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EVALUATION OF PRESENT PALLET BOXES 



Commercial operators were generally satisfied and enthusiastic about the 

 use of pallet boxes. Those already using pallet boxes intend to expand their 

 use, many during the coming year. This satisfaction arises not only from the 

 fact that it is less costly to handle fruit, but the pallet boxes provide 

 greater ease of handling. Harvesting is less tiring and the harvest operation 

 requires smaller, more easily managed crews. This is important for smaller 

 growers who do their own loading and hauling. The pickers generally were 

 pleased with picking into pallet boxes, and results of bruise studies are 

 favorable. Costs of containers are less — only about one-half that for field 

 or standard boxes. These advantages, together with the increasing need for 

 picking containers, as the industry shifts to fiberboard shipping containers, 

 are hastening the adoption of harvesting in pallet boxes. 



The most noticeable shortcoming of pallet boxes was their lack of 

 strength. Nearly all of the commercial users included this in their suggestions 

 for improvements. The strength could be added by heavier materials, possibly 

 the use of kiln-dried lumber, more nailing, use of screws or bolts, and 

 designs to prevent racking and springing when handled with forklift equipment. 



Racking, or skewing, of pallet boxes in some cases was a major problem, 

 particularly as it affected dumping. At times the worker tending the dumper 

 had to use a pinch bar to get the racked boxes into the machine. 



A need, not as noticeable as the others but important, was to prevent 

 the bottoms from springing when lifted by the forks of the handling equipment. 

 The easiest way of doing this was to fasten the pallet in the center to the 

 side panel boards or extend the side panel boards down against the pallet. 

 Another way of avoiding this problem was to use lift-truck forks long enough 

 to extend completely through the pallet so that, as the forks of the lift 

 truck were tilted back, they would not lift the full weight of fruit with the 

 tip end of the forks on one deck board. Forks extending beyond the pallet 

 could cause damage to adjacent pallet boxes in close stacking. Forks 47 inches 

 long are the most suitable for 47- to 48-inch square pallet boxes. 



For orchard use a high fork-entry space on the pallet boxes is needed. 

 On rough and irregular terrain this is much more important than at the ware- 

 house. Experience indicates that the fork openings should be about Z\z inches 

 high. The four-way entry pallet has definite advantages in the orchard, but 

 the need for this added expense can be avoided by properly placing the empty 

 2-way entry pallet boxes for pick up. This placement would include having 

 the direction of fork-entry directly up-hill. Pallets so placed that fork-entry 

 was sideways to the sJope, were difficult to pick up in wet weather. 



One of the important weaknesses in lined pallet boxes was the lack of 

 durability in the liners. They were not sufficiently water resistant partic- 

 ularly after they had been exposed to the sun. A better liner material is 

 needed. 



