National Pallet Manufacturer

48forty is a Leading National Pallet Manufacturer

Wood pallets are one of the most underestimated and yes, taken for granted items that we use in the movement of goods and services across the nation. Yet, just as the foundation of a building determines the ultimate strength and success, wood pallets are the very base that can mean failure or full steam ahead. 48forty has devoted over 25 years as a national pallet manufacturer, with over 225 facilities across the nation and one of the first to ever “go green” in transitioning to ecological achievements. While other companies may make claims, 48forty backs our statements up with proven reliability, including being full service in manufacturing, recycling, and reissuing. 48forty leads the way with centralized accountability including ownership of warehouses, trucks, distribution centers, pallets, and recycling facilities.

We believe knowledge is power and we want to include the information that you need to make selecting a pallet manufacturer an easy process.

What to Look for in a Pallet Manufacturing Company

Investing in a wood pallet manufacturing company should be a decision that brings confidence and security so you can focus on the business of your organization. Choosing the wrong one can result in added expense, lost inventory, and lots of your time wasted. 48forty has devoted over 25 years as a successful wood pallet manufacturing and recycling company.

Here is a check list to use when looking for a national wood pallet company:

1. Longevity: wood pallet manufacturing companies that have been in the business for many years have the staff, the expertise, and the experience to work with specific customer needs. Newer companies may proclaim that they are good, but they usually stumble over anything that is unique or unusual or out of the norm.
2. Size: The best wood pallet manufacturing companies will have facilities across the country so that they can coordinate and handle orders of any complexity in a streamlined condition. 48forty has 225 facilities across the nation and into Canada.
3. Own trailers, warehouses, and staff: Only choose a wood pallet manufacturing company that has 48forty has centralized functions including ownership of warehouses, trucks, distribution centers, pallets, and the facilities responsible for the recycling. Smaller companies rely on third party vendors which can increase costs to customers.
4. Customization options: Not all pallets are equal and there are some situations that may require customized solutions for a client. 48forty has a team of consultants that work with customers to assist in all customization needs and bring results around their time schedule. 
5. Quality: It goes without saying that some wood pallet companies don’t always use the best wood and that ends up costing the customer in the long run with shorter pallet lifespans and breakage. 
6. Pallets made at 48forty adhere to the highest quality management systems to make sure that our customers receive consistent quality pallets. We accomplish routine compliance tests and risk assessments that includes safety and security. Our standard operating procedures are based on good manufacturing process with site-level KPIs. We select the best grades of wood and are the largest buyer of recycled white wood pallets as well as the largest recycler of pallets in the country.
7. Green Report Card: Today’s wood pallet industry focuses a lot on ecological choices and actions. A few companies may proclaim good eco-friendly efforts, but look deeper into what they do to ensure that they are going the extra mile. 48forty began with wood pallet recycling as part of our mission statement and we take the extra steps so that all materials, including the nails, are recycled, reused, or transitioned into ecological options. We have over 25 years of experience in efforts to save the planet.
8. Taking Green to the Next Level: The best wood manufacturers and suppliers have expanded their services so that they are becoming a base for those that want to sell existing pallets. These efforts keep wood pallets out of landfills and help to continue the efforts to recycle, reuse, refurbish. 48forty has been taking these actions for many years. We are proud to say that 48forty has been named “Green Supply Chain Partner for 2020” by Inbound Logistics magazine.
9. Technology for the Customer: This option should include more than just online ordering and expand into real-time access for: orders, pickup requests, and invoice reviews. There should be a 24/7 availability for online and mobile app. 48forty has created PalTrax™, an online account management tool that makes it easy for complete end-to-end pallet process. Going paperless also helps to reinforce the 48forty commitment to being earth-friendly. All data collected is aggregated and available for real-time review and reporting.
10. Accountability: There should be complete transparency for every step of a pallet ordering, delivery, and pickup. A customer should have access to the dates and times and never have to guess at any of it. 48forty’s online account management tool PalTrax™ includes the ability to preview every pallet loaded on a 48forty trailer, the pallet grading, count, and real-time digital documentation. The back doc pallet management app tracks incoming/outgoing pallet quantities, vendor, type (recycled, new, pooled) and confirms that pallets meet the customer spec, load, date, and time.
11. Excellence in Service: Customer service continues to be the main bastion for a company choice. Look to the number of happy customers that a wood pallet manufacturing company has and take the time to contact a few of them. 48forty is considered to be a partner for our clients with total responsiveness to details and attentions. With over 2700 happy clients, 48forty is the leader in the industry for service excellence.
12. Large to Small Customer Needs: Some wood pallet manufacturing companies do well with local and small customers but have difficulties when dealing with the complex needs of the supply chains that often have ever changing volumes and customizations. 48forty specializes in working with customers of all sizes for complete wood pallet solutions.
13. Flexibility: A good wood pallet manufacturer and supplier will be able to turn at a moment’s notice when the need of a client suddenly changes. Their business model should be created around the concept that change is inevitable and their staff and representatives should have the ability to be flexible enough to take care of these kinds of customer needs. 48forty has been founded on the concept of flexibility so that our customers can view and review at every step of the way.
14. Looking to the Future: We are currently seeing some dynamic changes in the way that goods are shipped and stored. This evolution requires insight from a good wood pallet manufacturer and supplier so that they can adjust to the new world of storing, shipping, and drop shipping. At 48forty we have our fingers on the pulse of the industry and are adding to our existing technologies so that we can adjust as the industry takes new turns.
15. More than wood pallet manufacturing: Customers often don’t have the staff or the time for some of the additional services that are needed that relate to the pallet landscape. The best companies bring an array of comprehensive retail solutions that help to reduce pallet cots while maintaining smooth warehouse operations. 48forty offers onsite pallet management including sortation, repair, and reuse, “sharking” and TPM (Total Pallet Management); as well as onside labor services of processing and returning trailers, freight handling, RTV processing, and yard hosteling. 48forty has RLCs (Reverse Logistic Centers), recycling services, pallet repair and return, and janitorial services.
16. Proof of Savings: The better wood pallet manufacturers and suppliers will have consultants that work with customers to assist them in configuring their requirements while also offering cost-savings advice that will help with their bottom line. 48forty has historically saved money for clients by offering options and choices that works for their business.
    
