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Gedar packaging is a plus for retailers
AS lF preparing to nimbly carry Fl eggs from the farm, lumber manufacturers are devising new. safer methods to protect their sensitive cedar during shipment to retailers and wholesalers.
"lt doesn't help us any to go to all the trouble of manufacturing it and milling it so it's looking good here, if by the time it gets to the customer it looks bad. We'd be wasting all that effort," says Mike Baldi, shipping superintendent for P&M Cedar Products, McCloud, Ca.
P&M tapes bundles together and affixes a special end cap constructed of four or six boards and featuring the company logo, a profile of the product, directions and applications information. Plastic film covers the shipment to protect the cedar's fine edges and tongues and grooves. Bolsters and spacers are strapped to each unit to keep the pallet together for a cleaner operation.
But the shipping additions provide retailers with more than good looking wood. After it is unloaded, the wrap can be left on the lumber while it sits in the yard to continue to protect it from the elements.
And P&M offers a specially designed ProPac, featuring prearranged 6, l0 and l6-ft. length boards. "When it gets to the yard, it's prepackaged in predetermined amounts," says Baldi. "You don't have to go picking through the piles, and it ensures a fairer distribution of the different sizes to customers."
Loth Lumber, Gold Bar, Wa., has built its niche in the industry by prid- ing itself on delivering its western red cedar in the best condition possible. Its earliest protective measure was selecting the safest loading procedure. "We tried everything from driving a forklift onto the truck to sliding lumber in on rollers," says shipping manager Richard Poole. "We found that piggyback van loaders worked best."
Three years ago, Loth designed a custom pallet of fir 2x6s with an attached pull rod. At the cedar's destination, a chain is hooked onto the rod so the lumber can be easily pulled out without damage to the bottom of the lumber.
Loth also uses end caps, corner protectors, 1-l/4" banding, airbag cushioning between the lumber and the walls of the van, and waterproof polybag pallet coverings. "Since we are in the Northwest, we have a good amount of rainfall, so we cover the lumber with as much plastic as possible to keep the moisture out. Rain also lessens the payload, adding weight and cost," Poole explains.
Story at a Glance
How cedar packaging innovations to protect shipments help retailers, wholesalers and customers. end caps, spacers, plastic wrap and custom pallets save money by reducing damages and loss.
I'-or exports, Loth adds a wax-dipped cardboard siding to the polybags for extra protection in handling at the docks and during the ocean voyage.
In all, Poole is sure the added steps are paying off "because we neverhave complaints about the condition of our lumber."
Yet Baldi notes special packaging can add $25 to $40 per 1,000 to the manufacturer's cost, though it helps guarantee the wood arrives without damage or loss. Poole agrees: "There is no upcharge for our packaging. lt's saving us money in the long run. Other companies would rather go through a lot of customers than have contented customers."
