A slip sheet refers to a flat surface called a platen available in composite materials including paperboard, plastic, or solid fiber. The sheet is intended to facilitate the process of loading and dispensing commercial goods in transit, and is a viable alternative to wooden pallets. In warehousing, many employers prefer using slip sheets as they are a more cost-effective, eco-friendly, and safer alternative to traditional pallets, which can be cumbersome, hazardous, and more expensive.

    Over the decades, slip sheets have gained considerable traction with many employers interested in streamlining productivity by reducing labor costs, furnishing more storage space, expediting distribution and transportation procedures, and promoting a more sanitary work environment. The linear dimensions of a slip sheet are a quadrilateral (square-shaped) platform, less than one inch thick. From an economic perspective, slip sheets carry marked benefits in eliminating the use of pallets, which can often lead to inventory discrepancies with customers (i.e. damaged or missing products). Pallets can also serve as a hotbed for pests such as rats and insects that can potentially host diseases.

    Although the cost-to-benefits ratio for utilizing slip sheets is marginal given their ease of portability, compact storage for multiple units, and the recyclable disposal, the use of slip sheets requires a push-pull assembly that fits on the front end of a forklift. The push-pull attachment features a retractable mechanism that latches onto the edge of the slip sheets, which accommodate more space for items, curtailing transfers into receptacles and commercial motor vehicles. Employees with specialized forklift training are necessary when operating this piece of hydraulic machinery.

    A variety of slip sheet materials can prove beneficial throughout the manufacturing and packaging industries, leveraging the dispersal of freight on a commercially mass scale rather than resorting to wooden pallets for easy maneuverability. A slip sheet consultant can help determine the proper material that is suitable for meeting specific environmental conditions such as ambient weather factors (i.e. freezing temperatures) and cargo volume per load(s) to mediate workflow. Slip sheets can minimize the risk of incurring work-related injuries that are otherwise contingent factors when handling and transporting pallets.