Pallets for furniture
Furniture is bulky rather than dense, so it asks for a clean, flat pallet that will not mark upholstery. Monroe is the furniture town of the region.
Monroe and La-Z-Boy
Monroe is the home of the La-Z-Boy headquarters; La-Z-Boy employed 522 there in the 2010 top-employer list, alongside Gerdau Macsteel at 450. The 2010 date is old, so the numbers are a guide to what is there rather than a count of today. Monroe County also lists furniture manufacturing among its industries, with steel, auto parts, power generation and the port.
What furniture freight needs
- A clean top. Nails, splinters and stains reach the product. Grade A and tidy Grade B.
- Flat decks. Large cartons overhang a damaged board.
- The standard size. Most furniture components ride on the 48 x 40.
- Dry wood. Upholstery and wood parts are sensitive to moisture. Mold guide.
Selling from a furniture plant
Plants produce a steady flow of inbound pallets from component suppliers, and the empties pile up in a few places. A regular pickup is simple to run. Dock programs.
Buying
Ask for one size, one grade and a count, and say it is for upholstered goods so you are not sent oily stock. Buy used pallets.
Questions from furniture docks
Why do furniture shippers care about stains?
A stain can transfer to fabric or finished wood. A clean deck keeps the product clean.
Is a pallet with a missing board acceptable?
No. Bulky cartons overhang a gap, and the carton can sag and tear.
Do they use the 48 x 40?
Mostly. Some oversized components need larger footprints.
The size of the cartons
Furniture comes in large, light cartons, and a loaded pallet is tall but not heavy. The risk is instability rather than weight, so a flat, even deck matters more than strength. A buyer ordering for this freight should ask for flat decks and tight spacing, and should reject a pallet that rocks on a level floor.
Seasonal rhythm
Furniture sales swing with housing and holidays, and pallets follow the swing. Plants ramp up before a season and wind down after, leaving surpluses at predictable times.
Counting by the cube
Furniture is sold by volume rather than by weight, so a loaded pallet is tall and light. Count the number of pallets a trailer holds when stacked two high, and compare it with a standard load, since furniture often fills the cube before the floor.
Protecting the finish
Upholstery and finished wood are easy to mark. Ask that pallets be free of splinters and protruding nails, and sweep the deck before loading.
Surplus fabric and foam
Upholstery plants generate foam and fabric scraps that stick to pallets. Sweep before listing.
Dealing with returns
Furniture returns come back on whatever pallet the carrier used. Sort them separately from your own stock.