Pallet Delivery

A pallet is a flat sturdy structure, typically constructed from wood, metal, or plastic. Pallets are used to safely transport and distribute a wide range of items – from fresh produce to industrial parts. After securing products to the pallet with straps or shrink wrap, we load the palletised goods onto the transport vehicle using a forklift truck.

Pallet transport is all about improving delivery performance and reducing freight costs, whilst also driving profitability. It’s designed to make life easier, avoiding the complex challenges and disjointed transactions that usually come hand-in-hand with the transportation and delivery of goods.

It makes very smart business sense to allow a pallet distribution company to take care of the entire process on your behalf, from pick-up to final delivery. Choosing the right service could help to cut your delivery costs right down, as well as improve your sustainability.

1) Pallet size

Generally speaking, pallet distribution is a more cost-effective method of delivery than individual shipments. However, you’ll only be maximising the financial benefits if you pay for the pallet size that you actually need. Whichever material pallets are made of, they can vary greatly in size, so your chosen pallet courier should offer a size that fits the number of goods you want to transport.

We offer a full range of pallet sizes at the John K. Philips Group, including quarter, half, full, and oversized. Our transportation rates are also tailored to meet the specific needs of individual clients.

If your consignment doesn’t fill the minimum payload capacity, we offer part load services, whereby your delivery is consolidated with others to create a full load. This allows us to provide the same level of service for a fraction of the cost, making it a popular choice for small business owners.

2) Technology

Most industries need to keep up with the latest technological advances, and this is especially true for distribution and logistics. The best pallet distribution companies underpin their operations with technology solutions that streamline the pick-up and delivery processes for everyone involved.

Take the cutting-edge ‘track and trace’ computer system we currently use at John K. Philips, for example. This innovative technology, along with modern signature-capture devices, enables us to follow the progress of your consignment with complete accuracy throughout every stage.

You’ll be fully informed regarding the status of every order, from the current location to the delivery vehicle and driver details. You can contact us to check on estimated arrival times whenever you like, but you can always rely on us to deliver your palletised products to specified deadlines.

3) Customer service

As for any business you deal with, you’ll want your transportation and logistics provider to offer excellent customer service. Ideally, they’ll have a dedicated team of well-trained staff, who are easy to reach and can provide expert guidance from the outset.

At the John K. Philips company headquarters in Warrington, our customer services team works tirelessly to deliver the highest possible standards. Whatever your business needs or distribution requirements may be, we’ll do everything we can to create a tailored solution for you.

We offer a full range of distribution services, including different-sized pallets and deliveries throughout the UK and Europe. Our drivers and vehicles are all ADR (Accord Dangereux Routier) compliant, meaning they can transport everything from fresh fruit to dangerous chemicals. With fast distribution times, reduced operating costs, and seamless centralised operations, our customer service is second to none.

When it comes to buying or renting pallets in the UK, there are many factors that determine the best pallet size for whichever goods you’re storing or transporting – including the weight, properties, and destination. The most common or standard UK pallet size is 1200mm by 1000mm (1.2m by 1m).

This differs from the standard Euro pallet size, which is 1200mm by 800mm (1.2m by 0.8m). Whatever the length and width of the pallet may be, the ‘quarter’ or ‘half’ designations refer to the height of the load and its maximum weight, rather than the dimensions of the pallet itself.

Similarly, an ‘oversized’ pallet refers to a load larger than the standard UK pallet (i.e. 1200mm by 1000mm), which extends past the edges by up to a few inches. The maximum oversize allowance can vary, depending on the goods, and how best to store them without causing damage or taking up too much space.

As specialists in pallet delivery and storage for over 40 years, you can contact John K. Philips to find out everything you need to know about pallet sizes and which one is right for you.

Perhaps the most important factor to consider when it comes to pallet delivery is the haulage itself, as this determines the type of pallet your consignment will require. For this reason, you’ll want to get familiar with the different kinds of standardised UK pallets and their load-bearing capacities:

UK Standard Grade 1 (or Grade A)

• • Capable of holding up to 1 tonne in weight.
• • Identifiable by its big boards and narrow gaps.
• • Sometimes referred to as a perimeter-based pallet.

UK Standard Grade 2 (or Grade B)

• • Capable of holding up to 750kg in weight.
• • Range of options available, including perimeter-based pallets for racking, or non-perimeter based which don’t have any extra baseboards.

UK Standard Grade 3 (or Grade C)

• • Used for lightweight haulage, commonly managing between 200-500kg in weight.
• • Typically have thin boards with more gaps in between them.

This is a very basic beginner’s guide to UK standard pallet sizes, but we always recommend discussing your specific requirements with your supplier before committing to any type of pallet.

As soon as you notify us of a specific load, we’ll make the appropriate amount of space on one of our freight vehicles and pick up your goods from the relevant facilities. We can work with you and your suppliers to specify a time window that suits you for the collection.

While the palletised goods are in transit, our advanced tracking system will provide frequent updates on their current location and estimated delivery time. You can contact us at any point for an exact update, or request a map of the delivery route if you prefer.

Towards the end of the journey, we’ll provide a more accurate arrival time, giving you enough notice to prepare for the imminent delivery. We’ll update you again as soon as your consignment has been dropped off, letting you know who was involved in the kerbside hand-off.

Should you need further assistance following the delivery of your pallets, feel free to contact us again, and our team will be happy to help you with any more enquiries you have.

Pallets are delivered to ground level kerbside locations by truck. The delivery address must be accessible by a road big enough to accommodate the weight and size of the heavy goods vehicle, with a hard, solid, and even ground surface.

This means no steep inclines or hills, no gravel or cobblestones, and no grass or mud. It won’t be possible to reach the access point or to safely load and unload heavy pallets on sloped or uneven ground. This is why you need to let us know about any potential issues at the very start.

For example, we’ll need to know about obstructions such as pedestrian crossings or lack of parking space before calculating whether we can fulfil your delivery. For accepted pallet distribution orders, we’ll require the full address and recipient details, plus at least two contact numbers.

At least one responsible adult (aged 18 or over) must be available to sign for the pick-up and delivery at each location, though it’s likely to require multiple people to transfer your pallet loads.

Large or heavy items, or collections of smaller items being transported together, are ideal for pallet deliveries. The majority of goods can be delivered as palletised loads, as long as they aren’t fragile or hazardous. It’s possible to transport hazardous goods with John K. Philips, but the appropriate safety measures must be taken, making standard pallet delivery unsuitable.

Otherwise, as long as your palletised goods don’t exceed the dimension limitations, and aren’t extremely breakable, they should be shipped just fine. Generally, packaging a pallet well using careful stacking and stretch wrap should keep the goods perfectly intact throughout their journey.

However, there are definitely some items that are either impractical or actively prohibited for pallet distribution, depending on the laws of the countries you are transporting the goods between. Things like mechanical parts containing oil, explosives, corrosive and toxic substances, and organic matter are heavily regulated to prevent harm to human health or the environment.

If you’re uncertain whether your shipments are suitable for pallet loads, you can always send a message to the John K. Philips team for advice on acceptable palletised goods and pallet delivery.