P allets are ubiquitous in the supply chain, though their impact is not always apparent. “Pallets literally move almost everything we eat, drink, wear, use, or consume daily,” says Alison Zitzke, market manager, plastic reusable pallets, ORBIS Corporation. “Many people do not think about how their products get to them or to the stores, but pallets are the critical piece in almost every supply chain,” she adds. About 95% of worldwide industrial and consumer goods travel on a pallet at some point in their lifespan between manufacturing to distribution to the end consumer. “In effect, the entire supply chain is built around the pallet,” notes Jeff Pepperworth, president and CEO of iGPS Logistics. “Trucks, trailers, and TEU (twenty- foot equivalent unit) shipping containers, as well as automated logistics facilities, are all configured to accommodate the standard 48-foot by 40-foot shipping pallet,” Pepperworth notes. This long-time shipping staple is now evolving. The pallet sector is currently focused on “meaningful innovation,” says Yemisi Bolumole, the Ryder professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee. “When pallet manufacturers innovate, it’s not just about pallet material— they’re also rethinking how pallets are cycled through the system,” Bolumole says. “Now, the focus has expanded to how we can efficiently load and stack pallets, both in warehouses and, more importantly, on trucks.” Constant improvements in material- handling technology require pallet design to keep pace with its own innovations. “This is why pallets can now be accessed from four directions instead of two,” Pepperworth says.
The seemingly simple pallet is growing more sophisticated as new innovations strengthen an already critical asset. PALLETS LOAD UP INNOVATION
May 2025 • Inbound Logistics 51
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