Two-way and four-way pallets
A two-way pallet takes forks from two opposite ends only. A notched stringer pallet takes forklifts from all four sides but pallet jacks from only two; that is called partial four-way. A block pallet takes both forklifts and jacks from all four sides.
Two-way
A plain stringer pallet, with solid stringers, has openings only at its ends, between the stringers. Forks and jacks come in from those two ends and nowhere else. That is fine on a loading dock where pallets always face the same way, or in drive-in racking where they go in end first. It is a problem anywhere a pallet has to be picked up from the side.
Partial four-way: notched stringers
Cut notches into the bottom edge of each stringer and a forklift’s forks can pass through them from the sides. That makes the pallet four-way for forklifts. Pallet jacks are another matter: their wheels sit low, and when the forks go in from the side, the wheels meet the bottom deck boards. So a notched stringer pallet is partial four-way, forklifts from four sides, jacks from two. The notches also take wood out of the stringers, so a notched stringer is weaker than a solid one of the same size, which matters on heavy and racked loads.
True four-way: the block pallet
A block pallet stands on nine blocks with open gaps on every side, and its bottom deck leaves room for jack wheels in both directions. Forklifts and jacks can enter from any side. Retail distribution, pooled pallets and any operation where pallets arrive facing every direction tend to use block pallets for that reason.
How to decide
Walk the pallet’s route. On each dock, in each truck, in each rack and on each store floor, ask which side the forks come from and whether it is a forklift or a jack. If everything enters from the ends, a two-way pallet does the job and costs least. If a forklift needs the sides somewhere, notch the stringers. If a jack needs the sides, it should be a block pallet.
A note on weight
Notches cost strength. If your load is heavy and racked and you need side entry, tell us the weight and rack spacing; the stringer may need to be taller or the pallet built as a block.
Racking and entry
In selective racking the pallet goes in front first, so two-way entry is often enough if every pallet faces the same way when it is put away. Drive-in and push-back racking also load from one face. Problems start where pallets are picked up from the side on the floor, in trailers loaded sideways, or on docks where they arrive turned around. That is where notches or blocks pay for themselves.
Trailers and turning
A forklift unloading a trailer takes pallets from the end facing the doors. If a shipper loads them turned, a two-way pallet has its solid stringer facing the forks and has to be dragged or turned by hand. Partial four-way entry lets the forklift take it either way.
How notches are cut
Notches are cut into the bottom edge of the stringer at two points, spaced for common fork widths. The bottom deck boards are placed clear of them, so the forks pass between. Notches remove wood from the part of the stringer under the most tension when the pallet bends, which is why a notched stringer is weaker than a solid one of the same size.
Which to ask for
If every handler on the route is a forklift and pallets sometimes face sideways, ask for notched stringers. If hand jacks must come in from the side anywhere, ask for a block pallet. If neither, a plain two-way stringer pallet is the economical choice. When you aren’t sure, describe the route and we will say.
Equipment on the route
Counterbalance forklifts, reach trucks, order pickers, walkie stackers, electric pallet jacks and manual hand jacks all lift pallets differently. Forklifts and reach trucks carry the pallet on forks alone and can use notches. Pallet jacks and walkie stackers put load wheels on the floor under the pallet, so they need openings in the bottom deck as well as space between the stringers. Automated guided vehicles and conveyors may need a specific bottom deck pattern. List what you use and where.
A quick check on a pallet you have
Look at it from each side. Can forks pass under the deck between solid stringers? That side is open. Are there notches cut into the stringers? Forklifts can enter there. Are there gaps in the bottom deck wide enough for jack wheels? Then jacks can enter too. Note the answer for all four sides when you request a quote.
Cost of each
Two-way is cheapest, notched stringers add a cutting step and some strength loss, and a block build adds the most lumber and labor. Pay for entry where the route needs it.
Safety
Forks forced into a side that isn’t open crack stringers and boards, and can tip a load. Training handlers to lift from the open sides, and marking those sides if needed, prevents a good deal of damage. A pallet whose entry suits the route also gets lifted squarely more often.
Measure your equipment first
Measure the forks of every truck that will handle the pallets: width, thickness and the spread between them. Measure the pallet jack too: fork width, length and the height of the lowered forks. Notches and openings are sized to those numbers. A pallet that suits a narrow-tine forklift may refuse a wide-tine one, and a jack that fits the ends of a stringer pallet won’t enter its notched sides.
Walk the route a pallet takes, from trailer to dock to rack or line, and note at each point which sides are reachable. A pallet that only ever meets a forklift from its ends needs no notches at all; one that must turn in a narrow aisle, or be picked from a conveyor side, does. Write the answer on the request as the sides that must take forks and the sides that must take a jack. If several buildings share one pallet, the strictest building sets the answer, and drivers in the others simply gain flexibility they may never use. Automated storage, shuttles and robots have their own rules for openings and bottom boards; send the system’s pallet specification. If the trucks are leased, the dealer can give the tine dimensions; otherwise a tape measure and five minutes per truck will do.
Fork entry is the cheapest detail to get right and one of the costliest to get wrong. A pallet that can’t be picked up where it lands gets dragged, pried, forced or rehandled, and each of those breaks boards and slows a dock. Five minutes walking the route with a notebook, before ordering, usually settles it for years. If you run several buildings, check each one separately; they rarely match exactly, and the strictest building should set the specification everyone orders against. Bring photos of awkward corners, ramps and narrow doorways too.