Deconstructing the broomstick method
In the broomstick method a PP or PET strap is attached to a stick, pushed manually under a heavy pallet, and walked around the perimeter by hand before being tensioned and sealed with a separate tool. It is slow, physically demanding and produces wildly inconsistent tension.
- Over 120 seconds per pallet, typically requiring two operators for large loads.
- Inconsistent human tension causes load shifting, product damage and rejected deliveries.
- At 100 pallets/day, operators make around 25,000 trips around pallets per year — pure wasted motion.
The ChainLance replacement
The ErgoPack ChainLance drives the strap through the bottom clearance under the pallet and returns it to the operator in seconds. One operator, standing in one position, secures the pallet in under 40 seconds — a 66% cut in cycle time, with calibrated tension that ends the shifting and re-work the broomstick method causes.
Calculate the labor hours your floor would reclaim by replacing the broomstick method.
Open the ROI CalculatorFrequently Asked Questions
- What is the broomstick method of pallet strapping?
- It is the manual practice of attaching a strap to a stick, pushing it under a pallet by hand, and walking it around the load before tensioning and sealing with a separate tool. It takes over 120 seconds per pallet and produces inconsistent tension.
- How much faster is automated strapping than the broomstick method?
- The ErgoPack ChainLance routes the strap automatically so one operator secures a pallet in under 40 seconds versus 120+ seconds manually — a 66% reduction in cycle time, with consistent tension that prevents transit damage.
See the numbers on your own floor
Book a free on-site capacity audit — we bring an ErgoPack 726X, GO or 700 to your pallets and measure the time and labor you'd save.