Plastic pallets have had a long history in the global logistics industry. They have been very effective for many years and became even more popular during the Second World War. This is due to supplies needing to be shipped across the world with little possible labour.
After the war, plastic pallets gained popularity in everyday commercial use. They soon became internationally recognised through standard specifications. This laid out the standardisation and automation when loading and unloading freight. Before this standardisation, it was quite difficult for loading and unloading cargo.
The importance of plastic pallets
Plastic pallets are significantly important as they offer various advantages in multiple environments. The main advantage and why these pallets are so important is the huge reduction in time needed when sorting. handling and transporting loads. Plastic pallets allow products to be moved in groups together rather than items being moved individually. Thanks to the design being standardised, each load is identical. So vehicles, loading and unloading, and handling equipment be optimised and shipments can be moved with maximum efficiency. Due to this, products can be loaded on a huge ship in just a couple of days whereas, in the past, a large load on a small ship could have taken weeks to load. Using plastic pallets is estimated to cut down the time and labour of handling by over 90 percent!
These types of pallets are highly durable to numerous factors. This is especially true when it comes to chemical and extreme temperature exposure. They don’t absorb chemicals, and they can maintain their integrity and strength even in scorching or freezing environments. This ensures that cargo is safely transported no matter the environment or what materials are stacked upon them. Due to the ability to not absorb water, these pallets are moisture resistant to prevent the growth of mould, mildew and bacteria. This resistance also makes them unaffected by pests as they aren’t liveable for them, unlike wooden pallets. These factors ensure that during transportation, handling and storage, all materials and items won’t be damaged, broken or deteriorated.
When transporting goods, maintaining hygiene is crucial, especially for medical or food products. Plastic pallets ensure optimal hygiene and are simple to maintain this excellent hygiene standard. They are very easy to clean and sanitise. A quick wash with water and disinfectant is usually all that’s needed to maintain a high hygiene standard. Doing this keeps any product uncontaminated throughout the supply chain.
A size guide to containers and plastic pallets
To determine how many pallets fit in a 20ft container, it is vital to understand the sizes of shipping containers and plastic pallets. Sizes of these essential transportation containers and pallets have been laid out by the International Standards Organisation (ISO) since 1956. They set out dimensions and specifications for shipping containers. The standard ISO container is 40ft long, 8ft wide and 8.5ft high. This is the most popular type of container and is perfect for shipping non-specialist loads on pallets.
When it comes to plastic pallets, there are two popular options that are used globally. The ISO pallet, which is referred to as the standard pallet, is 1000x1200mm. The other option is the slimmer Euro pallet which is 800x1200mm.
Why would you use a 20ft container rather than a 40ft one?
A 40ft container is the standard size for transportation of goods with the majority of businesses using this type. So, why would you use a 20ft container instead? Well, 20ft shipping containers provide many benefits. The main benefit of this size container is that they’re perfect for shipments that don’t need a large amount of space. If a shipment is small or medium or if your goods weigh a lot but don’t take up much room, a 20ft container is ideal.
Due to smaller shipments not needing the additional volume of a 40ft container, having a 20ft container is very cost-effective. Not only are 20-foot containers less expensive to rent and purchase, but they are also less expensive to transport. They also are easier to manoeuvre so they can fit into restricted spaces, and they require less room for storage. 20ft containers are ideal for urban areas or construction sites with limited access. If you are transporting two shipments together, that are going to the same region but different ultimate destinations, these can be sent in two 20ft containers (in the space of a 40ft one) together for the main part of the journey, then go their separate ways when needed without any loading or unloading.
How many pallets can fit in a 20ft container?
So, how many pallets can fit in a 20ft container? To make processes more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly, it is ideal to ensure every bit of space in the container is used. As containers are a fixed size, if there’s unused space, there is wasted energy that moves air around the world. This needs to be prevented by using as much space in the container as possible.
Container and plastic pallet sizes are standardised independently. It makes them not fully compatible. An ISO container isn’t wide enough to have the capacity for two rows of any pallet. This means to utilise the space, a 20ft container needs to be loaded with one row of pallets with its long size across and the other row short side across.
By loading this way, it brings the question of how many pallets fit in a 20ft container? This size container loaded in the correct way can fit nine to ten standard pallets in one tier.
How many Euro pallets can fit in a 20-foot container?
Another common question that can cause confusion is how many Euro pallets can fit in a 20-foot container? Euro pallets are slimmer in size. So, when using this type of pallet, there is greater capacity to fit more plastic pallets in the shipping container. For a 20ft container, the number of Euro pallets it can holds is eleven. This can be loaded with the same technique as standard plastic pallets.