New pallets for plastics and bulk bags

Deck coverage is the share of the top that is wood. For bulk bags it is often close to 100%, or the gaps are small enough that the bag can’t sag into them. Lead boards and edges are smooth, so the bag doesn’t catch.

Many bulk bags are square, and a square pallet holds them evenly. See 48 x 48 and 44 x 44.

Plastics product manufacturing employed 575,006 people in 2025, led by Ohio, Texas and California.

What do bulk bags need from a pallet?

A footprint as large as the bag’s base or slightly smaller, a deck with almost no gaps, smooth lead boards and flush nails. A bag that overhangs bulges and can tear at the edge.

Gaylord boxes?

Large corrugated boxes of resin or parts sit on the deck with their whole base. The corners carry most of the weight once the box is full, so boards under the corners and a close deck keep the bottom from sagging.

Can bulk bag pallets be stacked loaded?

Bags are soft and usually stacked only one or two high. If yours are, give the stack height so the deck can carry the bag above.

What about molded parts?

Molders ship parts in boxes and totes on ordinary 48 x 40s. The pallet is chosen for the box size and weight like any other carton load.

Do bulk bag loops need clearance?

Bags lifted by their loops with forks don’t need pallets; bags moved on pallets need the loops tucked so they don’t catch. Either way, give the bag’s filled height and base size.

What about spilled pellets?

Resin pellets are slippery and get everywhere. A close deck keeps spills on the pallet instead of in the warehouse, and keeps them out of the gaps where forks enter.

Can resin pallets be one-way?

Usually they are: the pallet leaves with the bag and is used again, or not, by the customer. A one-way build is lighter and cheaper.

Pipe and profile extrusions?

Plastic pipe and profiles are long and flexible; they need long pallets with closely spaced supports so they don’t bow.

Film rolls?

Rolls of film stand on end on a pallet or lie in cradles. Their cores and edges dent easily, so a smooth, flat deck and edge protection help.

Chemical powders and minerals in bags?

Bagged powders, salt, sand and minerals behave like resin: soft, heavy loads that need a near-solid deck. Valve bags stacked in layers also want smooth edges.

Must the pallet be the same size every time?

Bags are filled at a station whose frame holds a set footprint. A pallet that changes size from one delivery to the next misses the frame, so a repeat order against one written sheet matters here more than in most trades.