Pallet bands enhance Fastmile Logistics’ storage savings

Since plastic wrap costs were averaging around $14,000 a year, Fastmile Logistics was interested in reducing its packaging material and disposal costs.

Historically, as loose shipments of cabinets arrived at its storage facility, the company’s employees wrapped the pallet load in plastic wrap. However, each time an outgoing truck had to be loaded, employees had to unwrap and rewrap the pallet loads, due to the product mix, which was time consuming and costly.

But, after some evaluation, Fastmile discovered that rubber pallet bands are not only a secure time saver—they’re cost effective.

“We have now been using the bands for years and found that, in plastic wrap product cost alone, we are saving around $5,000 a year,” says Brad Ward, general manager at Fastmile Logistics’ Orlando location. And, an additional $200 is saved on disposal costs annually, since the bands are reusable.

“The size of the rubber bands was just as important [though, as] they had to fit with our custom pallet size,” Ward explains. “We use two bands—one at the top and one at the bottom—to keep the load stable and have found no problems with the bands stabilizing our loads. They work so well; we use them at our other locations when those locations have had the same application.”

In addition, Ward noted the pallet band elasticity was instrumental to secure palletized loads and that rubber pallet bands were the most efficient alternative that Fastmile tested.

“We tried the polyurethane with metal clasps, but the clasps were time consuming and, if you over tightened them, it could lead to product damage,” Ward says.

At the same time, another obstacle was pallet size. After noticing that tightening the metal clasps led to difficulties, he enjoyed the way the bands snap into place after being applied to the pallet without any extra steps.

The bands have a very specific use inside their warehouses and are not seen on every pallet. “Most of our pallets come in wrapped and leave with the same wrap on them, which doesn’t give us the opportunity to use the bands,” he adds.

Understanding that the bands are not for every warehouse application, Ward would still recommend them to anyone interested in making changes wherever wrapping and re-wrapping occurs. Fully satisfied with the bands, Fastmile has expanded its usage to other facilities and seen similar savings.

Aero Rubber Company
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