International Post Corporation (IPC), a cooperative association of 24 postal operators in Asia-Pacific, Europe and North America, has launched the IPC Pallet Box, a reusable and collapsible packaging solution for cross-border shipments.
The IPC Pallet Box offers a 100% recyclable, environmentally friendly, cost-effective, durable, re-usable, lightweight and weather and chemical-resistant solution for posts. The Pallet Box is also equipped with radio-frequency identification (RFID) to facilitate the tracking of transported items and stock management.
Thanks to its stacking capabilities, up to 66 Pallet Boxes can be transported on one truck, more than twice the capacity of traditional roller cages, with a potential weight of more than 19 tons.
IPC deployed the first Pallet Boxes on a Paris to London route on July 12, 2016, and now intends to roll out the solution to routes in Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland in the coming months.
Alan Barrie, director of operations and technology at IPC, said, “The IPC Pallet Box is another big step for postal operators to increase efficiency in cross-border road transport and help them save costs. IPC’s other pool services the Bag Pool and Tray Pool have proven their value over a number of years and I am sure the Pallet Box will also be a win for our members.”
Using one type of receptacle within the network means that the total number of receptacles is much smaller and the repatriation of members’ own equipment becomes unnecessary.
The IPC Pallet Box solution was developed to reduce the number of traditional one-way receptacles and provides harmonization in the shipping industry by using a standard receptacle across the network, rather than a combination of roll cages and carton pallet boxes.
The solution will also bring a cost reduction for all operators involved as they share the costs of the network and save on storage space and repatriation costs. The Pallet Box has a low tare weight, offering advantages over the repatriation processes and storage of traditional receptacles between uses.
July 20, 2016