40 x 4040-inch stringers, 40-inch deck boards
New 40 x 40 pallets
- Listed for dairy (PHS).
- A square with the same deck-board length as a 48 x 40 and stringers 8 inches shorter.
Dairy’s square
The 40 x 40 is listed for dairy. Milk crates, cheese blocks and cultured products are heavy for their size and travel cold, and a smaller square keeps a full pallet at a weight that coolers, trucks and store floors handle. The drawing shows how much smaller it is than a 48 x 40: the same 40-inch deck boards on stringers 8 inches shorter.
Cold and wet
Dairy pallets live in coolers and on wet docks. Wood that stays damp can grow mold, and wood below 20% moisture content won’t support it, so dried lumber is worth specifying for loads that go straight into cold storage. Moving air helps too. Tell us if the pallets are washed or stored outdoors.
What changes in the build
Shorter stringers make a stiffer frame for the same lumber, so a 40 x 40 often carries a heavy dairy load with standard boards. The deck needs to suit the crates or cases: crates stand on their corners, so boards must land under them. See dairy loads for the rest.
Writing down a 40 x 40
A starting point for the spec at this size. Your load sets the final numbers.
Dairy buyers often order every week, sometimes every day, and the pallets disappear into the cold chain and come back damaged or not at all. A plain, repeatable build works best: three stringers, a close top deck under the crate corners, dried lumber, and nothing unusual that a replacement order could get wrong. Send the cooler temperature if the pallets go straight into a freezer.
- Stringers
- Three, 40 in long
- Top deck
- Boards under crate corners
- Lumber
- Dried, for coolers and wash-down
- Entry
- Ends, or notched for side entry
- Storage
- Built for the time loads sit
| No. | Member | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top deck boards | Run across the stringers; count and width set the deck coverage. |
| 2 | Lead boards | The deck board on each outside edge, top and bottom; the first board a fork meets. |
| 3 | Stringers | The long supports under the deck; their length is the first number in the size. |
| 4 | Bottom deck boards | Spread the load on the floor or a conveyor and tie the stringers together. |
Questions about the 40 x 40
- Why are dairy pallets square?
- Crates and cases of milk and cheese are heavy for their size, and a 40 x 40 holds a manageable load that fits coolers and delivery trucks well.
- Will a wet pallet hurt my product?
- Wet wood can grow mold, and mold can transfer to packaging. Dried lumber, below 20% moisture, won’t support it.
- Can it carry aging cheese?
- Yes, if built for it. Wood under a constant load slowly bends, so a pallet that sits loaded for months gets more support than one turned around in a day.
- Do dairy pallets go back to the plant?
- Some are pooled or returned, many aren’t. A returned pallet is worth building heavier; a one-way pallet can be lighter and cheaper.
- Can dairy loads be stretch-wrapped?
- Yes. Crates and cases are often wrapped to the pallet for the trip. A bottom lead board with a clean edge lets the film tuck under without tearing, and nails driven flush keep it from snagging.
Quote 40 x 40 pallets
Give the load, whether it goes straight into a cooler, and how many a week.
- Pallet size
- 40 x 40
- Construction
- Stringer, block or not sure
- Load weight
- Per pallet, in pounds
Not sure of a line? Leave it blank. Size, load weight and quantity are enough to start a quote.