Guides to specifying a new pallet
Plain answers to the questions buyers ask before they order a pallet, each with the drawing that explains it and a source for every figure.
These guides are written for the person who has to order pallets and was never told how. They start with the answer and then explain it. Where a guide gives a number, the source is listed at the foot of the page. Each ends with a checklist you can print or forward to a colleague.
- Skid vs palletThe one difference, the bottom deck, and what follows from it.
- Stringer vs block palletsTwo ways of holding the deck up, and which loads each suits.
- Two-way and four-way palletsWhich sides the forks and jacks can enter from.
- How much a wood pallet weighsEmpty weights, and what makes one pallet heavier than another.
- How tall a pallet isDeck, stringer and bottom deck, added up.
- How much weight a pallet can holdStatic, dynamic and racked, and why the numbers differ.
- Designing a pallet around its loadThe eight things that set a spec beyond its footprint.
- What to send for a quoteThe short list that gets an accurate price.
- GMA pallet dimensionsThe 48 x 40 in numbers.
- New vs used palletsWhat a new pallet gives you that a recovered one can’t.
- Deck boards and lead boardsCount, thickness, gaps and the boards on the edges.
- Pallet stringersThe long members underneath, notched or not.
- Pallet size chartEvery common footprint and what it is used for.
- What a new pallet costsWhat sets the price, and why we don’t print one.
Questions buyers ask
- Which number comes first in a pallet size?
- The stringer length. A 48 x 40 has 48-inch stringers and 40-inch deck boards.
- What is the difference between a skid and a pallet?
- A skid has no bottom deck: runners sit on the floor with deck boards across the top. A pallet has a top and a bottom deck.
- How much does a wood pallet weigh?
- A standard 48 x 40 wood pallet weighs about 33 to 49 lb empty; reinforced builds weigh 55 to 66 lb.
- How much weight can a pallet hold?
- Published figures for a standard 48 x 40 are 2,000 to 2,800 lb moving and 2,500 to 4,600 lb at rest. A pallet built to your load is worked out from its weight and handling.
More in the FAQ. Ready to price one? Request a quote.