Ready your company for change!

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In my past life as the Executive with the Canadian Wood Pallet & Container Association I made some very good government contacts. One of these was with the VP and Chief Economist for Export Development Canada, Peter G. Hall. The following excerpt from his letter sent to me provides all wood packaging professionals an outlook into the future of the economies of the USA and Canada.

Recently I was surfing the web for images of “Unique Wood Containers” when I ran across an art website that had a painting titled “Wood Crates in an Urban World”. It wasn’t what I was looking for but being art, I had to take a moment and try to see what the artist saw while painting it. The artist wrote that the painting reflected how a renewable resource – wood in this case – came to find itself leaning against a brick building in the back alley of a large city. These materials had rotted away and naturally recycled themselves while everything else in the painting was constructed to last a lifetime. There were about 50 comments from other artists and museum people about the painting, all praising the artist for what she had expressed on her canvas. Looking at the painting, I felt I could understand the point that the artist was making as well but there was just one small but very noticeable detail that struck me. The painting titled “Wood Crates in an Urban World” showed nothing but a brick wall and broken pallets. There were no crates at all.

This mislabeled picture brings me back to a conversation that I had with Dr. Ed Brindley of Pallet Enterprise magazine. We were discussing wooden bins in Australia and New Zealand when a light bulb went on in my head. For over 20 years, one question that I’ve continually wrestled with is ‘What’s the difference between a pallet and a crate?’

Right about now you’re probably thinking “that’s a pretty silly question” or maybe graphic images of the two that are obviously very different are floating through your head (and you’re still thinking “that’s a pretty silly question”), but while the definition of a wood pallet and a wood crate in themselves may be simple, the differences between them are not so easily defined. And that may be why the two industries seem so similar to the average person but few companies cross the borders from one type to the other.

It depends on what the definition of ‘is’ is.

It can be easy to define something but not so easy to define it in contrast to something else. A wood pallet is a load bearing structure, often constructed of two to five layers of material and are 48” x 40”. Yes, that’s just one short description, and I did use the word ‘often’. A wood crate is a six-sided container that provides partial or full protection from other objects and natural elements. Now granted, both of these descriptions are short and probably incomplete but herein lies the question.

Nobody would doubt that a crate could be 48” x 40” and either just the base, or the base and top can consist of two to five layers of materials. If you’re designing a crate in your head right now remember that by ‘crate’ I mean ‘transport container’ – not just technically referring to crates. By the same token, I’ve seen structures that can surely best be described as a pallet have two ends and two sides add to them to make a bin but it still doesn’t meet even the most basic definition of a crate.

So what’s in between pallets and crates? If you started with a 48” x 40” pallet and added two sides, two ends and a top you would have a ‘crate’. But while the first dimension of a pallet is measured from front-to-aft, the first dimension of a crate is measured from left-to-right so when you define in detail, what you’ve just created, the simple order in which you write the dimensions can result in confusion. Is it a pallet or a crate?

If you ask a five year old to describe his mother you’ll probably get a response like “she’s pretty”. Politically correct, but not very useful when the child is found wandering alone in the forest. Think in terms of words how you would describe a cat. Unless you spent about an hour between my last sentence and here, you can probably use your same description and apply it to another animal, and if you did take an hour to work it out, then you’ve probably left many cats out of your description.

What’s the point? We don’t usually ship things to ourselves we don’t sell anything to ourselves. In a society we have to interact with others and just as humans in general have challenges communicating with people from other cultures in different countries, we have to do the same within our broader transportation and logistics industry. What seems like one industry to many outsiders is actually two different industries.

Can’t we all just get along?

Wood, nails and forklifts are what we have in common. But in some ways we’re almost as different as paper and plastic. If we weren’t so different, every crate maker would make pallets and every pallet maker would make crates. But this is not the case.

Pricing structures, profits, volume, customer base, engineering, raw material sizes, inventory diversity, manufacturing equipment, process flow… you name it. It’s all different between manufacturers of pallets and makers of shipping containers.

With so many differences, why would you want to cross over to the other side? Because your most valuable resources are portable from one industry to the other. Such as your company image, your facility, your knowledge of the raw materials and the skills of your manufacturing staff. Although your in-office resources may need some rearranging and your sales staff may require some training, your shop employees are likely all ready to go. Not that there aren’t things for them to learn and adjust to also, but generally, they should adjust pretty quickly.

One of these things is not like the other.

I never did say what the big difference is between pallets and crates, did I? Here it is – the assembly process.

We may be back to the “Well that’s kind of silly.” area but my point lies mostly in what are in-between pallets and transport containers or ‘crates’. Products such as wood storage vaults, cable spools, ‘fruit crates’ and who knows what else. Differentiating between crates used as industrial transport containers and crates used to carry fruit is very important in a discussion about the differences between pallets and crates because a ‘fruit crate’ is much more like a pallet than it is an industrial transport container. Pallets are typically manufactured in an assembly line process using automated assembly equipment made by companies such as Viking, GBN, Storti, Pallet Chief, Rayco, Trace Equipment and others while the manufacturing of shipping crates is often done by hand because of their custom nature. It’s rare that more than 10 to 100 of the same shipping container is manufactured at one time I can’t imagine there being more than 100,000 of any one specific shipping crate over its lifetime, but pallets are often manufactured by the thousands and there are millions, if not billions of pallets that have been made with the exact same specifications – at least by size and purpose.

Fruit crates aren’t custom. They have simple and common characteristics. They are most often ordered in large lots and one size of container may be made over the lifetime of a company using the same fixtures, process and people. Unless you’re talking about a prize winning pumpkin; fruits, vegetables and nuts are items that you could apply the term ‘Unified Load’ to. That term doesn’t work with custom wood shipping containers.

If you’re in either the pallet or transport container business and want to expand into the other, consider where you’re located and select prospects that need products that are sold in high quantities and very little variations. It will create the least change in your organization and allow you to leverage your current resources while taking one step toward competing against the likes of a wood conglomerate like Universal Forest Products.

With the economy the way it has been, it may not seem like the time to expand and pick up new types of clients but whenever the economy is down, competitors drop and when competitors drop, there is a vacuum. You and many others in the area may now be fighting to get your share of the business that is suddenly available, but if you can think outside the box and expand your product base a little, not only can you pick up a little new business to cover your overhead, but you are also looking at a bigger picture that’s full of new opportunities in 2010 and beyond.

Attention All Wood Packaging Professionals

The USA & Canada have finally agreed upon a phase-in period to terminate the bi-lateral agreement between these two large trading countries. Today, all wood packaging is allowed to move freely without any treatment, unless being shipped from a quarantined region of either country.

In March 2010, the first phase-in period will commence to have all wood packaging meet IPPC-ISPM No. 15. Be advised all of your customers that this termination will affect all wood packaging and all species.

If you have questions please contact me at my coordinates below.

A load of cut stock lumber was embargoed at a Needles, Calif. border station when a state inspector found “two beetles and a flying insect of unknown species.” The pests could not be identified because, as of July 10, entomologists have been placed on furlough on Fridays, the day of the incident. The inspector on duty did not have the expertise to identify whether or not the pests were non-native invasive species, so the load owner was given three options: take the load home (more than 900 miles), wait until Monday when an entomologist would be available to identify the species, or take the load 190 miles to a fumigation facility to be treated at the owner’s expense. He chose the latter option.

The statute the inspector sited was 6461.5. On the California Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) site – the only location referencing the statute – it says that 6461.5 “provides the authority to reject any plant material moving from one state to another which is pest infested, or for which there is reasonable cause to believe may be pest infested. Border station inspectors may therefore reject and confiscate plant material presumed to present a risk of pest or disease introduction into California.” The page is headlined the “Transport of Privately-Owned House Plants Into California from Other States.” There are no references to wood products or even the importation of commercial nursery stock. It appears this statute is being applied broadly by inspection agents to any product or load that has pests. When they cannot identify the pest the load is treated as if it were infested with an invasive species. Businesses across the country are unaware of this serious impediment to the free flow of interstate commerce. They only realize the magnitude of the situation when they are faced with the three impractical and costly options described above. Keep in mind, the Friday furlough is an additional day the entomologists are unavailable – they were already off on weekends. With this rule being more broadly applied more truckloads are going to be held up. In conversations between NWPCA and an official at the California Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services agency, the official acknowledged the fact that furlough days were adversely impacting commerce in the State of California. She sympathized with those trying to do business in the state, but suggested this is a legislative issue and it is state lawmakers, not regulators, who determine the furlough constraints. Since this conversation the FAQ page has been removed. We are trying to learn why because that could have ominous consequences, but this alert is being written on a Friday so regulators are on furlough. California is just one state creating unique standards, guidelines and regulations. This state-by-state piecemeal method of dealing with invasive species is unworkable for our industry. It is creating an unlevel playing field between the states and flinging open doors to alternative materials. NWPCA continues to push for a national domestic treatment and marking standard consistent with ISPM 15. It is the most workable approach to assuring the best interest of our industry.

Call to Action: After two years of negotiations with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), we are seeing a light at the end of the tunnel. USDA will be holding public hearings on the issue of wood packaging and invasive species in four locations around the country, which we will announce in PalletCentral as soon as they have been determined. These forums are every bit as significant to our industry’s future as the meeting to discuss the National Association of State Fire Marshals proposal to test and certify all wood pallets. We need the same grassroots energy that brought 44 industry members to Chicago to express our industry’s needs on a single system for addressing the invasive species problem. We need big turnouts and forceful voices. USDA officials have told us that while the forums are intended for an expression of all statements and views, there are some questions they would like to have addressed specifically by wood packaging industry members. NWPCA will soon be distributing that list of questions with some talking points that might be helpful as you prepare your remarks.

Container closure design must not only secure the product through transit, it must also make for easy loading and unpacking of the product contents. Since closure often occurs at a manufacturing plant if the packed container is to continue on to a different location prior to shipment, it must be done as quickly and efficiently as possible to meet just-in-time timeframes.

