For the first time ever, PalletTrader this summer launched its core services and online pallet trading marketplace for pallet procurement in Canada. According to PalletTrader, its PalletTrader+ service in Canada mirrors its offerings in the United States. PalletTrader began offering in June its PalletTrader+ full-service pallet management. Later this year, the company plans to offer its self-serve eMarketplace to Canadian customers.
PalletTrader+ is a turnkey, “managed service” to the Canadian pallet market for end-to-end pallet management for enterprise manufacturers, distributors and 3PLs. It provides Canadian pallet suppliers with dedicated opportunities and a neutral, collaborative platform to advertise inventory, reach new customers, and streamline transactions and payment. This new initiative builds on PalletTrader’s success in the United States.
Marketed as PalletTrader+, the full managed-service program leverages dedicated personnel with deep industry expertise and market knowledge to help clients bring structure and visibility to their entire pallet program, so they can control costs, improve consistency, and eliminate blind spots across their network, noted John Vaccaro, president of Bettaway Supply Chain Services and PalletTrader.
“Canada is an obvious next step for PalletTrader+,” said Vaccaro, adding that the platform has been receiving increasing inquiries from Canada-based businesses, as well as Canadian divisions of its U.S. clients. The managed service will provide full intra-Canada coverage, with transactions conducted in Canadian dollars.
PalletTrader also has an open market functionality where independent sellers can post individual inventories, pricing and delivery timelines, and promote those to any potential buyer.
Looking at the economics of the PalletTrader offerings, Jessica Dzugan, vice president of technology for PalletTrader, explained, “There will be no PalletTrader fees for suppliers to join or sell their pallets on the site. We have removed the membership costs altogether, both across the USA and Canada. There is a nominal passthrough payment entity fee (Stripe) to deposit funds into the sellers’ account for complete deliveries. The fee is a quarter of a percentage point (0.25%). This fee equates to approximately $10 on a $4000 valued load. This automated payment process allows for quick payments and replaces the need to invoice us, or to wait for a check to be mailed. We found speed of payment is a highly desired feature.”
The Canadian market has been absent a comprehensive digital-enabled resource for third party pallet procurement management, noted Scott Geffros, CEO of the Canadian Wood Pallet and Container Association (CWPCA). “As consumers of wood packaging look for more of a one-stop shop for their transport pallet/packaging needs, having a platform that enables total pallet supply chain management makes a lot of sense,” he said.
Vaccaro cited four primary benefits pallet suppliers can expect from the PalletTrader+ managed service: helping suppliers access and become visible to multi-site enterprise customers that can’t be reached in traditional RFPs, improved matching to connect the right supplier and customer based on operational strengths, driving consistent and repeatable volumes, and minimizing typical sales friction due to the neutrality of the service.
“We are a neutral procurement and management service, “Vaccaro noted. “That neutrality and flexibility is a major selling point. And it gives the customer visibility over their entire network in one place.”
For more information or to sign up for a free account, visit www.pallettrader.com, call (877) 777-7495 or email support@pallettrader.com.
