As part of its contract with pallet pooling operator LPR, TDG has invested in two pallet maintenance facilities to meet increasing demand.
LPR currently makes 4.7 million pallet movements in the UK each year. Since 2003, TDG has handled all contracts in the area, including delivery, collection, sorting, repairing and reconditioning.
The purpose-built pallet sorting facility in Stretton near Warrington has a throughput of around 26,000 pallets a week for moderate repair and conditioning, as well as measuring the moisture content of each pallet to ensure it meets specific contractual customer requirements.
The company uses an automated system using rollers and vacu-lifts before re-introducing the pallets into the supply chain.
Any additional repairs are carried out at the newly extended recycling facility at Carnforth in Lancashire, where surplus wood is turned into compost for domestic use or used as fuel at the Lockerbie power station.
Alex Clarke, TDG contract manager for LPR, said: “LPR’s pool is manufactured from sustainable sources, and we work hard to ensure they stay in first class order. Pallets are returned to our sorting facility after every trip, so we can carry out maintenance at an early stage, constantly extending the life of each pallet and ensuring they meet the specification required for the FMCG supply chain.”