Packaging engineers and designers have created multiple ways to structure panels for closure depending upon specific product needs, with various methods for attaching the final panels together and to the base after the container is packed. Regardless of how the structure closure is designed (cap off, top off, end off, front off, sleeve, etc.), the type of closure fastener specified is critical to determining the speed and ease of closing and opening the container.

Closure fasteners may or may not be the same as the fasteners used in the assembly process. Closure fasteners are by nature not intended to be permanent, as assembly fasteners often are, since the container must be easily opened upon arriving at its destination.

There are several pros and cons to be considered when selecting a closure fastener. For instance, nails can be applied quickly with a pneumatic nail gun to save labor costs, but this necessitates that a crowbar be used to pry open the container. This takes time and may damage the product inside, even though it has made it safely to its destination.

Removable fasteners such as screws, on the other hand, allow easier and safer access, particularly useful when the container must undergo a customs inspection along the way. Screws also have dramatically higher holding power vs. nails, providing greater protection to the contents during transit. They are easy to adjust, and can be removed and reapplied. When screws or other removable specialty fasteners are used, the shipping container can often be designed to be knocked down for shipment back to the destination for reuse.

For these reasons screws or other specialty fasteners are usually preferred as closure fasteners, but there is some sacrifice in terms of the higher labor cost needed to screw them in manually. Collated screws can be used to speed the process with a screw gun, but these are still slower than the speed that can be achieved with a nail gun and often cause damage to the wood fibers when they are shot into the panels or framing.

Specialty fasteners are a viable alternative, such as a hybrid between a screw and a nail. One such product is the Scrail® fastener from Fasco America, which can be used wherever ordinary screws are used as either an assembly fastener or as a closure fastener, providing the superior strength of a screw to both applications. This product is similar to a screw that’s specifically made to be shot in by a pneumatic nail gun, so it won’t destroy the wood fibers during the application process. It can be applied twice as fast as collated screws and eight times faster than bulk screws, which saves time in the closure process for manufacturers and labor time and cost at the destination site.

Go to Part 1 of this Article

Extending the serviceable life of wooden shipping containers can generate tremendous savings in any shipper’s supply chain system.

If your business is currently using only single-use containers, your options are to:

1. Pay someone to take them away
2. Pay a landfill fee to dispose of them, if landfill space is available
3. If you are an occasional user, store them in valuable warehouse space
4. Find someone who is willing to buy them
5. Disassemble and recycle the wood

Another option is to reengineer your design to be one that can be reused, saving you money and valuable space. A fairly simple design modification that makes crates that were formerly single-use capable of being reused can be good for the environment and good for your profitability.

Benefits include:

• Fewer shipping containers will need to be purchased
• Containers can be knocked down and stacked, taking less space
• They are less expensive to ship back to the original source point for reuse vs. shipping them back set up, but empty.
• Less wood is used in total, saving valuable trees and reducing pollution from unused scrap wood.

The savings will almost always outweigh the additional labor cost needed to disassemble the containers.

There are many different ways to make a wooden crate or box reusable, most of which rely upon the type of assembly and closure fasteners that are used.

For instance, there are hinge-type fastener systems available that snap on and off the wooden panels, yet can still deliver strength and durability. These systems will give the container a new life and a significantly higher ROI.

A less expensive way to convert single-use into reusable containers is to switch to using screw fasteners instead of nails or bolts. Design specifications should be modified as appropriate to the application, but this conversion can usually be done relatively simply.

One disadvantage of using traditional screws is that they must be used for both assembly and closure in order to make disassembly possible. Typically, assembly fasteners on single-use crates are nails or staples since they can be quickly applied using a nail or staple gun. Pneumatic guns are available for collated screws as well, but the thread of the screw can damage the wood as it is shot into the panel or frame piece, decreasing the number of times the container can be reused.

A solution to this issue can be found by using a hybrid screw/nail product, such as the Scrail® fastener from Fasco America. This fastener can be used wherever ordinary screws are used as either an assembly fastener or as a closure fastener, providing the superior strength of a screw to both applications. This product is similar to a screw that’s specifically made to be shot in by a pneumatic nail gun, so it won’t destroy the wood fibers during the application process. It can be applied twice as fast as collated screws and eight times faster than bulk screws, which saves time during assembly. The real strength of such a hybrid though is that it can be easily withdrawn or adjusted, making it ideal for disassembling and reassembling wooden crates at acceptable speeds.

If reuse is out of the question though, another option that is environmentally friendly is to find someone who is interested to purchase used containers. A good site to visit is container exchanger at www.containerexchanger.com, and select, “wooden crates.” You’ll get some cash out of it, and feel a bit greener, too.

Anyone involved in the manufacturing or production of any kinds of goods would do well to look into some trucking options available to them in terms of transportation services. If you're moving anything more than just small packages across the country, consider a transportation company with a full service trucking division.

There are some terms that you might hear tossed around when discussing your shipping needs. Two very common terms are LTL and FTL, which stand respectively for Less Than Truck Load and Full Truck Load. FTL is the kind of shipment that you would have if you needed to rent an entire truck to move all of your goods for you across the country. This is common for giant manufacturers making large supply runs, whereas LTL means that you simply rent some space in one truck which might also be carrying goods and supplies from a half dozen other companies. The size of your shipments that can qualify for LTL shipping varies greatly. Anything between 100 and 10,000 pounds could be approved by a carrier to qualify for LTL shipping. This gives you a lot of flexibility and allows you to choose the generally more affordable LTL options even when you are shipping loads of a very considerable size. It's usually too expensive for midsized companies to hire an entire dedicated truck to make their deliveries, so the larger end of the LTL scale allows for them to find an efficient way to have their deliveries completed. The only potential downside to a LTL shipment is that it can be slower and more time consuming method of shipping your goods. For mid to large sized companies that are verging on the edge of being of a size where FTL shipping might become practical to them, if speed is a concern then it may become worthwhile for them to move to a full truck load. Because pickups need to be sorted and weighed, and because deliveries will be scheduled in a certain order, you have much less control over how long a delivery will take when you opt for a LTL shipment.

A True Story
A Virginia-based shipping/crating company recently made a pick-up at a government facility. The pick-up personnel noticed the presence of chemicals and asked the customer about them. The customer stated they were all non-hazardous. Because the customer seemed knowledgeable and was certain, they assumed he was correct.

Upon inspection of the shipment in the warehouse, the following diamond-shaped markings were observed on some of the boxes:

Diamond-shaped marks and labels are a dead give away that hazardous materials are present (because it is illegal to put non-hazardous materials in boxes with those markings). Also be on the lookout for “UN” markings on the box since most hazardous materials are shipped in boxes with these markings.

The shipping/crating company in question is not permitted to handle hazardous materials under the terms of their franchise agreement; however, the franchise owners are trained and certified in the shipment of hazardous materials and immediately recognized that the diamond-shaped markings indicate the presence of hazardous materials. They obtained the material safety data sheets (MSDS) on all of the chemicals and learned that at least five of the materials picked up were regulated as hazardous materials.

The Moral of the Story
Packing and shipping company personnel must be on the watch for hazardous materials within their shipments. Undeclared and improperly packed and marked shipments can pose a significant safety hazard to personnel during transportation and will result in huge fines if discovered.

In addition to commercial or industrial chemicals, watch for common, everyday materials such as aerosols, fingernail polish remover, many types of batteries (especially lithium batteries), some paints, and other items that are regulated by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) as hazardous materials. These materials may not be packed or shipped by anyone without the proper training.

The stakes are high. The minimum fine for transporting an undeclared shipment of hazardous materials is $15,000. Additional fines may be issued for failure to provide hazardous materials training to employees (minimum of $450); failure to provide an emergency response telephone number ($2,600); and many others.

Legal Liability
All involved parties (e.g., the shipper, packer, carrier, owner, customer, etc.) are legally liable for the safe and legal transportation of hazardous materials, so don’t think you’re off the hook just because the customer says the materials present are non-hazardous. Packing and shipping company personnel must confirm this information by obtaining a material safety data sheet for each chemical. They often can be provided by the customer. Another source is the manufacturer, who is required by law to provide them. It’s also quite easy to go online and find them. If you choose to do this, be sure to get the correct MSDS for the product because small differences in the chemical make-up of a material can make huge differences in the hazards of the material.

Lessons
1. When chemicals are present, it is not wise to depend on someone else’s word that they are not hazardous.

2. Everyone involved is legally responsible. No one may “offer” hazardous materials for transportation unless they have been properly trained and certified. (“Offer” essentially means to transport, or cause hazardous materials to be transported, in commerce.) 3. Offerors of undeclared shipments of hazardous materials are subject to fines not less than $15,000 each.

4. If you are a franchise owner or operator, be sure your franchise agreement permits the shipment of hazardous materials.

For additional information, visit DOT’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) website

In case you haven't heard, there is a new "game in town." No longer are minimum material/design specifications the only way for shippers to package their products for common-carrier transportation (by LTL less-than-truckload shipments anyway). Now there is an optional or alternate method open to all shippers of non-hazardous goods.

In November 1994, the National Classification Committee (NCC) approved a new Rule for the National Motor Freight Classification (NMFC) and gave it the number 180. Effective January 1995, the new Performance Test Packaging Rule made it possible to use any material or design for transport packaging if it can pass a set of performance tests spelled out in detail in the new regulation. All kinds of containers are included, except drums, pails, and bags due to their difference in accepted test procedures. The new rule applies only to LTL common carrier shipments, although other motor carriers, such as full truckload contract carriers, could reference it as well if they so choose.

