If you're looking into international freight shipping out of Houston, Texas, you may have noticed that you are required to use pallets made out of heat treated wood in order to ship out of the United States. Insuring that your pallet has been treated correctly is one of the first steps to ensuring that your shipment will arrive at its location in a timely manner.
How to tell if your pallet has been heat treated:
If your pallet has been heat treated (that is, heated to at least 56 degrees Celsius for at least thirty minutes), it will bear a symbol indicating that this is the case. This method must be used on a pallet in order to assure that it is compliant with regulations allowing it to be shipped out of the United States.
Why does the pallet have to be heat treated?
Pallets used for international transportation must be heat treated in order to comply with standard ISPM 15. ISPM 15 is designed to help prevent the transfer of plant material and bugs that might disrupt a local ecosystem. Wood packaging made out of raw materials can cause the spread of unwanted pests--including the Asian long-horn beetle and the Pine Wood Nematode. Several years ago, there was an incident during which the Asian long-horn beetle was discovered in the United States--which is not only problematic because of the introduction of a new pest, but because of the disruption that pest can cause within local ecosystems. Adherence to ISPM 15 regulations--including the treatment of wood pallets before they are used for international shipping--helps to ensure that there is no further contamination.
What does the heat-treated symbol on my pallet mean?
The heat-treated symbol on your pallet indicates that it is ISPM 15 compliant. It will contain a two letter country code (for example, "US" for the United States, or "AU" for Australia), a mention of which type of treatment was used ("HT" for heat treated); and a unique certification code issued to the company that heat treated the pallet. This unique certification code makes it possible to track a pallet back to its company of origin in the event that the treatment was completed incorrectly.
Where do I get a heat-treated pallet?
Many shipping companies will be able to provide for your pallet needs. If you need to seek out a pallet on your own, do a local search for pallet companies or shipping companies that might be able to provide one for you.
Shipping freight out of the Houston area? Contact us to see how we can help.
We pick up & deliver worldwide, as well as in our backyard.