The transportation of different construction materials requires different methods and varying safety measures. For example, ready-mix concrete cannot be transported in the same way as any other material, while alloy steel rods require hardy, stacked enclosures on the trailer bed to ensure that they do not spill out onto the road. Then, of course, there is the question of managing transportation waste, which can become very expensive down the line. On that note, let us discuss a few key steps necessary to reduce both the risks and costs of transporting quality construction materials.

Make a List

Jot down everything to be transported on a list first, so that you can then make the appropriate arrangements for each construction material type separately.

Calculate the Necessary Details

In order to safely transport construction materials, the following calculations and estimates should be as accurate as possible:

• The weight of the total load
• Loading, carrying and pulling capacities of the trucks and trailer beds being used
• Maximum carrying capacity of each pallet being used
• How many pallets will be necessary to safely divide the total weight and stack the materials on trailer beds

The total weight carried by a trailer bed and pulled by a truck cannot exceed the maximum recommended load, even if it’s one of the biggest and most powerful commercial vehicles around. In fact, it’s better to load quite a bit less than the maximum carrying and pulling capacity. Also, the load must be divided and stacked safely, without exceeding the maximum load capacity of each pallet used.

Use Plastic Pallets to Reduce Expensive Waste Created by Wood Pallets

Pallets are ideal for loading, transporting, and unloading high quality, expensive construction materials. They make the whole process of loading and unloading a lot safer for both workers and the product being transported. However, if you use plastic pallets instead of traditional wood pallets, there are some significant advantages to that decision.
After taking a look through their range of plastic pallets for sale on RTP’s pallets, it’s easy to figure out that plastic pallets do have the following advantages over their wooden counterparts:

• Higher load capacity; even the 11-pound nestable plastic pallet can carry as much as 3,500 pounds
• All plastic pallets for sale at RTP have a significantly longer lifetime than wood pallets on average
• Since plastic pallets last longer, carry heavier loads, and weigh less, they are significantly more cost-effective than wood pallets.
• As plastic won’t rot like wood, these pallets are a safer and more reliable choice for transporting expensive construction materials

Can Plastic Pallets Really be a More Sustainable Option for Transportation than Wood Pallets?

The problem with plastic is that it doesn’t rot away like wood, but that should not be a disadvantage for the environment or your transportation services in this scenario. Take note of the following to understand why that’s true:

• They last a lot longer than wood, thus creating a lot less waste than wood
• If a plastic pallet breaks due to overloading, or if some of them need to be replaced after years of usage, they can be easily recycled into new products

Even from a purely commercial standpoint, the reduced weight, lowered freight expenses, safer operations, and long-term durability of plastic pallets just make them a better alternative in every possible way.
Additionally, the nonporous constitution of plastic pallets makes them easier to clean thoroughly after a shipment has been delivered. Wood, on the other hand, is porous, allowing bacteria and other biohazards to make themselves at home, deep inside old wooden pallets.
What steps will you take to reduce expensive waste in your business?