The benefits to carriers and users of Rule 180, as presented by Al McKinlay speaking for the IoPP committee at the NCC hearing, are:

• "Adequate protection" defined--This term is used frequently throughout packaging rules in the NMFC, without definition.   It is a source of considerable disagreement between carriers and shippers when damage is incurred and claims disputed.  Now we have the test procedures of Rule 180 which define how much protection is adequate.
• Reduction in damage claims--The container Rules of the NMFC, such as 222 for corrugated boxes, do not define if or how much interior packaging is needed. With Rule 180, a standard definition is given for required performance of the whole transport package in LTL shipping, and results of an extensive testing program show the definition tracks good performance.
• More creativity in transport packaging design--In general, no matter whether it's packaging or building blocks or electronics or whatever, performance specifications have led to more creative solutions and products than ever possible with more rigid material/design specifications. Both our federal government and the GATT world trade agreement endorse the concept.
• Source reduction of packaging materials--Tied in with the creativity benefit is the greater opportunity to explore alternatives which may lead to reduction of packaging materials required to do the job of total performance in safe and economical distribution of goods.
• Improved customer satisfaction--The current trend to greater awareness of customer satisfaction in total quality improvement will find a friend in Rule 180 and its us e to bring down damage complaints.
• Reduce cycle time for package design and certification--A roadblock for many potentially good ideas is the time and expense to prove their viability as an adequate transport package.  Rule 180 reduces both time and cost dramatically as one successful day in the lab can replace most of the trials.  Gone are the requirements for 6 to 12 months of expensive trial shipments, although some are still a good idea to provide final verification of a new concept.
• Reduction in recordkeeping--Those shippers and carriers show now do extensive test shipments under Item 689, as required for exceptions or new numbered packages, will really appreciate the elimination of the tremendous recordkeeping those test shipments require.

The opening paragraph of Rule 180 makes it clear that the Rule is an alternative to existing Rules, therefore no one is forced to use it. But those who will most probably use it are shippers who are looking for improved packaging (less damage), for a clear definition of performance requirements for packaging of high value products, or for replacing the lengthy test shipment protocol required for any changes or additions to numbered packages (such as furniture, large appliance, TV industries, and some others are required to use). The new Rule even includes a performance requir ement for palletized loads, something motor carriers really like since such loads many times fall apart while in their care.

The performance requirements are a two part test sequence: first a compression/vibration test representing hazards of over-the-road travel; and second, an impact/handling test representing hazards in terminals. The tests are based on ASTM methods with a strong, although not identical, flavor of the ASTM Performance Test Practice D4169. All details of the test procedures, in fact the entire Rule as proposed to the NCC, were hammered out in two years of intense work by a technical committee of the Institute of Packaging Professionals (IoPP).

A variety of test method and equipment options are included, making it possible for most transport packaging testing laboratories to conduct the required methods. Since a number of Canadian motor carriers are participants in the NMFC, the test methods are also given in metric terms. The rule states that any competent laboratory may conduct the tests, that a test report must be on file, and that the shipping unit (transport package or palletized load) must bear the new triangular certification mark.  The organization certifying the shipping unit may be the shipper, the International Safe Transit Association (ISTA), or any other third party, and must have its name and address shown directly above the certification marking.

Al McKinlay spearheaded a group of 75 transport packaging professionals assembled by IoPP to work out this20performance-based rule. McKinlay, internationally known consultant and all-around packaging guru, literally wrote the book on transport packaging.  For information about his services and experience, visit his Web site at Transport Packaging Consultant

McKinlay's book, Transport Packaging, is geared toward ALL packaging professionals whose job responsibilities encompass transportation and distribution packaging. For more information about its contents and how to order, see the IoPP Bookstore.

Much is written about overall crate design and crate types, but let’s focus for a moment on the smallest construction component in all of their bills of materials: the fasteners. Without adequate fasteners, any design can suffer a critical failure. Less obviously though, the costs and speed of production can increase and weaken a company’s ability to compete if the wrong fastener is selected.

Choosing the right fasteners for closure and assembly is therefore an essential part of the crate design process.

Fasteners must be carefully evaluated to determine which type will hold the container together securely throughout the transportation process. Regardless of crate style, the type of fastener used must provide the added strength required for handling during the shock and vibration of transport. They must be able to stand up to even greater stresses, such as the use of lifting chains or straps when the crate is lifted for loading, unloading, or storage. Skids and rub strips will also need to hold strong when they get knocked around by forklift trucks.

Their impact upon durability, weight ratings, and the speed of construction and opening at the final destination must also be assessed, including their ability to meet commercial or government specifications.

Typical assembly fasteners include nails and staples, or bolts and jumbo nails for truly heavy-duty applications. For small manufacturers, these fasteners may be applied by hand in the assembly process, but for any manufacturer who must remain competitive by meeting just-in-time demands, pneumatic nail guns or staplers are recommended to reduce labor time.

A number of specialty fasteners exist in the market, including Fasco America’s Scrail® fasteners, a hybrid of a screw and nail made specifically for screw guns. Essentially, these fasteners provide the application speed and resulting labor cost savings of nails, with the dramatically increased holding power of screws. Their special design allows them to pass through the wood fibers without destroying them or degrading their structural integrity. An added benefit is that they can easily be adjusted or removed when assembling the structure, including when joists or cleats are used for increased strength or when it needs to be repaired or rebuilt.

So, take a minute to re-evaluate if you’re using the best fastener possible for your crating applications – you might just find that you can reduce your costs, and provide a superior product to your customer at the same time.

Go To Part 2

Back in May, AUSTRALIA gave notice their import requirements for PLYWOOD or VENEER wood packaging materials were changing effective August 1, 2009. The proposed change, meant these items would be considered “timber” wood packaging and would require mandatory treatment before entry. Since these items were already considered exempt from treatment and marking under ISPM-15, their proposed rule caused an international stir. They have agreed to postpone the change but have still “beefed-up” their requirements as follows:

NEWLY MANUFACTURED PLYWOOD OR VENEER WPM WILL BE ACCEPTED, BUT ONLY WITH A SIGNED CERTIFICATE INDICATING THE PLYWOOD WAS MANUFACTURED WITHIN THREE (3) MONTHS OF SHIPMENT AND WAS NOT RE-USED. (A copy of the certificate format is included with this correspondence.)

“OLDER” OR RE-USED PLYWOOD OR VENEER, WILL ONLY BE ACCEPTED WITH A TREATMENT CERTIFICATE. (Heat treatment or fumigation.)

Please note: BOTH THESE RULES APPLY EVEN IF THE WPM UNIT CONTAINS SOLID WOOD AND WAS IPPC MARKED. Australia has supposedly had problems with pests getting in with plywood/veneer and they are taking a stand. This change not only affects those using the IPPC mark, but those who were using “plywood only” to avoid compliance with ISPM-15.

If you would like to review the import requirements yourself on the AQIS website, here is a good place to start: Australia Requirements

For additional details, once you have accessed the previous link, look for the tab taking you to the “IKON” directory and be sure to select Timber Packaging and Dunnage.

Obviously, this throws a “wrench” into the whole process for all the countries who were already scrambling to get implementation procedures in place for the new “uniform” ISPM-15 standard just released in late April. In addition to bark limitations, new stamp formats and repair requirements, now we have to think about special procedures and treatments for plywood, just for Australia. What was supposed to be an easy, paperless certification system for wood packaging, has been made a lot more complicated by our “friends down under.” (Do you think we could get Crocodile Dundee to talk them out of this? He’s so charming!)

Okay, that’s enough bad news. Here is something that might be helpful if you ship to Australia and are wondering what to do about this. There are certain wood products that are labeled as “reconstituted” and if you substituted one of these for your plywood or veneer, no treatment or plywood certificate would be needed. These wood products include items like: particle board, chip board, OSB (oriented strand board), and both medium and high density fiber board.

Obviously, if you are already using the IPPC Mark, you could also just make the switch to solid HT wood only, eliminating all processed wood products entirely.

Please remember, these PLYWOOD/VENEER restrictions are for AUSTRALIA ONLY. You can still continue to use and re-use plywood for any of the other countries, regardless of how long ago it was manufactured.

We at Stafford Inspection welcome your questions and the opportunity to assist you with your export wood packaging compliance needs.

Use Wooden Crates to Deliver Products Without Any Damage

Author: jumphigherglobal

With the rapid advancement in technology, wooden crates have become essential and useful elements for packaging solution. Wooden crates are good for heavy, expensive and sensitive goods. If you are an exporter or supplier of goods and you want to send products to its final destination without any damage then you should consider wooden crates. Wooden crates are suitable for heavy and expensive goods. The advantages of using wooden crates are:

• They are strong and ideal for heavy and expensive goods

• Cost effective as compare to other packaging means

• Easy to assemble

• They are available in various shapes and sizes

• You can easily open and close them in order to reuse or add products

• They are light weight

These crates are made for the safety purpose of goods. The use of cardboard boxes and straws are no more in trend because wooden crates are stronger and these can be used to protect the products from damages or scratches. They are designed to transport all kinds of products at its final destination. It has four sides walls hinged to each other. Each side of the wooden crates has a flat top rim and bottom rim provided with a series of beam support elements integrally formed therewith.

If you are in need of a packaging company, you will find lots of packaging companies in the market to select from, make sure that you select a packaging company that can offer wooden crates with strong holding capacity that will benefit you, your products, your budget and your business as well. You should fast service at excellent rates. Wooden crates are cost saving, strong and reusable as compare to traditional disposable packaging containers. Wooden crates are made with robust construction that ensures that goods are well protected.

If you want to deliver products at its final destination without any damage then you should consider wooden crates in order to save your products. You should find a reliable and cost effective packaging company for your products need. There are numerous companies are available in the market. You have another effective medium to find a suitable company is the Internet. You will find numerous websites of packaging companies those are offering various services. Just go through the details and compare the services and rates then choose right one for you.

Nefab is one of the leading packaging companies in the World that specializes in offering wooden crates to deliver damage free products at the final destination at most competitive price.

About the Author:

seo consultant

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com

SHIPPERS HAVE OPTIONS TO CONTROL MOISTURE DAMAGE IN CRATES AND OTHER TYPES OF PACKAGING.

Companies that ship products in cardboard boxes and crates have always had to deal with the very real problem of moisture build-up and the resulting damage during shipping and sometimes also during storage. This damage is usually mold, mildew and corrosion and it affects just about every type of cargo including electronics, machinery, textiles, leather goods, wood and paper products, pharmaceuticals, various food products and chemical materials. Moisture damage can also affect the appearance and integrity of the shipping crate or cardboard box itself.

