Whether your pallet wrapper broke down or you do not have one yet, you may be faced with having to apply shrink-wrap to the pallet loads by hand. To ensure that the wrap is applied correctly so that the load does not shift, take care to avoid the following mistakes while doing the job by hand.
1. Starting in the Middle or at the Top of the Load
Because the middle of the pallet's load is typically right in front of you, you may feel that it is easier to attach the wrap at the point closest to you, then start wrapping down the load. Or you may see that items on the top appear unstable, so you decide to begin wrapping there.
However, if you start in either the middle or the top of the load, the pallet will not be stable enough to transport. The bottom will not be secure enough, and the load will shift off of the pallet and cause the items to come toppling down.
Always start at the bottom to give the load a secure base. Also, apply several layers of shrink-wrap to ensure that all of the items are tightly secure and will not shift during movement. Once you have made sure the bottom is fully wrapped, you can then work your way up toward the top, overlapping each layer as you go.
2. Neglecting to Test the Load Before Moving It
If you have taken care to wrap the load as securely as possible and even double-wrapped it, you may feel confident enough with the job to use the pallet jack to move the load. However, just because it looks tight and secure does not mean that the pallet's load is safe to move.
Always make sure you test the load before moving it. Place the jack under the pallet, and lift it up until it is just off of the floor. Then, move the load a couple of inches, paying attention to how the load shifts. If you see any movement, readjust and rewrap the pallet.
Even if you are careful and wrap an almost-perfect pallet, you may be growing tired of doing the job by hand, especially if you have to wrap dozens of pallets a day. If so, contact a supplier who offers pallet wrappers for sale, such as Fox Packaging Services, to discuss your options for automating the process with a machine.
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