If you have ever been involved in a manufacturing or shipping operation in Milwaukee, you probably encountered some kinds of pallets or skids. These simple yet practical shipping containers are the backbone of most logistic systems today. Let’s look closer and see why these humble materials are so important.
Keeping Up with Technology
So many things now are advanced and high tech but something as basic as a skid remains pretty much unchanged, and the reason is simple. Why fix something which isn’t broken? In other words, they work perfectly so a redesign simply doesn’t make a great deal of sense.
Tough and Durable
Thousands of times a day, a lift truck’s forks ram into a wooden pallet or skid much too hard, and most of the time, there is no damage. They perform their jobs flawlessly and live to work another day. Pallets are often stacked high and sometimes fall to the floor and even if one of the boards becomes damaged, it can be replaced and your skid will be as good as new.
Better Than the Wheel?
The wheel has been touted as one of the all-time greatest inventions of mankind, and rightfully so. However, the pallet and skid have to be up there next to them, in fact, they work together to make most types of shipping possible, whether it’s an automotive parts supply house in Milwaukee or a major corporation in Los Angeles or New York.
A World without Pallets or Skids
Think of how much warehouse space it would take if you couldn’t stack materials almost to the ceiling. Most companies couldn’t afford to keep very many materials or products in inventory and this would greatly affect prices in Milwaukee and all over.
Think about how hard it would be to unload a 53-foot trailer of materials if there were no skids. Many things would have to be loaded and unloaded manually and this would increase the time it takes for shipping and receiving and this could cause prices to escalate. Yes, the world would be a difficult and more expensive place to live in.
Versatility
Pallets can be large or small. They can be accessed from the top, bottom or sides, depending on their design and construction. A skid or pallet can be attached to a large wooden shipping box, hoisted from a crane and lifted up onto a large ocean going vessel. A custom pallet and skid manufacturer in Milwaukee can give you the perfect shipping containers whether you want wood or plastic.