One way shippers can protect their cargo is by inserting desiccant pouches inside the wooden crate or cardboard box. Desiccant pouch technology has advanced to a point where pouches are now available in a variety of sizes and materials. The most effective pouch in use today utilizes a carefully balanced mix of non-toxic mineral desiccants combined with a small amount of Calcium Chloride. This combination has proven to be more effective-and environmentally friendly- than desicants that utilize only silica gel. Shippers should look for a desiccant supplier that can provide a computerized analysis to determine the number of pouches needed for a specific shipment. The factors that must be considered include the type of product, length of time cargo will be in transit and storage (if prolonged protection is required), the temperature and humidity ranges that are expected during transit.

Buffers USA is a proud supporter of WoodenCRATES.org and provides a wide range of quality products for crate manufacturers to resell to their customers such as desiccants, security seals and locks, logistics straps, dunnage bags, cargo bars, tie-down chain and more.

TO: US WPM AGENCIES
FROM: THOMAS D. SEARLES
DATE: APRIL 23, 2009
SUBJ: AMENDMENTS TO ISPM 15

On April 3, 2009, the Commission on Phytosanitary Measures (CPM) approved amendments to ISPM 15. According to IPPC regulations, amendments are effective when approved. However, each importing country sets its adoption policies. We suggest your agency and facilities implement the amendments as quickly as possible.

The substantive changes are as follows:

Sect. 2 - footnote 1 (dunnage) - This language was included to recognize a problem encountered by mills shipping lumber and having to mark the pieces supporting the packages. Our advice is to keep marking those pieces as some countries may continue to turn down shipments not so marked.

Sect. 4.3.2 - Repaired WPM - This amendment defines repaired as WPM that has had up to approximately 1/3 of its components removed and replaced, with the replaced individual components individually marked in accordance with ISPM 15. It further recommends that the number of marks that appear on the WPM be limited. The ALS policy will remain that all repaired WPM shall have all marks removed and if the WPM is to qualify for export shipping shall be re-treated and re-marked in compliance with ISPM 15.* (*Exceptions are permitted on a one off basis with special permission granted by an ALSC accredited agency. For example, a large crate with a tractor in it that had a few broken boards (less than 1/3)—these boards can be replaced with ISPM 15 HT7MB marked boards without retreating the whole crate.)

Section 4.3.3 - Remanufactured WPM - defines remanufactured as WPM that has more than approximately 1/3 of its components replaced. The WPM shall have all existing marks removed, be re-treated and the mark applied as new in accordance with this standard if the WPM is to qualify for export shipping. The ALS policy remains as is.

Annex 1 - Debarked wood - defined as shown below. There is no change in the draft language you have seen for the past year and a half. The illustration attached (attachment #1) shows the measurement of bark permitted. Please refer to our notice of October 21, 2008 (attachment #2), indicating that the EU will begin enforcing this requirement July 1, 2009. Dunnage - This paragraph sets forth special requirements for marking dunnage. "Special consideration of legible application of the mark to dunnage may be necessary because treated wood for use as dunnage may not be cut to final length until loading of a conveyance takes place. It is important that shippers ensure that all dunnage used to secure or support commodities is treated and displays the mark described in this annex, and that the marks are clear and legible. Small pieces of wood that do not include all the required elements of the mark should not be used for dunnage. Options for marking dunnage appropriately include: - application of the mark to pieces of wood intended for use as dunnage along their entire length at very short intervals (NB: where very small pieces are subsequently cut for use as dunnage, the cuts should be made so that an entire mark is present on the dunnage used.)
- additional application of the mark to treated dunnage in a visible location after cutting, provided that the shipper is authorized in accordance with Section 4. "

Annex 2 - Application of the mark. This requirement states in part "The size, font types used, and position of the mark may vary, but its size must be sufficient to be both visible and legible to inspectors without the use of a visual aid. The mark must be rectangular or square in shape and contained within a border line with a vertical line separating the symbol from the code components. To facilitate the use of stenciling, small gaps in the border, the vertical line, and elsewhere among the components of the mark, may be present No other information shall be contained within the border of the mark (emphasis added). If additional marks (e.g. trademarks of the producer, logo of the authorizing body) are considered useful to protect the use of the mark on a national level, such information may be provided adjacent to but outside of the border of the mark. " This language recognizes rectangular or square stamps and also requires all information other than the IPPC logo, the treatment method separated by a hyphen if on the same line as the country code, and the facility number to be outside the box. This requires the agency logo and Dunnage or Dun (if dunnage is being labeled) to be outside the box as shown in the illustration attached (attachment #3).

As new stamps are ordered, the new format should be adopted so that transition to the new stamp format takes place in an orderly fashion.

TO READ FULL ISPM 15 2009 UPDATE PLEASE GO TO TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

Reproduced Courtesy of PF Online
Writtten By Prokopis A. Christou

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) requires shippers to complete the appropriate shipping papers in a standardized format, attach DOT markings and labels to the packaging, and affix markings and placards on the transport vehicle. The intent of these requirements is to protect the public and the environment from the hazards of these materials during transportation.

Shippers can ensure the safe transportation of hazardous materials by following the six steps listed in Fig. 1. Let's follow these steps in an example. Acme Plating Company generates a liquid waste, which it disposes at the rate of six drums every three months. The material is primarily organic with various residues, but has enough Phosphoric acid to make it corrosive. The environmental manager classified the material as a hazardous waste with an EPA waste code of D002 (for corrosivity).

FIGURE 1: STEPS TO SAFE SHIPPING

1. Classification--shipping description
2. Packaging--selection and assembly
3. Marking of packages
4. Labeling of packages
5. Shipping papers & emergency response info
6. Placarding and marking of vehicles

Step 1 Classification
DOT divides hazardous materials (HM) into nine main hazard classes. Classification involves determining whether the material meets any of the DOT hazard classes specified in the HM Regulations (49 CFR Parts 171 - 180), and, if it does, selecting the Proper Shipping Name (PSN). The HM Table (Section 172.101) is used to select the PSN and determine the Basic Shipping Description. Sections 172.200 through 172.205 explain how the Basic Shipping Description must appear on the shipping paper, and under what circumstances it is necessary to supplement the basic description

In our example, the material is a mixture regulated as a hazardous waste under the RCRA rules. Its transportation is also regulated by DOT under the HM regs. The material is not listed by name in the HM Table (we didn't expect it). Phosphoric Acid, a constituent, is listed, but the material is substantially different. To classify the material, we reviewed its properties against the criteria for the DOT hazard criteria (see Fig. 2), we determined that it meets the criteria of Class 8 (Corrosive) and we assigned it to Packing Group (PG) II. The material did not meet any other hazard criteria.

FIGURE 2: DOT HAZARD CLASSIFICATION
Forbidden materials, forbidden explosives

1. 173.50: Explosives
2. 173.115: Flammable gases, non-flammable compressed gases, poisonous gases
3. 173.120: Flammable liquid, Combustible liquid
4. 173.124: Other flammable materials.
5. 173.27 & 128: Oxidizers
6. 173.132 & 173.134: Poison, infectious substances
7. 173.403: Radioactive materials
8. 173.136: Corrosive materials
9. 173.140: Miscellaneous hazardous materials
10. ORM-D, Consumer commodity (173.144), elevated temperature (171.8)

Then, we turned to the HM Table and we selected "Corrosive liquid, acidic, organic, n.o.s." as an appropriate PSN. This entry (see Fig. 3) gives us lots of useful shipping information. The Basic Shipping Description for a material consists of the following in exact sequence: the PSN prescribed in Column 2 of HM Table, the Hazard Class or Division prescribed in Column 3, the identification number prescribed in Column 4, and the Packing Group in Roman numerals prescribed in Column 5 preceded by the letters "PG", if applicable. For our example, that is: "Corrosive liquid, acidic, organic, n.o.s., 8, UN3265, PG II."

Next, we determined what additional description we needed to include with the Basic Shipping Description. Because the PSN is a generic name ("G" in Column 1), we included the technical name of the constituent that contributed the hazards. Phosphoric acid is what makes the material corrosive. Because the material is a waste, we needed to add "waste."

If the material or any of its constituents are listed in Appendix A, the list of hazardous substances and the quantity present in the container equals or exceeds its Reportable Quantity, we must add "RQ" to the shipping description. If the name of the hazardous substance is different from the PSN, we must include the technical name of the hazardous substance.

For our example, each drum weighs about 300 lb. Our material is not listed by name in Appendix A. Phosphoric acid is listed with an RQ of 5,000 lb--the amount in the drum does not exceed this RQ. EPA waste code D002 is listed with an RQ of 100 pounds-- the amount of the material assigned this code (300 pounds) exceeds this RQ. As result, we added additional description for this hazardous substance.

We also checked the list of Marine Pollutants and other requirements. No other additional description was required. The complete shipping description is: "Waste corrosive liquid, acidic, organic, n.o.s. (Phosphoric Acid), 8, UN3265, PG II, RQ (D002)."

Step 2 Packaging
An HM must be offered for transportation only in authorized packaging. United Nations (UN) performance packaging is used for HM packaged for non-bulk shipments, unless excepted. The manufacturer must mark with appropriate UN marking on each package represented as meeting UN performance standards. Containers of less than 119 gal are considered non-bulk.

The hazardous waste regulations limit accumulation of the waste to 55 gal per container. We decided to use 55-gal drums to both accumulate and dispose of the waste. For increased safety, we wanted metallic drums. The waste vendor recommended steel drums marked UN 1A1/X 1.8 /250. 1A1 is the code for non-removable head, steel drums. X means it meets performance level for Packing Group I, the highest level.

Column 8 of the HM table entry referred us to 173.202. This section lists 1A1 type drum as an authorized type of container. We can use the suggested type of drum because it is authorized and its performance level is even better than PG II level.

Step 3 Marking of packages
The RCRA hazardous waste regulations require that a container of 110 gal or less capacity that contains a hazardous waste be marked with the following information:

"HAZARDOUS WASTE -- Federal Law Prohibits Improper Disposal. If found, contact the nearest police or public safety authority or the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Generator's Name and Address _____.
Manifest Document Number ______."

Some state-run RCRA programs require a variation of this notice. Because hazardous waste is also regulated under the DOT regulations, when in transport, the container must also display the appropriate DOT markings and labels.

