Industry-wide pallet weight limits are more relevant to pallet networks than large operators, according to XPO Logistics MD of transport solutions Dan Myers.

He told Motortransport.co.uk that because XPO has a business-wide safety standard it has control over all facets of the business, whereas a pallet network hub has less visibility where member hauliers’ practices are concerned.

Myers said: “We talk less about the pallet weight issue because we’ve already dealt with it. I’m not managing a hub then dealing with some guy in Falkirk. We have processes across our entire operation. We don’t have people with individual standards, so it makes it a lot easier when it comes to health and safety.”

However, Palletforce chief executive Michael Conroy recently told Motortransport.co.uk he thought the issue regarding pallet weights was too big to be exclusive to the pallet network sector, given the amount of palletised freight moved outside of the eight networks.

He said: “It’s not the pallet sector. DHL, TNT, FedEx – they all keep going. What do we handle: 26 million pallets a year? It’s a bigger issue.”

Conroy said that while Palletforce takes the issue seriously, he thought the debate about an acceptable weight for individual pallets was a moot point as few customers, operators or networks had the capability to accurately weigh consignments.

Last year it was revealed that the Health and Safety Executive was looking at ways to reduce maximum pallet weights to 750kg to cut the risk of injuries to drivers making tail-lift deliveries, with involvement from the RHA and Association of Pallet Networks.

It follows the announcement in 2015 by Palletline and Fortec that they were reducing maximum weights to 750kg.

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