    

Wood Pallet History 101

• Most people take wood pallets for granted or don’t even think about them at all. This is the human condition when something works so well that they can be counted on so that we focus on those things that we need to constantly fix. Wood pallets have become such an integral part of our society that until you need them, they are overlooked. However, wood pallets are in use on almost every level, from transport of food and goods to storage facilities.
• In the past, goods were shipped using kegs, boxes, and barrels. However, it was a cumbersome process to load and unload these containers and many fell and were broken, causing the loss of profit.
• Around the 1930s the creation of the wood pallet came into being to compliment the invention of the first modern forklift. These two ideas revolutionized the shipping and packing industry because now products could be stacked and moved on wood pallets and stored vertically. The idea changed the methods of loading, unloading, and warehouse storage.
• The first wood pallet created didn’t resemble what we see today, instead these pallets were made of a few runner boards with a wood board nailed across them and included a raised platform so that the forklift could move underneath.
• As time passed, innovations were made to the wood pallet so that additional boards were nailed at the bottom to create a skid-like version and this eventually became the wood pallet that we are familiar with today. Gradual changes allowed the development of the four-sided pallet so that a forklift could access from all sides.
• The initial manufacturers of the pallets chose wood because it was the most widely available product and was cost-effective. Wood could also handle incredible weights and could maintain integrity and strength when stacked high I storage.
• In the initial days, pallet sizes varied based on what they needed at the moment. Some were as small as 3’x3’ and others as big as 4’x8’.
• It wasn’t until the 1960s that the grocery store industry examined the use of pallets of all sizes and recognized that without some sort of general agreement on size, storage of foods and goods was time-consuming and inefficient.
• Grocery Manufacturers of America, with the help of General Foods created a pallet industry standard for wood that was 48”x40” so that there could be some kind of uniformity and to save on costs.
• There continues to be no set permanent standard size today, however, the various industries made used of around three sizes that can be used for almost all product shipment and storage both nationally and internationally: 48”x40”, 40”x40”, and 48”x48”.
• Wood pallet recycling and refurbishing was one of the later industries for ecological efforts. Most companies didn’t begin recycling until around 2010, however, there were a few innovative national pallet manufacturers, such as the well-known 48forty company, that began recycling and reissuing wood pallets in 1996 as part of their business model.
• Today, around 98% of wood pallets that are produced are recycled, refurbished, or transitioned into other earth-friendly materials.

Taking Our Motto Seriously

" 48forty Solutions is truly Pallet Management Made Simple™ "

48forty was founded on the concept of transitioning wood pallets out of landfills and into the eco-friendly environment. As we have grown we have always maintained this business model commitment and will continue to retain transparency in everything that we do. We believe our customers deserve the innovation that will save them time and money without sacrificing quality, service, or ecological advantages. These ideals have led 48forty to become a leader in wood pallet manufacturing, supply, and recycling.