When CHEP Sneezes…

Up north there is an old saying that when the U.S. sneezes, Canada catches a cold. The market for reusable transport packaging and pallets isn’t all that different. When new competitors or substitute goods (i.e., innovative products or systems) enter the marketplace, there is predictably a ripple effect.

For example, when CHEP U.S.A. rolled out in [...]

AIAG Pallet and Lid Survey Reveals Opportunity for Improvement

Why is it that the words “pallets” and “problems” are so often found in the same sentence? According to at least one comment from last November’s AIAG Call to Action, the analogy fits in the automotive supply chain as well, saying that the challenge of managing reusable pallets and lids is not just a “pain [...]

Pallet Pools Offer Public Warehouses New Service Opportunities (Historic Reprint)

from D & W, January 1945

www.packagingrevolution.net is pleased to present another key article from the formative years of palletization.
After the war, between one and three million surplus pallets may be disposed of by the government. Commercial shipments of palletized unit loads are expected to become common. Some pooling method for collecting pallets and [...]

Four Strong Winds: Reusable Transport Packaging Ready for Prime Time?

Sudden change, counter-intuitively, is anything but sudden. Just like the old analogy of the lily pads that establish a toehold on a large pond. They diligently yet subtly double every day until on the 28th day they cover one-quarter of the water. On the 29th day they blanket half of it. And on the 30th [...]

A Reference Guide for the Construction and Inspection of Wood Pallets – 1954

This early document provides a detailed look at pallets and pallet technology in the early 1950s. The U.S. Navy was at the forefront of pallet advances during World War 2 and in the years that followed. One interesting post-war switch was from the 40×48″ stringer pallet to the 48×40″ pallet, likely having to do with [...]

Insight: If You Can’t Make Some Heat, Get Out of the Kitchen

The title of this piece, a twist on Harry Truman’s classic quote about not standing the heat, is a call by business writer John Maxwell for leaders to act proactively and make a difference. But often there are barriers to continuous improvement. One such hurdle is success itself.
For reusable packaging programs as in life, good [...]

Reducing Complexity in Reusable Packaging: Flexible Container Allows Various Sized Gear Racks to Be Stored in Same Container

One of the ongoing challenges for reusable packaging which is part-specific is complexity involving several sizes or variations for different production models. For example, a part available in different sizes often requires that it be transported or stored in various packaging sizes. This quite simply means that corresponding to the number of different product sizes [...]

Are Reusables Really So…HARD TO HOLD? (Part 2)

This week, we continue our feature, “…Hard to Hold.” Last week we began our exploration of why reusables, commonly referred to as reusable packaging, returnable/reusable containers, reusable dunnage, returnable crates, RPCs, RTI, RTP, etc., are often so problematic to control. To review the first installment, click here. The feature continues below.
The Importance of Pallet and [...]

Reusable Packaging: Is It Really So HARD TO HOLD? (Part 1)

Editor’s note: This piece, written late last year, was tied up pending which publication to run it in. The points made, like reusable packaging itself, continue to endure. Part 1 is included this week. RL

Why Do Some Pallet and Container Users Struggle to Maintain Control of Assets?
With the headline leading news in November 2009 [...]

Are Tracking Challenges Constraining the Reusables Blastoff?

Present Approaches to Reusable Packaging Management Constrain Expansion in Some Applications
If you come to a fork in the road, Yogi Berra once said, “take it.” In a nutshell, that is where some reusable pallet and container applications find themselves. A few years ago, USPS was in the spotlight for its high attrition rate of plastic [...]

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