The HM regulations require that a non-bulk (< 119 gal) hazmat package be marked with the material's PSN, identification number, and name and address of the consignor or consignee. Additional markings may be required depending on the material and shipment. Examples of these markings include the ISO orientation arrows for liquids in combination packaging, and "RQ" with the PSN for hazardous substances and "waste" for hazardous waste.

Most shippers consolidate the markings in what is commonly referred to as a "hazardous waste label" affixed to containers.

For our example, in order to eliminate errors, we chose to use pre-printed hazardous waste labels thathich include all EPA/DOT markings and space to add contents/shipment specific information at the time of the shipment. We affix the hazardous waste label to the empty container when we are ready to start accumulating the waste.

1. Orientation labels - optional for single packaging.
2. Hazardous waste label
3. Corrosive label
Step 4 Labeling of Packages
A hazmat package must bear DOT labels to provide visual warning about the material's hazards. DOT labels are 100 mm X 100mm square on point labels. Their design is federally regulated. Each DOT label corresponds to a DOT Hazard Class or Division Number. The label must be visible and near the DOT markings.

For our example, we need a Corrosive label according to he label code in Column 6 of the HM Table. We affix the label to the empty container at the same time we affix the "hazardous waste" label. We then use the empty container to accumulate the waste. When the drum is full of waste, we add the accumulation date and move the container in the temporary storage area.

Step 5 Shipping Paper and Emergency Response Information
When offering an HM for transportation, the material must be described in a shipping paper as required by HM regulations. The travels with the shipment in order to provide a complete and accurate record of the materials and their hazards. The information on the shipping paper must be legible, in English and meet the requirements of the HM Regulations. The shipping paper must include for each HM: the shipping description; the total quantity; name of the shipper and address; an emergency contact telephone number clearly identified; consecutive page number of total pages (e.g. Page 1 of 4) if applicable; shipper's certification; and signature. For hazardous waste shipments, the shipper must use the Hazardous Waste Manifest as the shipping paper.

In addition to preparing the shipping paper, the shipper must also provide the transporter with emergency response information for each hazardous material. Because we do not have a material safety data sheet for this material, we decided to use the Emergency Response Guide Book for that purpose. We will include with the manifest a copy of Emergency Response Guide 153, which corresponds to the materials PSN.

Step 6 Placarding & marking
DOT placards are similar to labels, but larger in size (273 mm x 273 mm). Their design is also federally regulated. They are placed on bulk packages and transport vehicles, usually on both sides and ends. Placards provide visual warning of the hazards of the materials in a vehicle or container. The shipper is responsible to offer the placards. For highway transportation, the driver is responsible to affix the placards. Placards are required for some materials regardless of quantity while for other materials only if they exceed 1,000 lb. In certain cases, the material's identification number must be marked on the transport vehicle or the bulk package. The material identification can be on the placards or orange panels.

For our example, the truck driver must affix Corrosive placards to the pick-up truck, because he is loading more than 1,000 lb of corrosive material (1,800 lb in 6 drums). Because the total quantity of the material is not more than 8,820 lb (non-bulk), we do not need to provide the identification number.

When its time to dispose the drums, we prepare the drums and the paperwork and schedule pickup by the carrier. We conduct final inspections and correct any problems before the waste is on its way for disposal. Shippers of hazmats save lives by being knowledgeable and well trained and preparation the hazmats for safe shipping.

About the author: Prokopis A. Christou, P.E. manages environmental and hazardous materials transportation issues at Formosa Plastics Corp., U.S.A., Livingston, NJ; Tel. (973) 716-7341, fax (973) 716-7283.

This figure shows a somewhat delicate, easily-damaged item, a missile, in a shipping container.  In the test lab, at the loading dock, during truck or air transport,  during off loading, etc. the outside of the container will suffer some rough treatment, shocks and vibrations. 

Two things protect the missile.  #1 is the springs.  In this instance soft, highly damped "wire rope" isolators are used.  Soft elastomeric isolators could have been used if transport and storage temperatures were known to be moderate.  #2 is space that permits the missile to move inside the container without touching the container.  Thus severe, high-g handling shocks and high frequency severe vehicle vibratory accelerations are safely converted to gentle, low-g, high displacement responses.  Herb LeKuch expands upon these ideas in his ERI short courses for packaging engineers. He also discusses and demonstrates needed multiaxial shaker and shock tests to prove that isolation works.

The same techniques are used a bit differently when racks of delicate electronic and other equipment are softly attached, for example, to helicopters.  Herb teaches these test and design techniques to aerospace, land vehicle and ship engineers.

 

Craters & Freighters of Eastern Nebraska Crates Abraham Lincolns Rocking Chair

Craters & Freighters was contacted in December by the Library of Congress in Washington D.C. concerning a crate that needed to be constructed for Abraham Lincoln’s rocking chair. The chair was located in Council Bluffs, IA at the Union Pacific Museum. We knew this was an opportunity of a lifetime and were honored when we were awarded this project. The chair will be part of a traveling exhibit celebrating Lincoln’s 200^th birthday. The crate had to be designed to be used on each leg of the exhibit and to withstand several years of transportation. We decided to basically build a crate inside a crate. The base of the internal crate contained a base situated over foam and attached with compression springs. This basically will give the item a cushioned base for an air ride during transport. The internal crate was then lined with 1 inch dense foam. Again, this is added protection for the rocking chair. Since this crate will be reused we added a hinged door for easy loading and unloading. We then added the external walls with bracing between the internal and outer crate to maintain stability. An outer door was then built that could be easily removed.

 

 

Once the crate was built we transported it to the UP Museum. During the crating process white gloves were to be worn to avoid not only scratching but the oils from our skin contacting this historic piece of furniture. We first wrapped the chair with thin foam and wrapped the entire piece in shrink wrap. This is used instead of any tape as we do not want to risk adhesives touching the surface and provides a tighter wrap on the furniture. The chair was then placed in the crate and additional dense foam was added to the base to avoid rocking of the chair during transit. The crate was then sealed and is now on its way to Washington DC.

TO: ACCREDITED LUMBER, WPM & HT ONLY AGENCIES

FROM: THOMAS D. SEARLES

DATE: JANUARY 9, 2009

SUBJ: USE OF NON-HEAT TREATED CROSS-OUTS

Interceptions of positive findings for live nematodes by foreign countries have been reported to APHIS and the ALS staff has investigated each finding to try to determine the reason heat treated wood package material labeled under the ALS program contained live nematodes. In one case pinewood nematodes were found in lumber that had been produced using a high temperature kiln. Upon investigation of the positive findings, it was determined that the practice at this mill was to store the surfaced lumber in the yard using non-heat treated 4x4 cross-outs between the packages in the stack. Additional samples of lumber were taken and tested for nematodes. The findings indicated that the pieces not in contact with the non-heat treated 4x4 cross-outs were negative for the presence of nematodes; whereas many of the pieces in contact with the non-heat treated 4x4 cross-outs were positive for either pinewood nematode or other non-quarantine nematodes.

These findings would indicate that if the non-heat treated cross-out contained nematodes of any species there is a significant chance that the nematode will transfer to the boards resting on the non-heat treated cross-out.

Interceptions of WPM containing non-quarantine nematodes are generally reported to APHIS by the foreign country as a non-complying shipment. Most countries interpret the presence of any nematode in WPM as an indication of treatment failure and in many cases have rejected the shipment.

We ask that you inform your mills of the above and begin checking to see how prevalent this practice is at the mills. Depending on the mill’s practices and your agency’s findings, the mill may want to begin using cross-outs that have been heat treated to reduce the possibility of transfer of nematodes and infestation after treatment.

Please report your findings to us so we can quantify the prevalence of the above described practice and the effectiveness of any measure taken to control the presence or absence of non-quarantine nematodes and pinewood nematodes.

Nothing like starting right out with a controversial issue. (Oh ya’, and welcome to the new WoodenCRATES.org!) So what’s the difference? Is there one? Did you even know this was a controversial question? Although most of us have heard both terms, there are many people in and around the wood shipping container industry that don’t know there is a difference between a wood box and a wood crate. When I started in the industry (I was a paper-pusher, not a crate builder) I was taught the difference, but then as I met more ‘crate’ makers around the United States, I learned that different people had different perceptions of the term.

So who is the expert when it comes to definitions? How about Merriam-Webster? You know, the Webster Dictionary? Since no one person was put on this planet as the definitive Master of Definitions, the Webster Dictionary is usually accepted to have the last word. After all, who doesn't keep a dictionary near their Scrabble board? (I mean besides people who don't play Scrabble?) Merriam-Webster defines a crate as “an open box of wooden slats or a usually wooden protective case or framework for shipping”. Another dictionary defines it as “A rugged box (usually made of wood); used for shipping.” Dictionary.com says “A container, such as a slatted wooden case, used for storing or shipping.” Hollywood defines it as something that looks like a plywood box but has diagonals and breaks easily when somebody crashes into it. Ask somebody walking down the street what a crate is. Chances are the answer you get will be something like “a wood box”! If I walked up to you and said “Yo’ bro’ whazup?” you’re response would probably be ‘Who the hell are you and why don’t you speak English?’ But you will know what I said and what I meant because it’s a society that determines what a word or phrase means. (You will find ‘Whazup’ in a online dictionary, but I won’t say which one.) So if the ‘man-on-the-street’ says a crate is a wood box, and dictionaries basically say the same thing, then they must be the same… right? But wait! Don’t most industries have their own terminology? So as the wood container industry, can’t we create our own more specific definition?

