The pallet playbook
Ten guides, in the order you'd use them: work out what you need, run the RFQ, level the bids, check the supplier, hold them to quality, and keep the program honest at rebid. Each guide links to the clause, template or tool it needs.
- Pallet needs analysis: work out what you actually buyBefore an RFQ: how to count pallets per month by footprint and grade, map lanes and receivers, and find the spec that fits each flow.
- How to run a pallet RFQ, step by stepA step-by-step pallet request for quotation: specs, volumes, terms, supplier list, questions, deadlines, and how to compare the bids that come back.
- Bid leveling: comparing pallet quotes on equal termsHow to normalise pallet bids into delivered cost per pallet, including freight, surcharges, minimums and expected rejects, with a worked method.
- Auditing a pallet supplier before you awardWhat to check on a pallet supplier visit: capacity, raw material, sorting, treatment records, safety, and the questions that reveal real lead times.
- Pallet quality SLAs, reject rates and creditsHow to set a measurable pallet quality SLA: sampling, reject definitions, notice windows, credits and escalation when quality slips.
- Pallet safety stock and lead timesHow much pallet stock to hold, how to set reorder points from usage and lead time, and how to stop line-downs caused by pallet shortages.
- Dual sourcing pallets: when a second supplier is worth itWhen to split pallet volume between two suppliers, how to split it, and the contract terms that keep the backup supplier ready.
- How often to rebid a pallet contractSetting a rebid cadence for pallet supply: contract length, index clauses that reduce the need to rebid, and signals that it's time to go to market.
- Index-linked pallet pricing with the BLS PPIHow to tie pallet prices to the BLS wood pallet producer price index (WPU084101): base month, adjustment band, pass-through share and worked example.
- Core return and pallet buyback programsHow pallet buyback and core-return programs work, what to put in the contract, and how to count buyback credit in cost per trip.
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