September 24, 2008: The U.S. Air
Force plans to spend nearly $140 million over the next five years, just for
repairing 463L pallets used for cargo carried by transport aircraft. This
covers repairs to over 400,000 pallets, at a cost of about $330 each. The 290
pound 463L pallets (plus the 65 pounds of netting that is used to secure cargo
inside aircraft) costs $1,700 each new. The 88x108 inch (224x274 cm) pallets
are about four inches high, and can carry about four tons each. These pallets
have been getting a lot of use lately, and have been in big demand since
September 11, 2001. Many are tied up holding cargo that is waiting to be moved
forward, or just being stored for a while. The pallets also get beat up a lot
through heavy use, and that's why the air force is spending so much to repair
damaged ones. It's a lot cheaper than buying new ones. The pallets are built
for lightness (balsa wood covered by an aluminum skin) and strength. But they
are also more fragile than all metal (and heavier) pallets.
