Roll cages are essentially a wheeled truck/cart base with a metal cage/mesh vertical storage area on top of them. Since they already have caster wheels and can be easily pushed and maneuvered in and out of distribution vehicles, and can be easily moved to and from areas where products are loaded and unloaded, they eliminate the need for some of the expensive and specialized transportation that would normally be required. is required. used with pallets, eg forklifts. Roll cages are also known by other names related to their purpose and appearance, for example, a parcel car, a cage car, a roll container, or more simply, a distribution car.

As mentioned above, when the distribution of physically smaller goods, for example for retail or for parcels and a wide variety of others, the closest practical alternative is the use of pallets – the wooden pallet, the Euro pallet or blue GKN CHEP (short for ‘Commonwealth Handling Equipment Group’). These types of pallets are widely used, and one of the main reasons for this may be their relatively low purchase and rental prices, their wide availability and the extensive experience in handling them in the distribution industry. However, they have some specific drawbacks that can have a negative effect on the goods being transported, increase costs and reduce the competitiveness of distribution companies.

Wooden pallets, for example, are not particularly environmentally friendly because they are made of wood and since they are rarely returned after use, there is a constant need for more wood. This ‘one time’ use can also contribute to high costs. Wooden pallets often need to be fumigated to prevent infestation and contamination. They can also cause damage to some goods stacked on them due to overhang, or damage from the vehicles used to move the pallets (especially at the bottom of the pallet). The pallets themselves can also be easily damaged if they are stacked relatively low, for example 1 meter.

The benefits and advantages of roll cages

These metal wheeled trucks/carts eliminate the need for forklifts and provide much more protection and security for the goods stacked inside. Its use of vertical space and uniformity of width and depth due to its defined sides and lack of product overhang provide several advantages and benefits. These include making better use of space in transport and allowing the use of shelving inside the cages, thus reducing damage to goods and again making more economical use of space. Wire mesh construction makes roll cages more durable and stronger than pallet alternatives.

Although the metal sides limit the size and placement of some items, and the metal construction can sometimes make use noisy, these potential drawbacks are more than outweighed by the aforementioned benefits.

In terms of unit purchase cost and rental costs, although roll cages are more expensive than pallets, their durability and the fact that they are almost always returned mean that they should pay for themselves over time and, in fact, contribute to lower costs, greater efficiency and effectiveness, and greater overall competitiveness for the distribution companies that use them.

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *