Issue link: http://palletcentral.uberflip.com/i/522141
14 PalletCentral • May-June 2015 palletcentral.com common for paper products despite a 9% difference in its footprint efficiency compared with the 48x36 more custom- size pallet (95% footprint efficiency). 2 Seeing the industry move toward a 48x36 market for paper products would certainly lessen the market pressure for 48x40s, according to Mia Allen, vice president at Rose Pallet. For some retailers like Costco Wholesale, paper is only one of many product categories. While the retailer seeks efficiency in their wood packaging materials, safety is their primary concern. The company receives paper on 48x40 pallets and stores overstock in racking steel, therefore pallets need to be at least 40" wide to ensure safety in the racking. The paper industry has cooperated with Costco's safety-related policy for several years, said Sherri Porter, structural packaging manager at Costco. Moving from a Manufacturing to a Ser vice Industr y The printing industry, which includes large commercial printers and local print shops, has undergone dramatic changes and faced formidable challenges in recent times—largely due to the impact of online competition. In order to survive, printers INDUSTRY Pallet Sizes, Production and Usage in the U.S. (2012) Pallet Size (in) Annual Production (%) Industries Usage 48x40 24.4 Grocery, USPS, many others 42x42 4.8 Telcom, Paint 40x48 2.8 Military, Cement 48x36 1.5 Beverage, Shingles, Paper 36x36 1.8 Beverage 48x48 3.8 Drums 44x44 3.0 Drums, Chemical Other 57.1 Source: Virginia Tech, March 2015; Clark, J. "Pallets 101: Industry Overview and Wood, Plastic, Paper, and Metal Options" 2 Results from the Pallet Design System™ reflects footprint efficiency of 86% for a 48x40 pallet compared to 95% when designing a 48x36 pallet with a unit load of 40-9"x 11.5" x 17.5" cases of paper (approx. weight per case of 52 lbs.).