If you're buying wooden pallets, then you have a choice of using soft and hard woods. While softwood pallets have advantages, hardwood products are sometimes a better solution.
What are the advantages of using hardwood pallets?
1. Your Pallets Are Stronger
Wood is a naturally strong material; however, not all woods share the same strength qualities. A softwood is, as its name suggests, softer than a hardwood. Harder woods are more resilient, robust and solid. They are better able to carry heavy loads without breakage or damage. The wood's weight limits aren't as restricting as softer alternatives.
This can be useful in a pallet. The pallet can bear more weight, which could increase its load capacity or make it a better option for heavy goods that you would've had to split over multiple softwood products.
2. Your Pallets Last Longer
The strength of hardwood could also give you pallets with a longer working life. This is an important feature if you reuse your pallets multiple times rather than using them for single loads.
A softwood pallet might not come out of a load in good shape. The weight of its load or damage on its journey could affect its integrity. If a pallet cracks or breaks, then you might not be able to use it again.
A hardwood is less likely to have these problems as quickly. You're more likely to get multiple loads out of a single pallet over its natural lifespan. This could reduce the number of pallets you need to hire or buy. Your replacement costs would also be lower.
3. Your Pallets Are Biodegradable
While hardwood pallets typically last for longer than softwood ones, they won't last forever. Constant use will eventually affect the pallet. At some stage, you will need to discard it.
Sometimes, pallets can be reused to make new ones. Suppliers strip off usable parts and create new pallets from them. Even if this isn't feasible, you have the comfort of knowing that your pallets are fully biodegradable. They won't leave a negative environmental footprint behind them when the wood is done.
Making the choice between a hardwood and a softwood is also a question of working out what the pallets will hold. Some woods are more suitable for some cargos than others. To find out more about your options and whether hardwood pallets would work for you, contact pallet suppliers near you.
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