How to Choose a Logistics Partner for Pallet Delivery

Quality logistics providers are vital to the success of supply chains, but finding a reliable logistics partner to support your business with pallet delivery can be a challenging and lengthy process.

There is a lot to consider, from delivery timings and service levels to preventing damages and lost freight.

The following guide covers the key aspects to consider when reviewing the performance of your logistics partner and when looking for a new partner for your pallet deliveries.

What pallet sizes do they offer?

When moving goods on a pallet, the pallet sizes offered by your distribution partner can have a real impact on cost.

Check the pallet sizes your logistics partner provides and ensure that they can offer a suitable size to meet your needs.

Review the pallet footprint. Standard UK pallet sizes are 20 per cent larger than Euro pallets, which adds up to significant savings over time.

Plus, it’s important to note the height and weight measurements for what is classed as a quarter, half, full or oversized pallet, as these can vary depending on your provider.

At Pallet-Track, for example, we offer a generous half pallet size with a maximum height of two metres. Take a look at our customer page for more information on our pallet sizes and weights.

How comprehensive is their network coverage?

Review the coverage of your logistics or transport partner. Are they part of a network and do they cover the destinations you need, now and in the future? Networks can improve efficiency, helping you to reduce miles, save money and operate more sustainably.

When it comes to pallet delivery, You also want to ensure service levels are consistent between network members, regardless of location, and of the same quality.

Hard-to-reach destinations

For reliable UK-wide coverage, ensure that the network you use has enough members to meet your needs, but can also deliver to hard-to-reach locations.

That could be very rural locations, such as Cornwall or northern Scotland, or central London, where ULEZ and congestion make delivery much more difficult.

Pallet-Track has more than 90 shareholder members who are strategically selected for our pallet network who deliver consistent, high-quality coverage and service throughout the UK.

To maximise customer satisfaction, all our members follow the Pallet-Track Way.

Will your logistics partner deliver goods on time?

When researching potential logistics and pallet delivery partners, request information on their service levels. For example, how often do they deliver On Time In Full (OTIF).

Having goods delivered OTIF is one of the top priorities of customers in every industry, so it should be a priority for your logistics partner.

OTIF is calculated by dividing the number of deliveries made on time by the total number of deliveries in a given period.

A reliable transport partner will be ready and willing to share this information with prospective customers.

Pallet-Track and our members certainly are – our levels of service are unrivalled in the sector with 98.3% of deliveries made on time!

Review delivery options

Determine whether delivery options meet the needs of your business. The following questions are important to ask when looking for a suitable transport partner:

• What delivery options are available?
• What does economy delivery look like – how cost effective is it and how long does it take?
• Are next day and time specific options available if you need them?

Visibility on pallets during transit

How much visibility do you and your customers need on your consignments during transportation?

Receiving regular updates on the status of each delivery can help you keep track of goods more easily, particularly when you have multiple consignments travelling to multiple destinations.

Having access to a bespoke online portal to check the progress of your deliveries can save your team valuable admin time.

So instead of chasing your provider for updates, you can view accurate, real-time data on collections and deliveries.

Dynamic ETAs

Most customers want and need an accurate Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA) on their consignment. Can your logistics partner provide an accurate ETA and meet it?

Pallet-Track can provide dynamic two-hour customer ETAs by email and SMS on all deliveries. Contact your local service member to activate this service.

Pallet tracking capabilities

As your logistics partner for pallet distribution, we live up to our name.

Pallet-Track provides full online pallet tracking from end to end and photo proof of delivery.

As a pallet network, we also scan consignments nine times from collection to delivery, and we’re making further investments to provide the most sophisticated tracking capabilities in the pallet sector.

Proof of delivery photos

Depending on the type of goods you are transporting, you may need to know the condition of goods on arrival at their destination, as well as the time of delivery.

Time, date and location stamps prove when goods arrived at their destination.

Photos of the condition of your goods upon delivery are also valuable if your freight is more at risk of damage during transit.

Proof of delivery (POD) photos are mandatory for all our deliveries, excluding sites with restrictions in place.

How likely are your goods to be damaged or lost?

Request data on your transport provider’s lost and damaged pallets and compare these to other providers.

Pallet-Track has handled more than 43 million pallets without losing a single one at our Hubs.

Plus, our members actively work with customers to overcome issues they have faced with other providers.

Pallet-Track shareholder member SSO Logistics secured a distribution deal with packaging supply company Venturepak after significantly reducing its damage rates.

We also provide our customers with guidance on packing, wrapping and labelling pallets to reduce these issues and to help us get pallets to their destination more efficiently.

How does your logistics partner ensure safety?

Pallet distribution is used to move large, heavy and bulky goods from A to B.

With palletised goods weighing up to 1,200kg, a high-quality partner will prioritise the safety of both its employees and its customers when delivering pallets.

At Pallet-Track, we believe that safety is no accident.

Our members adhere to the following guidelines to ensure safety:

• Follow Health and Safety Executive recommendations on pallet delivery
• Provide a 1,200kg weight limitation
• Ensure risk assessments are carried out prior to delivery
• Use kerbside delivery for residential pallet deliveries
• Provide options for tail lift delivery upon request – the maximum weight on a tail lift is 750kg.
• Invest in the ongoing training of their team

How quickly will your pallet delivery provider solve problems?

Occasionally, deliveries don’t quite go to plan and consignments may be delayed on route due to diversions or poor weather.

But how proactive will your logistics partner be in keeping you updated and getting your goods to their destination as quickly as possible?

Ask your provider to share their approach to overcoming issues and examples of how they have solved problems for their customers.

Key questions to consider:

• Who will your primary contact be?
• How can you contact them?
• How can you contact them out of hours?
• When are they available?
• Can you talk to a human if something goes wrong?

How easy is it to book deliveries?

It’s easy to integrate our booking system with yours. We have multiple integration options all designed to make the process effortless for our customers.

Want to book a demo and learn how we can make delivery bookings easier? Contact our team to find out more.

What is their approach to sustainability?

Pallet networks are the most sustainable solution your transport partner can offer.

Freight consolidation increases vehicle fill, which reduces the number of vehicles on the road by approximately 800 per day.

At Pallet-Track, optimised route planning and strategically located hubs also help us to improve efficiency and reduce journeys. Learn more about the benefits of the hub and spoke distribution model.

Pallet-Track’s 90-plus network members are also invested in sustainable practices, from investing in electric vehicles and alternative fuels to solar panels on warehouse roofs and going paperless, ensuring the most efficient pallet services nationwide. In fact, our shareholder member Mobile People Powered Logistics has even achieved carbon neutral status.

 

Would you like to talk to our team about pallet delivery? Contact us today.