Isn’t there someone we can look to? THERE IS! The mighty and powerful US government! They’ll step in for us and give us an even better definition! Right? Well, pretty much. For years I scoured the government box and crate standards in writing my box and crate software. I read every inch of them and the more I read them, the more confused I got. The government standards clearly stated on the cover, whether the standard was for a box or a crate but if you’ve ever read the standards yourself, you know that they often contradict each other. What is explicitly right in one of them is explicitly wrong in another. Now you may be an insider in the industry and are thinking “Why are you talking about government standards when they have all be retired and replaced by ASTM standards?” Have they been? Is there a replacement for MIL-C-104? Not yet. Have you ever seen an RFQ that says “Conforms to PPP-B-601 or D6251”? It happens a lot. They may be retired but that’s far from the point. Many people think the ‘recent’ government wood box and crate standards are the source of the styles found in them. In fact, they are not. Most, and probably all, of the styles found in PPP-B-601, PPP-B-621, MIL-B-26195, MIL-C-104 and MIL-C-52950 were developed before 1930 and by all indications, were all developed by the US Department of Agriculture. For the purpose of transport packaging the difference between a wood box and a crate was defined at that time. The standards mentioned above were the result of people testing the performance of existing styles and developing tables to guide us as to when to use which style. That’s probably when things got fuzzy. These recent standards, I’ll call them Mil-Specs for short, (even though that’s not completely accurate) define exactly how to construct specific containers in specific situations. The problem is that crating is custom and you can’t clearly specify how a container should be constructed in every possible situation. By being so specific, they have created holes of inconsistency all around the industry. If the Mil-Specs don’t cover everything then you’re on your own at least some of the time, and if you’re going out alone, you’re going to learn to take care of yourself. And as you learn to take care of yourself, you don’t need the Mil-Specs so much anymore do you? So now you can make your own rules. And most of you do make your own rules. Speaking just of the United States, A great number of the companies that make boxes and crates don’t make them to conform to the Mil-Specs or the ASTM specs and an incredibly high percentage have never even seen them.

Now if the difference between a box and a crate is defined in the Mil-Specs and/or ASTM specs and many, maybe most, manufactures have never read these specs then who or what in our industry defines the terms ‘box’ and ‘crate’? I don’t really know. But the funny thing is that most crate makers think they do know… I think. What do you think? Visit the WoodenCRATES.org discussion forum to voice your opinion. Visit the ‘Let’s Vote on it!’ forum to tell us what you think.

Eradication is used to describe the process of making the wood packaging free of pests. Heat treatment is one approved method for doing this in solid wood packaging. The other approved method is Methyl Bromide Fumigation.

There are time and temperature requirements under both methods, but there is also a dosage requirement where the methyl bromide gas is concerned. At this time, these are the ONLY approved methods of eradication. However, other methods are currently being studied, to determine their effectiveness, as well. Some of these other methods include Chemical Pressure Impregnation (pressure treating), radio waves and vacuum treatments, as well as other fumigants besides methyl bromide.

There is ONE standard format for the stamp, brand or stencil (no labels permitted), which indicates compliance with the international standard, ISPM-15. However, the country code within that stamp changes depending on what country the wood packaging originated in. The method of treatment must also be identified within the mark, so it will say HT if heat treated, or MB, if fumigated with Methyl Bromide.

This issue is in the Discussion Forums under Eradication. Please log in to comment or continue this thread!Go to the forums and discuss this in the Eradication Forum!!

This information is based on a current discussion in the Forums:

The 601H (previous Mil. Designation) is a very well designed container, having provided the military with quality performance. It’s max. content weight capacity is 1000#. The question is; is it stackable, how much weight will it support if more 601H containers are stacked on top of the bottom container?

Starting with all of the 601H stacked containers being the same size (with the same size footprint), the contents should fill the containers or the contents should be constrained to prevent loose movement within each container causing potential uneven weight distribution resulting in potential collapse of the container stack. The important point is to stack on a level, solid surface.

Whether you use a stringer design or a block design (soon to be approved for all pallets) I would recommend that you use a 1 x 4 bottom deck board frame under the stringers or blocks. This will aid in preventing the stringers or blocks from being damaged in handling and will provide a better distribution of weight in the stack. The secret in stacking containers is to transmit the total weight of the stack through each container to the bottom container, then directly to the “floor”. I designed a container, about 3’x 5’x 4’ high, with ¾ plywood, 2”x 4” cleating to handle plate glass. The customer required the containers to be stackable 5 high. The tare weight of the containers was 202# and the resultant weight on the bottom container in the stack was 9500#. Wood containers can be designed to provide a solution to the most demanding performance and life cycle requirements.

To respond or add your own comments, please go to Design & Construction Forum

OTTAWA, July 24, 2008 - The Government of Canada is working hard to limit the spread of invasive species and protect Canada’s valuable forests. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) are considering enforcing a standard for wood packaging to prevent the introduction and spread of invasive species between the two countries.

Canada and the U.S. are moving forward with consultations on the proposed removal of the exemption of the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures (ISPM) No. 15 on wood packaging material moving between Canada and the U.S.

Wood packaging imported to Canada is regulated under an international standard, ISPM No. 15, to prevent invasive species from being introduced into our country. This standard requires wood packaging to be heat-treated or fumigated and then marked to indicate that it has been treated. Wood packaging may also be accompanied by a phytosanitary certificate that specifies the treatment used. Up until now, moving wood packaging between Canada and the continental United States has been exempted from this international standard

. With a growing number of invasive species being introduced into the two countries, CFIA and APHIS have jointly agreed to terminate the exemption and begin enforcing ISPM No. 15 for wood packaging material between the U.S. and Canada. This move will help to protect forests against invasive species and means Canadian wood packaging will have a place in the international marketplace where the standard is already enforced.

To allow sufficient time to adjust, the CFIA and APHIS are developing a strategy that involves a gradual multi-year phase-in period. Complete implementation of the ISPM No. 15 is expected by 2011.

Before the import requirement is enforced, the CFIA will address concerns raised during consultations with affected stakeholders. Industry, exporters, importers, brokers, wood packaging manufacturers and interest groups are encouraged to provide comments on the proposed phase-in approach to CFIA within the next 90 days at the following address:

http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/plaveg/for/cwpc/consulte.shtml.

For more information on the ISPM No. 15, please visit: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/

Incoterms are standard trade definitions most commonly used in international sales contracts. Devised and published by the International Chamber of Commerce, they are at the heart of world trade.

Among the best known Incoterms are EXW (Ex works), FOB (Free on Board), CIF (Cost, Insurance and Freight), DDU (Delivered Duty Unpaid), and CPT (Carriage Paid To).

ICC introduced the first version of Incoterms - short for "International Commercial Terms" - in 1936. Since then, ICC expert lawyers and trade practitioners have updated them six times to keep pace with the development of international trade.

Most contracts made after 1 January 2000 will refer to the latest edition of Incoterms, which came into force on that date. The correct reference is to "Incoterms 2000". Unless the parties decide otherwise, earlier versions of Incoterms - like Incoterms 1990 - are still binding if incorporated in contracts that are unfulfilled and date from before 1 January 2000.

Versions of Incoterms preceding the 2000 edition may still be incorporated into future contracts if the parties so agree. However, this is course is not recommended because the latest version is designed to bring Incoterms into line with the latest developments in commercial practice.

The English text is the original and official version of Incoterms 2000, which have been endorsed by the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Authorized translations into 31 languages are available from ICC national committees.

Correct use of Incoterms goes a long way to providing the legal certainty upon which mutual confidence between business partners must be based. To be sure of using them correctly, trade practitioners need to consult the full ICC texts, and to beware of the many unauthorized summaries and approximate versions that abound on the web.

ICC now publishes a brief introduction to Incoterms on a new special section of its website. The section does not provide all the answers but will help understanding of what Incoterms are for and how they are organized. We describe how to order Incoterms in the original English version and many of the world's main languages from ICC Publishing in Paris and New York, or ICC national committees around the world.

Packaging Design When designing a package, be aware that it serves four basic purposes in distribution of goods from source to destination.

Goods must be contained thoughout the distribution process.

Contents of the package must be protected from the hazards in distribution for safe arrival at destination.

Packaging should assist in other ways to facilitate distribution and use of contents, including ease in handling, storage, transportation, and unpacking.

The package must communicate required information, including contents, destination and any special handling warnings.

For transport packaging, the designer should achieve the following objectives during the design process:

Product protection from all distribution hazards Use of environmentally responsible materials and systems Minimizing shipping costs, effective use of space in transport vehicles Ease of handling and storage in distribution Efficient use of labor in packing Meeting customer needs Packaging Design Process

There are certain steps in transport package design that should always be included.

These are as follows:

Be knowledgeable of the product characteristics- Fragility with respect to shock and vibration; ability to hold compressive loads; susceptibility to corrosion or abrasion; as well as dimensions and weight.

Obtain marketing and distribution requirements- Knowledge of possible transport modes, types of distribution systems, potential customers, quantities required per package, expected daily and annual volumes, etc.

Determine what hazards may occur in distribution- Any or all of these may occur during one shipment- rough handling, compressive forces, vibration in transit, high humidity, temperature extremes, concentrated impacts, puncture impacts, high altitudes, etc.

Evaluate potential alternatives for both packaging and unitizing- avoid considering only those methods or materials presently used; evaluate others used successfully in the industry.

Design the shipping container, interior packaging, and unitizing (if required)- Starting with information from the above research, one can scientifically design transport packaging by utilizing information from suppliers, textbooks, and further research for technical data on each component of the packaging system. Standard tests such as shock, vibration, compression should be conducted to identify any weaknesses and improvements required during the design process.

Check the adequacy of packaging by performance testing- When the design is completed, subject the transport package to a performance test consisting of a sequence of anticipated hazards/tests in the laboratory. ASTM D4169 is highly recommended along with ISTA Series 3 procedures.

Be prepared to redesign if the performance test fails- Even experienced engineers may find their design has failed the performance test, and a redesign and retest is required. Consider redesign of the Product if performance tests fail- Sometimes it is more expedient and less costly to redesign the product as a means of passing performance tests, rather then adding cost to the packaging.

Methods of packaging are needed- Methods of packing products in transport packages and of arranging the packages in unit loads should be developed. Complex multi-piece packaging requires documented methods for correct and consistent packing. Sometimes redesign of the package is required to optimize overall cost of materials and labor.

Documentation of the above is essential- Specifications of packaging materials and unitizing should be documented, and also packing methods and testing results

When packaging design is completed, as detailed above, it is a good idea to check once again to assure that nothing has been overlooked. Here is a suggested CHECKLIST to use before implementing the plans.

