Cocoa Services West (CSW) in Union City, Calif. did a pilot test of just a few pointGUARD complete package (CP) pallets and quickly found that they eliminated the hassle of dealing with splinters, making for a safer production area.
“With the pointGUARD, the plastic encases the wood so we no longer have the splinters near our production,” said Tim Doudell, operations manager at CSW. “So it’s a very good product for us.”
The pointGUARD pallet protectors are patented unique plastic inserts that attach to the entry points of wooden pallets that are designed to protect pallets from forklift and strapping damage while also defending the product traveling on the pallet. They were developed and are sold by United Pallet Services, Inc, in Modesto, Calif. According to United Pallet Services, the pointGUARD can reduce pallet damage, pallet replacement costs, and product damage related costs due to forklift or strapping damage by up to 80%.
CSW quickly purchased more pointGUARD CP pallets and in the year and half since it first tried them, all new pallets purchased by the company have been pointGUARD pallets.
“Any additional pallets we are buying will be the pointGUARD pallets,” said Doudell.
According to Doudell, they have held up well to continual use and become the favorite pallet for the company.
“I use them on a constant basis,” said Doudell. “If they are ever empty, they are the first ones we use. They are in constant production for us.”
CSW typically stacks its pallets several high, resulting in about three metric tons being placed on the bottom pallet. The pointGUARD pallets have withstood the constant and heavy use, providing the company with a solution to its debris problem.
“It’s a nice, clean product,” said Doudell. “I’ve never had any issues with them. I just wish I had more.”
The pointGUARD comes in several sizes and can be purchased already attached to pallets (the complete package) or just as an attachment to be installed on existing pallets. Current configurations include protectors that can be attached to a 48×40 stringer, a 48×40 block, and a stringer version that will fit any production pallet that has a 50 inch opening. United Pallet Services is also beginning to grant licenses for sales and distribution rights for the pointGUARD in the United States to qualified pallet companies.
More information on the pointGUARD and distribution opportunities will be available at the pointGUARD booth at the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association’s Annual Leadership Conference in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. in March or at http://www.palletpointguard.com or by calling United Pallet Services at 209-538-5844.
