Five Reasons to Consider Using Softwood Pallets

If your business uses a lot of pallets to transport your goods, then you have probably wondered whether there might be a way of reducing the cost of your pallets. Traditionally, pallets have been made from hardwoods, but for many companies that do a lot of shipping, softwood pallet manufacturing is now offering an alternative solution that can save them a lot of money.

Hardwood or softwood: What's the Difference?

Hardwood pallets have been the most popular option for a long time. They are created from deciduous trees such as oak, while softwood pallet manufacturing is done using wood from evergreen trees such as pine. Hardwood has long been preferred for pallet manufacturing due to the strength and durability it offers, but that is now starting to change. Here are five reasons that softwood pallet manufacturing is starting to grow in popularity.

Softwood pallets are cheap 

Hardwood pallets are more durable, but you might be paying for durability you don't need. If what you need is wooden pallets that will be used once and then abandoned, then softwood pallets are a more economical choice.

Softwood pallets are ISPM15-compliant 

The kiln-dried nature of most softwood means that the risk of fungus and mould is removed. Most softwood pallets are supplied marked as being ISPM15-compliant, so you can use them to ship goods overseas without any concerns

Softwood pallets are strong enough 

Hardwood pallets will always be able to carry more weight than softwood, but is that a concern? Unless your goods are especially heavy, most softwood pallets can cope with the weight. If you do have any concerns, you should speak to your softwood pallet manufacturing company. They will be able to advise you of the specifications to which their pallets are built.

Softwood pallets are lighter

The heaver a pallet is, the harder it is and, therefore, the more expensive it is to transport. Softwood pallets are lighter and more easily manoeuvrable, which makes transporting them quicker and less costly.

Softwood pallets reduce deforestation 

While deciduous trees, from which hardwood pallets are made, take many years to grow, softwood trees grow much faster. The faster tree growth means that deforestation is much less of a problem with softwoods and that softwood pallets are a more sustainable option.

To find out if using softwood pallets is a viable option for your business, talk to your nearest softwood pallet manufacturing company today.