Has the design been performance tested using industry standards or regulatory requirements?

Has sustainability/environmental responsibility been determined?

Have all distribution cost factors been considered- handling, storage, transportation, etc.?

Were returnable or reuseable containers and dunnage considered?

Have all rules and regulations applying to distribution of the product been checked and the design determined to be adequate?

Evaluated all possible alternative materials and methods?

Checked damage and customer complaints for the product line?

Employed industry standards for materials and design criteria?

Compared cost of this product package versus average for similar products?

Documented the design in the company’s specification system?

The following material was provided by Al McKinlay a Transport Packaging Consultant and may have been edited for your general use. Mr. McKinlay has worked in the area of transport packaging for over 40 years. His wealth of knowledge is appreciated by many in the industry.

Distribution packaging provides the first and most important line of defense against the hazards of the distribution environment. A well-designed distribution package can make an immediate and significant contribution to a company’s bottom line by reducing or eliminating product damage and decreasing transportation costs. A properly designed package will also enhance company image.

The packaging design mission is to achieve optimum cost by balancing the sensitivity of the product with the protection provided by the packaging to match the hazards existing in the distribution environment.

The science of distribution packaging is more sophisticated and complex than most people expect. There are dozens of methods, techniques and systems for improving distribution packaging and reducing total cost.

Let’s take a look at the distribution environment and examine the hazards cargo will encounter.

Consider the Airplane Shipping product via airfreight presents a variety of challenges. There is no faster way to get your shipment from point “a” to point “b”, but the additional cost and the potential for damage creates a problem.

Start with the handling. A shipment that travels via airfreight will be handled many times by numerous people with a variety of material handling equipment and a diversity of care levels. Each stage of the journey creates its own tribulations.

Shock and vibration are concerns within an aircraft’s cargo hold. Turbulence can cause packaged product to experience severe shocks when sudden drops occur. High frequency vibrations are transmitted from the aircraft engine to products and can cause internal component damage in electrical components.

Next consider the cost. Airfreight is your most expensive mode of transport and is based on either the weight or cubic volume of your product and package. Minimizing both of these characteristics can save thousands of dollars per year.

Finally, consider your destination. There may be size restrictions because of the aircraft size that goes there, pilferage of your product, storage of your package outside at the terminal or customs and corrosion issues due to humidity from temperature changes.

Consider the Cargo Ship Imagine rolling, pitching, heaving, surging, yawing and swaying all at the same time. That’s the six different directions a ship at sea may move simultaneously.

Packaging for ocean shipment requires the use of specialized techniques that go beyond other forms of transport packaging. Much of the annual cargo loss can be prevented or minimized. Recognizing the proper preparation, packing, marking and blocking and bracing can have a great influence on successful delivery of goods.

Where your cargo is stowed on the ship will dictate most of the type of shock or vibration your product will experience during ocean transport. For most cargo ships, the bow area receives the highest shock from the ship leaving the water and returning with a slam. A container located on the middle deck of a ship may travel in a 70-foot arc with each complete roll; as often as 7 to 10 times each minute. A container located in the stern of the ship may experience continuous vibration from the engine and propeller excitations.

Corrosion causes billions of dollars a year in product loss. There are specific preservation techniques that protect cargo from the harsh and random environments products will encounter when exporting by ocean freight.

Consider the Train Shipping product via rail dates back to the 1800’s and is our oldest form of land-mechanized transportation.

The unique characteristics of rail transport can accentuate the shock and vibration your cargo will encounter from the combination of vertical, lateral and longitudinal forces.

Railcar coupling shocks are considered separate from other transport shocks because they can impose severe loads on cargo. These coupling shocks are a result of impacts between cars during train makeup in switching yards. A minimal impact speed of approximately 2 mph is generally required for actuation of the automatic couplers, while 4 mph is considered undesirable because of potential damage to cargo. In a study of 4,647 observations of coupling impacts over 50% of impacts were measured above 5 mph.

The type of boxcar your cargo will be transported in will also create distinctive hazards during transport. Studies show lateral low frequency, 2-4 Hz, rolling motion in boxcars. This motion is more severe or pronounced in boxcars equipped with standard draft gears. This type of boxcar is predominantly equipped with roller side bearings and allows a greater freedom of movement.

Other concerns during rail transport include crossing of an intersecting track, weight of cars, load configuration, number of active cars, car center of gravity and track orientation.

Consider the 18-Wheeler Shipping by truck is the backbone of the distribution environment. Whether product travels exclusively by truck or it’s only one of the modes of transport during it’s journey, a package will experience many variables, most of them beyond your control.

Truck shipment exposes product to significant material handling risks. Manual or mechanical handling occurs at the loading, unloading and transfer points. Designing the proper outer container, internal cushioning, warnings, impact indicators and unitization can minimize the effects of the handling cycle.

There is generally very little control over the operation of commercial vehicles and the resulting vibrations, shock and impact transmitted to cargo. Some of the factors that can endanger product include; trailer suspension, tire condition, driver experience, gross load of trailer, location of cargo within the trailer, road conditions and traffic hazards.

Other perils may include the orientation of the package, climactic variations and the static compressive load experience. For example, static compressive load can result in extremely high dynamic loads on the bottom containers, even for the low stacking heights in vehicles. A level of one G acceleration will add the equivalent of a static load twice that existing on the bottom container.

Considering all these factors effects whether a product will successfully be delivered damage- free when traveling through the distribution environment. Balancing the protection level and the cost is where the true savings can be found.

Michael Nyberg Packnet Ltd.

provided by Robert (Butch) Bernhardt, Jr.

PORTLAND, Ore. – In the midst of one of the worst declines in housing construction in modern times, Western mills will face difficult lumber markets in 2008 before seeing signs of recovery in 2009, according to a new forecast issued by Western Wood Products Association.

The lumber trade association said housing starts should to reach just 968,000 in 2008, less than half the total from three years ago and the worst year for new construction since World War II. Single-family starts will be off 60 percent from 2005 totals.

With more than 40 percent of lumber used annually in new home construction, lumber demand is expected to decline to 45.3 billion board feet this year. Demand for lumber has fallen by some 19 billion board feet compared to 2005 totals – a volume equivalent to what was produced by sawmills in the West that entire year.

Association Economist Kevin Binam said record home vacancies combined with the current credit problems will keep new home construction on the sidelines for most of this year.

“The next three or four quarters are going to be shaky for the U.S. economy. Housing is just going to limp along until foreclosures subside and the mess in financial markets is cleaned up,” he said. Lumber production at Western mills is forecast to slip by 11.5 percent to 14.1 billion board feet this year. That volume would be the lowest since 1982, when just 13.7 billion board feet was produced in the West.

Mills in the South will produce 15.4 billion board feet, down 10.5 percent from estimated 2007 totals.

Imports, which were off nearly 20 percent last year, should decline another 17 percent to 15.3 billion board feet. Canadian lumber shipments – which represent more than 95 percent of U.S. imports – are expected to decline by 6 billion board feet from their peak in 2005.

Markets should begin to recover in 2009, with housing starts forecast at 1.17 million and lumber demand rising to 47.7 billion board feet. Production at Western mills should rise next year to 15 billion board feet, up 6 percent.

“The slow recovery for housing and lumber markets should continue for the balance of this decade,” said Binam. “After this year, the worst should be behind us.”

Western Wood Products Association represents lumber manufacturers in the 12 Western states and Alaska. Based in Portland, WWPA compiles lumber industry statistics and provides business information services to mills. The Association also delivers quality standards, technical and product support services to the industry.

NEFAB: Global Partner for Complete Packaging Solutions

Industrial Packaging Information Print page What is packaging? As defined by the Wikipedia “Packaging is the science, art, and technology of enclosing or protecting products for distribution, storage, sale, and use.”

However the role of packaging has changed over time. Although its primary use will always be to protect its contents, more and more marketers and companies see packaging as a way to portray their products/image. Packaging today is expression at its finest, colours, shapes, etc… some would even argue it’s a form of art.

Quick Packaging Facts The global packaging market is valued at $459 billion in 2004. The packaging market grew by an estimated 7.5% as compared with 2003 levels, and 23% ahead of 1999 levels.

In 2004, North American markets, including the US, Canada and Mexico, accounted for the largest share of global packaging at $135 billion (29%), ahead of western Europe (27%) and Asia (27%). The largest single national packaging market during 2004 was the US ($115 billion in sales), Japan was second ($55 billion), followed by China ($35 billion), Germany ($23 billion), and France ($21 billion). The four largest European packaging markets are Germany, France, Italy and the UK.

The world’s top 10 packaging markets (2003) from largest to smallest; USA, Japan, China, Germany, France, Italy, UK, Canada, Russia and Spain.

Fastest growing national packaging markets (2004); Turkey, India, Poland, Philippines, Brazil, Indonesia, Taiwan, China, Lithuania and Egypt.

Industrial & Bulk Packaging global market for packaging was valued at $99 billion in 2004. At $29.3 billion, Asia is the single largest market with a 29% share.

In Western Europe, the country with the largest packaging consumption per capita is Switzerland… and by a wide margin! In Eastern Europe, the region’s largest single market is Russia, where the value of packaging consumption amounted to about 11.4 billion in 2003, growing by an annual average of 34% since 1999. The North American market for packaging products was valued at $131.9 billion in 2003. However, the country with the largest packaging consumption per capita is Canada.

Paper and board will remain the single largest element of the packaging market into 2009, driven on the one hand by rising demand in fast-growth national markets as well as steady growth in secondary/bulk packaging across the globe. Metal packaging accounted for 17% of the market in 2004, and is set to grow steadily.

The “Quick Packaging Facts” information was given to Nefab to use from The Future of Global Packaging, a market study published by Pira International and the World Packaging Organization. Pira International ( www.intertechpira.com ) is a leading publisher, conference organiser and research organisation specialising in graphic arts, media and technology-led industries. The World Packaging Organisation is a not for profit, non-governmental, international federation of national packaging associations, institutes, regional packaging federations and other interested parties including corporations and trade associations.

