Slip Sheets are cost-saving alternatives to Pallets and are made from multiple plies of strong kraft liner board. Pallets are costly, unhygienic, and challenging to keep, maintain and handle due to the constant repairing and treating required. Unlike Pallets, Slip Sheets are a much better load securing alternative due to them being far cheaper, lighter, wood-free, hygienic, and 100% recyclable. Slip Sheets are thin sheets of paper or corrugated material used for loading and unloading goods. It is available in various specifications to meet different needs. Like Pallets, Slip Sheets are placed under a load with the help of the forklift’s fork. It is then being pushed or pulled by a special attachment such as the “Push-Pull” that can easily be attached to any forklift truck.

History

During the mid-1940s, Slip Sheet was first used for canned fruits, afraid that pallets would take up too much storage space as it had a much significant depth. People hence opted for Slip Sheets to reduce storage costs. As time progressed, Slip Sheets’ use became more common as people realised that the cost of Pallets was starting to build up, and it was difficult to maintain and was unsanitary, which made them took the switch. Moving forward to 1991, people discovered the multi-functional purpose of the Slip Sheet through Micropolis, a computer company that revolutionised Slip Sheets by using them in airfreight, inspiring many to do the same. Today, Slip Sheets can be seen being used by various industries and applications from semis, air, sea to storage.

Usage

The Push-Pull grips and clamps onto the Slip Sheet firmly by channeling. By pulling the load with the Slip Sheet under them onto stable forks, it moves it all to a container. This allows the pallets to remain in the warehouse, enabling you to reuse them without transporting them back or fear misplacing them in the process of transportation. The Slip Sheet should be placed on the floor and goods on top of it. Other attachments such as the Modern Conveyor Systems and Rollerforks can be used in place of Push-Pull as well.

Benefits

In comparison to Pallets, Slip Sheets offers a significant number of advantages that Pallets do not.

• Lower Purchasing Costs – Slip Sheets cost significantly lesser, and unlike Pallets, Slip Sheets are cheap enough to be disposed of after each use. It also does not need to be tracked, repaired, or maintained, resulting in additional costs accumulated.
• Maximizes Warehouse Space and Reduce Transportation Cost – Due to the slim nature of the Slip Sheet, it takes up significantly lesser storage space. As it is also depth-free, it allows more goods to be loaded due to the increase in vertical space available, hence, lowering the transportation costs required.
• Hygiene – Slip Sheets helps keep the warehouse clean by eliminating rodents and insect infestation due to their depth-free feature, which prevents the housing of the pests. Furthermore, they can be discarded after each use, preventing cross-contamination from happening.
• Environmentally Friendly – Slip Sheets are 100% reusable and recyclable, making them a better alternative than wooden pallets that often end up in landfills when disposed of.

Things to Note

Before switching to Slip Sheets from Pallets, there are a few points that to be aware of to ensure smooth loading and transportation of goods.

• Know the proper unit load for the product. Taking, for example, the specifications of your product before determining a suitable Slip Sheet
• The suitable Slip Sheet is based on the unit load; Finding the ideal Slip Sheet would allow you to load, unload and transport your goods safely
• Have the proper equipment available and ensure adequate training are in place
• Fully understand the functions of the Slip Sheet and how it must match the material handling equipment used
• Understand the receiver’s unloading and storage facilities, whether they have equipment tool and storage place applicable for Slip Sheets