstream Analytics.
That widespread footprint could also hinder supply chain and logistics flows along stretches of interstate highways I-10 and I-75 and on regional rail lines operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX. And Hurricane Helene could also likely impact business operations by unleashing power outages, deep flooding, and wind damage in northern Florida portions of Georgia, Everstream Analytics said.
Before the storm had even touched Florida soil, recovery efforts were already being launched by humanitarian aid group the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). In a statement on Wednesday, the group said it is urging residents in the storm's path across the Southeast to heed evacuation notices and safety advisories, and reminding members of the logistics community that their post-storm help could be needed soon. The group will continue to update its Disaster Micro-Site with Hurricane Helene resources and with requests for donated logistics assistance, most of which will start arriving within 24 to 72 hours after the storm’s initial landfall, ALAN said.