Demountable pallets cut idle time
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A NOVEL PALLET shuttle service is being operated by the Balderton, Nottinghamshire warehouse of Barker's Traffic Services Ltd. Goods manufactured within a few miles radius of Balderton which are destined for countrywide distribution are loaded on to special 3.4m (11 ft) long pallets. They have been supplied with the latest vehicle in the fleet, a front-wheel drive Mercedes-Benz L 306 D, converted for ground-level loading by Eezion Ltd of Bedford.
The pallets are small demountable units with " knockback " pivoting front legs which fold automatically as the Mercedes reverses underneath them with its rear section lowered.
Barker claims that this new demountable pallet system enables turnround times to be reduced substantially and that vehicle idle time is cut from 30 minutes to just three minutes. the time needed to drop one pallet body and pick up another.
Although the MercedesEezion is intended primarily for short-haul operation, Barker also uses it occasionally on long-distance haulage of small consignments to Scotland and London.