Damaged pallet repair means restoring a load to a state in which it will travel on safely: replacing cracked boards and bearers, or moving the goods onto a sound pallet, resetting the layers, re-wrapping and re-strapping. In our Milton Keynes warehouse we do it on site once the trailer arrives, so the UK consignee does not refuse a collapsed load.
Where damaged pallets come from
A pallet rarely fails on its own. The usual culprits are overloading and poor weight distribution, a weak foundation of film and tape, hard braking on the crossing, high humidity weakening the carton and stacking heavy pallets on light ones. The result is always the same: a leaning column, a cracked load-bearing board, torn film and goods that start to slide. How to secure a load so this does not happen is covered in the article on how to secure a pallet for export.
When a pallet is saved and when it is replaced
| Situation | What we do |
|---|---|
| A single cracked board, the rest of the structure sound | pallet repair, board replacement, re-wrapping |
| Pallet shifted, goods intact | re-palletise onto a sound pallet, reset the layers |
| Pallet wet, mouldy or crushed | replace the pallet, check the goods for damage |
| A standard pallet required (e.g. light wood, ISPM 15) | replace with a pallet matching the consignee or export requirement |
Straightening and repacking after a lean
The most common scenario is not a broken pallet but a leaning column: the goods slid, the film let go, but the cartons are whole. We then straighten the load, reset the layers, add layer pads and re-wrap. When a carton is breached we repack the contents. We run the same repack work in our Milton Keynes warehouse.
Why we do it in the UK rather than send it back to Poland
Turning a collapsed trailer back to Poland loses two crossings, several days and the delivery window at the consignee. Saving the load on site in the United Kingdom is faster: the trailer reaches the warehouse, we straighten and rebuild the pallets, and the goods move on to the final consignee as a sound delivery. When a trailer breach is involved, we start from a cargo inspection after trailer tampering.
Wooden pallets and export: ISPM 15
When replacing pallets under a load that will move on beyond the United Kingdom, we watch the wood packaging. The international ISPM 15 standard requires wood packaging in international trade to be treated (fumigation or heat treatment) and marked. A pallet without a valid mark can be swapped before it becomes a problem at the border. We do not guess the destination country requirements, we check them for the specific route.
Documentation for the insurer
Pallet damage in transit is often a matter for the cargo insurer. So before the repair we photograph the state of the load, describe the extent of the damage and what was done. The consignee receives secured goods, and the sender a complete file for a possible claim. What such a document looks like is covered in the article on the inspection report for the insurer.
Where we do it
We repair, straighten and rebuild pallets in our Milton Keynes warehouse between London and Birmingham, within our warehousing and cargo handling services. Thanks to the central location the trailer barely diverts, and the final consignee gets the delivery on time.
Sources
- IPPC: the ISPM 15 standard for wood packaging in international trade
- GOV.UK: wood packaging for import and export (ISPM 15)
Have a trailer with shifted pallets on its way to the UK or already on site? Describe the situation in the contact form and we will take the load into the warehouse, rebuild the pallets and send the goods on to the consignee.
