For almost 80 years, the wooden pallet has been unchanged and remains just as important. Originally patented in 1939 (US 2178646 A) by William C. House and George G. Raymond, pallets were invented simply out of necessity. The wooden platform was made for the transportation and storage of goods and products and was designed to hold heavy loads while being moved by a forklift.
In the world we live in, everything is always moving whether it be people or materials. Pallets make the entire processes of material handling and shipping possible. They transport items from one place to another in a manner that saves both time and money. But pallets became what they are today because of the forklift.
Forklifts were becoming popular between the late 1800s and early 1900s. But to maximize its capabilities, the proper tool was needed to place the items that were to be being moved. Pallets were made to fit with the design of forklifts. They were easy to construct – wood planks nailed together – and were strong enough to carry a lot of weight around warehouses.
Today it is estimated that over half a billion pallets are manufactured each year in North America, while about 2 billion pallets are in use at any given moment.
