How to Wrap a Pallet the Right Way to Reduce Costs, Damage and Injury

When wrapping a pallet to transport or store important goods, it is vital to know the best products to use and the right method to follow. By following our simple steps and handy tips, you can make certain that you have a secure, safe and damage-free pallet when it has reached its destination or come out of storage.

Why is it important to know how to wrap a pallet correctly?

Wrapping your pallet correctly is the best way to ensure successful transportation of your goods and minimise the risk of returns. Things to consider are:

• Are you protecting your goods from being damaged by the weather?
• Will your goods be tamper-proof?
• Is your pallet wrap secure enough to stop your goods from being dislodged or even lost?

How to load your pallet in 4 easy steps

Before you wrap your pallet, it is important that you load your goods onto the pallet correctly. Follow these tips to make sure your pallet is loaded and ready to be wrapped.

1. Check that your pallet is in good condition

Examine your pallet to make sure that it is able to carry your goods. If the pallet is damaged or has signs of deterioration, it would be best to select another one.

2. Load the goods evenly to cover the entire pallet for even weight distribution

When stacking boxes, the largest, heaviest boxes should always be at the bottom. This will provide stability, prevent crushing, and prevent items from swaying.

3. Make sure there are no gaps

When you have finished loading the items onto your pallet, there should be no gaps between items. As pallets are naturally exposed to lateral forces during transit, any gaps will cause singular items to move, or boxes to bow. If your pallet is tightly packed with no gaps, each box will support the strength of the adjacent box which reduces the risk of wall collapse/crushing, and it also limits the ability of each individual item to move, thus significantly reducing the risk of items being damaged.

4. Don’t allow items to overhang

If your products hang over the edge of your pallet even by a centimetre or two, not only will most pallet couriers refuse to handle your goods but the items not on the pallet are far more likely to be damaged or cause damage to other pallets. Leave plenty of space between your goods and the edge of the pallet.

Choose the right pallet wrap for the job

Once you are confident that you have correctly loaded your pallet, you are ready to select your wrap. If you haven’t done this before you may be wondering what you need to look for. We have a number of elements for you to consider when choosing the perfect wrap for your pallet:

Decide if you want to wrap your pallet by hand or using a machine

If you are choosing to wrap your pallet by hand, we have just the hand pallet wrap for you. However if you prefer to wrap with a machine, we can offer our machine pallet wrap.

Make sure your pallet wrap is weather resistant and strong

Pallets are moved up to 8 times in transit so a wrap that withstands the elements is vital to protect your goods. All of our pallet wraps are weather-resistant, sturdy and tear-proof.

Purchase your pallet wrap from a reputable retailer

When you purchase from a company with staff who know their stuff, it means they can reassure you on buying the right pallet wrap for the job.

At Polyflex we are always happy to answer any questions regarding an order and can send out free samples before you purchase.

Don’t be put off by an awkwardly-shaped load

Sometimes items don’t fit into perfectly stackable boxes when loaded onto a pallet. If you are concerned that a pallet wrap will not be able to hold your uneven load then a heat shrink wrap might be best for you. Shrinking to the exact shape of your pallet, a heat shrink wrap will hold even the most unusually shaped load.

Tips for wrapping your pallet

You have selected a pallet, loaded it correctly, have chosen the perfect wrap and now you have reached the final and possibly most important step, wrapping it!

Even if you have loaded your items perfectly on a sturdy pallet, without the correct wrapping method, your goods will not be secured properly.

We have 5 handy tips to give you the assurance that you are wrapping your pallet correctly, ready for transportation or storage.

1. Always wrap from the base. We recommend starting from the base and wrapping it securely at least four times to ensure it’s stability
2. Keep yourself safe. Make sure you have a clear area around your pallet to avoid any risk of tripping over whilst wrapping. It is also important to walk forward around the pallet and look straight ahead to avoid dizziness.
3. Don’t leave any gaps. When wrapping your pallet it is important not to leave any gaps. This makes your pallet far less tamper-proof and exposes it to the elements. To avoid gaps, each layer should overlap the previous one and once you have reached the top, work your way back down again, if required, to ensure stability.
4. Secure your wrap. Once you are confident that you have finished wrapping your pallet, it is time to secure it. Cut the wrap and either stick the end to the pallet or tuck it underneath the edge.
5. Test the stability. By pushing the items at the top of the pallet you will know whether your wrap is secure. If it moves as one single unit and there are no loose items, you can be confident that your pallet is ready to be transported or stored.

Should I use pallet straps?

Using pallet straps can give added assurance that your item is as secure as possible. But if you have followed all of our steps and tips, your pallet should be tight, secure and tamper-proof as it is.

Order your pallet wrap today

Polyflex is the leading supplier of polythene packaging products and has 50 years of experience to offer our customers.

We value our customers and are invested in building long-standing relationships with people who trust us and value our products. If you are looking to compare prices, we can help you find the best possible product for your needs.

Contact Polyflex today for a quote or a free sample and we will be happy to find the right pallet wrap for you.