There are numerous considerations that need to be taken into account when designing custom built crates for your product. One of the most important considerations when designing wood crating is to determine the mode of transportation. There may be various restrictions on the size of a package depending on how the product will be transported. In most cases a product will be moved via truck, and then either rail, ocean, air or a combination. Additional considerations may include reusable crating, handling restrictions at destination and within your own facility, temperature, humidity as well as shock and vibration concerns.

Once the fragility of a product is determined, the gross weight of a product and proper cushioning and preservation methods have been evaluated, one needs to consider the overall size of the finished crate. The outside height measurement is most likely the greatest factor in affecting how much (or how much additional cost) you’ll pay in transportation costs to move your crated product. In virtually every instance, no matter how large the product is, there are means and ways to transport extremely large crated products. You simply may be restricted as outbound flights or sailing dates are less frequent and more costly.

Some common height restrictions for air bound shipments are based on the aircraft door openings. All crated product that is 64” or less in height can be moved via passenger or cargo planes, and provide the most flexibility when shipping domestic or internationally. Other height restrictions are 88” tall side door openings on DC-10 planes, as well as 96” tall door openings in the nose cone section on 747 freighter planes. Main deck side door openings are 118” tall as well on 747 freighters. Airbus planes are becoming more popular and freighter service will usually schedule 1-2 flights per week to most countries.

The subject of the transportation of hazardous materials is one that would require a small library of books to fully discuss the subject. A properly prepared dangerous goods shipment requires knowledge in, but not limited to applicable hazardous materials regulations, chemistry, physics, fluids mechanics and thermodynamics. The purpose of this article is to give a brief overview for someone who does not have an in depth knowledge of the transportation of hazardous materials. The first step to get acquainted with dangerous goods is to know the five W's of hazardous materials transportation.

Who is responsible for a hazardous material shipment? The main focus of liability of a dangerous goods shipment falls upon the person named as the shipper. A shipper is a person who offers a hazardous material for transportation in commerce. Liability for a dangerous goods shipment and hazardous materials regulations extend much further than the shipper and encompass persons who cause a hazardous material to be transported, such as a freight forwarder. Persons that perform pre-transportation functions, such as preparing packaging, labeling and classification are also subject to regulatory requirements. Responsibility and liability extend even further to include, but not limited to warehouse activities such as container loading and the operators of vehicles that physically transport the hazardous material consignments.

What is a hazardous material? According to the definition of hazardous material set forth by Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration in title 49 “means a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined as capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported on commerce”. Some generally expected examples of hazardous materials are corrosive materials, explosives, flammable liquids, oxidizers and radioactive to name a few. Examples of unexpected hazardous materials include aerosol cans, lithium batteries, automotive airbags, perfumery products, internal combustion engines and even magnetized materials. Within the hazardous material regulations there are over three-thousand proper shipping names assigned to structure and classify dangerous goods shipments.

Where are the regulations applicable? Hazardous material requirements are applicable worldwide. Each country, commonly referred to as a state has their own regulations and shipments moving through a given country must be adhered to even if that location is a transfer point. The requirements for a shipment can also vary according to mode of transportation, whether it is ground, air or ocean. Co-coordinating an export shipment can become quite complicated particularly if the shipment moves through multiple countries by various modes of transportation.

When did the regulations regarding the transportation of hazardous materials come into effect? Nearly 100 years of history evolved to form the current hazardous materials regulations for transportation. The most notable changes occurred during the 1970's when a series of dangerous goods shipments caught the public's attention. Beyond then an incident involving ValuJet aircraft spurred a dramatic reform and changed how the United States and world viewed the transportation of dangerous goods.

Why is the transportation of dangerous goods so highly regulated? The reason why the transportation of hazardous materials is so highly regulated is best described by the actual definition of a hazardous material, “a substance or material that the Secretary of Transportation has determined as capable of posing an unreasonable risk to health, safety, and property when transported on commerce”. The effects of a hazardous material incident can cause serious injury, death and damage to property. The most well known case of a dangerous goods shipment being improperly shipped had a devastating effect is the crash of ValuJet Flight 592. On May 11, 1996 five boxes of oxygen generators incorrectly classified and documented as empty, were loaded onto the airplane. These units ultimately activated causing a fire with a horrendous effect.

In conclusion, the transportation of hazardous materials entails a high degree of liability, responsibility and knowledge. With proper training and research dangerous goods shipments can be safely be put into transportation. The key aspect that cannot be stressed enough is proper training and thorough regulatory research.

Eric E. Muller Specialized Shipping LLC , Dangerous Goods Specialists
Managing Member

On the 16th September 2005 US customs begin enforcing import restrictions on WPM including pallets, crates, boxes, and dunnage used to support or brace cargo.

All WPM must be:

• ► TREATED against infestation using an approved method of a) heat treatment or b) fumigation
• ► MARKED with the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) logo to certify the treatment

IMPLEMENTATION

• ► Phase I beginning 16th September 2005 will be an informed compliance period – inspection as if enforcement but statement of non-compliance only without action.
• ► Phase II, beginning 1st February 2006 informed compliance continues but full enforcement measures on pallets and crates.
• ► Phase III beginning 5th July 5 2006 enforcement of the WPM ban.

For more information please access U.S. Customs or click on the REGULATIONS link at the top of the page for Member submitted information.

Proper storage is primarily a means of protecting the lumber's appearance and of controlling moisture changes in the wood. Good storage practices enhance sales by keeping lumber clean and bright. Proper storage also retains lumber's dimensional stability, which helps prevent twist, cup, warp and other characteristics that can result in degrade or material loss.

Green or unseasoned wood can be stored outside without protection in cool weather provided the storage period is not extensive. For longer periods the lumber should be stickered, which allows air circulation and helps prevent mold and stain from developing.

During warmer months, the risk of fungal stain increases and inventory should be moved quickly using the first in, first out rule.

Unlike green lumber, kiln or air dried lumber should be kept away from moisture, otherwise the product may lose the value that was added by careful seasoning. Rain wetting of any dried lumber can impair its dimensional stability.

If stored outdoors, dried lumber should be off the ground and protected by paper, wrapping, tarpaulins or canvas. Paper wrapping only offers short-term protection and torn wrappers should be repaired immediately.

This is an excerpt of WWPA 'Lumber Storage' article. To read the entire article, please click here.

As the nature of war has changed since the days of established fronts and well-worn trenches, soldiers rely on packaging materials that are as adaptable as the soldiers themselves.

The US government approved Hardy-Built Container Fastening System for returnable/reusable military shipping and storage containers have been in use since the mid-1970's. The containers are strong, have extended life-cycles, are lockable and can be made weather and corrosion resistant.

To read the full article please go to: Pallet Enterprise Magazine, May 2007 . To learn more about this vendors products please click here: Hardy-Built Fasteneners

Wood: The Environmentally Friendly Choice

For instance, did you know wood is natural, organic, renewable, nontoxic, recyclable and bio-degradable.

Wood conserves energy! Turning a tree into sawn wood or veneer requires less energy and produces less pollution compared to the large amounts of electricity and heat needed to produce other materials. Emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and other gases are also greater during the production of substitute building materials. For example, CO2 emissions are 3 times greater when producing steel.

Wood also helps to conserve energy by serving as a good thermal insulator in construction, especially in window and door applications.

Wood is natural, it is a raw material found in great quantities all around the world. Over 1/3 of the Earth's land surface is covered by forests!

Wood is organic. Healthy and growing trees absorb carbon dioxide and release pure oxygen.

Wood is renewable, more and more trees are planted all the time. Trees need only light, water, some nutrients, air and time in order to grow. In the U.S. alone, about 4 million seedlings are planted every day! In Indonesia, for example, over 1 million acres are reforested annually. Fossil fuels, like coal and oil, take millions of years to replace. Metals, cement, plastics and brick are not renewable.

Wood is non-toxic. In its natural form, it does not release any toxic gases or fumes into the atmosphere. Wood is recyclable, it can be re-used and re-worked and put into different shapes and sizes over and over. A single piece of wood can be utilized many times before it loses its properties and usefulness. And, wood is still the major source of fuel in many parts of the world.

Wood is bio-degradable, it will de-compose on its own and return to the earth's cycle.

Research done all over the world demonstrates that specifying wood will save energy and reduce CO2 emissions.

AND, let's not forget that wood is just plain beautiful!

Upcharges to compensate for lumber shrinkage are improper, say the experts (and the rules). August 29, 2005

Question Do any of your suppliers charge a shrinkage fee for your lumber? My suppliers add 15% to their lumber prices for shrinkage. It seems to me that if they are selling kiln dried lumber they should be giving me a discount. In this part of the country, Tennessee, it usually has a higher moisture content when it is delivered than when it leaves the kiln, so theoretically it should be a larger dimension rather than smaller. I would rather they just increase their prices for the lumber rather than increase it in this manner. Am I all wrong in my thinking on this?

Response From Gene Wengert, forum technical advisor: First, the practice of adding for shrinkage is illegal in all 50 states. Contact your Weights and Measure Commission (or similar outfit that measures the accuracy of fuel pumps, etc.). Basically, you must sell the footage you have. (It would be like buying gasoline and having to pay for spillage and evaporation, so one gallon would be actually less.) "Adding back" went to district court and was declared illegal, as well as being against the written law. Further, the NHLA is against such practice. Further, the wood shrinks about 6%, but some people will add 8%. The legitimate people will give you both numbers; this is so you can compare the legitimate folks with the others.

From the NHLA book "On July 21, 1977...” sales of hardwood lumber measured after kiln drying shall be quoted, invoiced, and delivered on the basis of net board footage, with no addition of footage for kiln drying shrinkage'." I would be very surprised is a large company like GP is adding anything, let alone 15%. Their legal department would be on top of such a practice and prevent it.

One additional thought, the term kiln dried has no specific meaning when used for hardwoods. Always specify the moisture content that you want. Note that the lack of moisture content specification in the rules means that moisture content is not a reason to return or reject lumber based on the NHLA Sales Code. --- Article provided courtesy of WOODWEB - The Information Resource for the Woodworking Industry - www.woodweb.com