Packaging Guidelines

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How to package and present your Pallets

There are certain requirements to be met when sending via pallet in order to achieve successful collection and delivery

Ensuring your freight is safely secured and presented is critical for a smooth delivery. While traveling through our distribution network, a pallet is handled six to eight times. Proper preparation prevents transit damage and guarantees that our drivers can safely accept your load

 

Follow these six essential guidelines to ensure your consignment meets strict UK transport requirements. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your pallets are properly packaged and presented for safe and efficient transportation. If you have any further questions or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact us.

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Pallet Suitability and Base Selection

  • Material Quality : Use good quality pallets that are stable and undamaged, with no missing boards or chocks, ensuring the pallet base is robust and suitable for the type of goods carried.
  • Clearance Requirements : Tail-lift collections require a 4-way entry pallet with a minimum of 100mm clearance for pallet truck entry.
  • Zero Overhang : Ensure items fit entirely within the perimeter boundaries. Goods must never overhang the base edge.
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Secure Loading & Pallet Wrapping Techniques

 

  • Banding & Wrapping: Anchor your goods firmly to the base chocks using industrial plastic shrink-wrap, heavy-duty fibre/steel banding, or chains.
  • Weatherproofing: Fully encapsulate the cargo in plastic wrap for weather protection during outdoor sorting or uncovered offloading.
  • Handling Labels: Explicitly tag half, quarter, and micro pallets with visible "DO NOT STACK" signage if they cannot support top loads.
  • Mechanical Goods: Machinery must be completely crated, with all fuel or engine oils completely drained before securing. Review our engine shipping guide for strict hazard compliance rules.
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The Stability 'Push Test'

Before the truck arrives, verify the physical balance of your consignment:

  • Execution: Conduct a quick 'Push Test' on the side of your cargo. If items shift, wobble, or display top-heavy imbalance, they are unsafe for road transit.
  • Network Readiness: Items must withstand consecutive fork-truck rehandling movements without tipping
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CONSIGNMENT WEIGHT & SIZE

  • Declare an accurate consignment weight and size.
  • Standard Pallets should not exceed the standard size of 1200mm x 1200mm, and goods must not overhang the pallet edges.
  • Oversized pallets cannot exceed 1200mm x 2400mm, if a tail lift service is required maximum pallet size is reduced to 1200mm x 2000mm as larger pallets will not fit onto the tail lift.
  • Maximum weight is 1000 kgs per pallet for goods collected or delivered by Tail-lift.
  • Failure to declare the correct weight and size may result in delays, cancellation, or additional costs being incurred.
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PACKAGING AND PROTECTION

  • Goods must be securely packaged and protected for transport prior to collection.
  • Individual items should have sufficient packaging, such as bubble wrap or cardboard, for protection.
  • We cannot package goods for transport, but we can supply a pallet and wrap provision service (for an additional cost) for you to place your goods onto a pallet.
  • The driver is unable to assist in securing items to the pallet. It is the customer's responsibility to ensure goods are packaged and secured correctly.
  • All pallets must be packaged well and presented to our driver in a condition suitable for road transportation.
  • Please note: If the item is deemed unfit or unsafe for transportation, the collection driver has the right to refuse to collect.
  • The driver's decision is final on the pallet’s suitability for transit.
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CLEAR LABELLING

  • Clearly mark pallets with relevant delivery address labels on at least two sides.
  • Include full details of the sender and delivery destination, along with any reference or contact details.
  • Utilise our Online Booking System to print pallet labels and securely attach them to your pallets.
 

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