Pallet pooling
Digitalization in pooling for sustainability
The paper era of pallet pooling is coming to an end. Digital solutions such as Paki's e-voucher make work easier for everyone involved at the loading ramp and speed up handling.
Paki Logistics is the European market leader in the pooling of Epal Euro pallets and pallet cages and part of the Faber Group. Paki helps retailers, manufacturers and transport companies throughout Europe to handle their specific load carrier requirements efficiently and effectively - and as sustainably as possible. Sustainability is one of the core corporate values that runs through all areas of activity and processes of the pooling service provider from Ennepetal in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The Paki e-Voucher was developed in 2019. It is the electronic version of the conventional pallet voucher. An electronic code is linked to the e-Voucher so that every transaction is clearly traceable. The real-time credit note eliminates the need for printouts, transfers and processing of pallet bills, which can shorten the processing time at the ramp, for example, by up to ten minutes. Pallet voucher losses are also no longer possible with paperless transfers. The e-voucher is currently being used by large discounters such as Lidl and Aldi Süd throughout Europe.
The e-voucher also offers retailers a high degree of flexibility. Processes become much leaner and faster, backlogs and lack of space are avoided and the time-consuming manual management of pallet accounts is significantly simplified. The e-voucher thus saves retailers high expenditure on personnel and materials and offers maximum transparency on pallet liabilities around the clock.
Transport companies benefit from Paki e-vouchers because long waiting times at the ramp are eliminated and the loading space is immediately available again. Thanks to the unique codes on the e-vouchers, transport companies can simply credit the respective number of pallets delivered to their own Paki e-voucher account in real time. The time-consuming dispatch and manual processing of vouchers is no longer necessary, and administration costs are reduced by around 50 percent.
Everything in one place with the online account
All that freight forwarders or retailers need to use the e-voucher is an online account in the Paki portal. Here, typical day-to-day processes for the management and movement of load carriers can be carried out digitally around the clock. Load carriers can be ordered via the portal to your own warehouse anywhere in Europe, to any desired unloading point or for self-collection. Freight can also be released throughout Europe with just a few clicks. Thanks to the templates and multi-order functions, recurring processes can also be completed more quickly.
All load carrier movements are made available in the online account on a daily basis. Account statements can be viewed digitally and web applications such as the Paki e-voucher can also be used in the portal. It is available in many languages and can be used on both desktop and mobile devices. To use the customer online account throughout Europe, all you need to do is register.
Drop & Drive
The Drop & Drive app is an addition to Paki's digital products. It simplifies the pallet drop-off of small quantities of pallets received in a train-to-train exchange through a paperless pooling process. The innovative app connects drivers with the open pooling community and displays drop-off points for pallets near the drivers or along a route. This makes it quick and easy to empty the truck bed for the next customer.
Paki's customers are convinced of the benefits of the e-voucher and the Drop & Drive app. But the potential of such digital products is far from exhausted. Those who take part in the open pool not only benefit from time savings and transparent pallet management. Pallet pooling and digital solutions also offer the opportunity to participate in a particularly sustainable system. The pooling of Epal Euro pallets and pallet cages combined with the use of digital solutions is the circular economy in action and significantly reducesCO2 emissions.
Advantages for retailers and freight forwarders
"Thanks to our digital solutions, the pallet exchange process is much more efficient, less complicated and, of course, more sustainable," explains Marc Groenewoud, CEO of Paki Logistics. "Our digital products such as the e-voucher, the Paki Portal and the Drop & Drive app also stand for high transparency, fast document management and significant time and cost savings." As the European market leader, Paki Logistics is considered a game changer in the pooling of Epal pallets and pallet cages. "Our customers benefit from our dense network with over 10,000 loading points across Europe," says Groenewoud. "This is relevant for major international retail chains and consumer goods manufacturers, as well as for international freight forwarders."











