Safelite to Replace Wood Pallets with Steel Over Next Three Years
January 17, 2012

Safelite has announced that it is in the process of replacing 20,000 wood pallets used for its auto glass distribution services with steel. Company officials say that the steel shipping pallets "offer a more sustainable alternative for vehicle glass transportation than the commonly used wood or corrugated pallet." The replacement is expected to be implemented across the next three years.

"Steel pallets last longer than wood or corrugated pallets and can be easily recycled," says Dino Lanno, vice president of Safelite's supply chain. "Wood scrap is often difficult and expensive to discard, and corrugated packing is affected by humidity and rough handling. Wood sometimes enters landfills for disposal. In addition, the patented new steel pallet design adjusts in length and width to hold more varieties of vehicle glass, replacing four difference sizes of wood pallets."

The company projects an annual cost savings of $2.78 million by transitioning to steel pallets.

Additional advantages of the pallets include adjustable size and an increased load density, according to the company.

Safelite began testing the steel pallots with field trials last year.

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