Pallet networks set to shift record volumes
Page 5
If you've noticed an error in this article please click here to report it so we can fix it.
UK PALLET networks are on course to shift record volumes this year thanks, in part, to a surge in half-pallet consignments. According to data from the Association of Pallet Networks (APN), which counts seven of the UK's nine pallet networks as members, 7.5 million pallets had been shifted by members by the half-year mark. This is 8% ahead of the same period last year, with 2012
as a whole a record-breaking year that saw close to 16 million pallets moved via the pallet networks.
The increased use of next-day services has delivered growth of more than 9% in this market so far this year, APN said, with 65% of all pallets shipped using next-day services. The largest growth in the first half of the year was in the half-pallet market, with this
sector showing an 8.7% increase in the first half of 2013 compared with the same period last year. Almost a third of all pallets shipped fall into the half-pallet category.
APN chairman Paul Sanders said: "2012 saw record pallet volumes for the networks; the performance during the first half of 2013 indicates this year promises to deliver additional growth for the sector."