42 x 4242-inch stringers, 42-inch deck boards
New 42 x 42 pallets
- Common in the beverage industry (Interlake Mecalux).
- A square footprint, 6 inches shorter than a 48 x 40.
A square for cases
Beverage cases are heavy for their size, and a smaller square pallet lets a full layer of cases come to a weight a truck, a rack and a store floor can take. The 42 x 42 is a footprint the beverage trade is known for. It is shorter than a 48 x 40 in the stringer direction and slightly wider in the deck direction, which the drawing above shows against the faint outline of the larger pallet.
What changes in the build
Stringers drop to 42 inches and deck boards grow to 42. Because cases of cans and bottles are dense, the deck usually carries more boards with smaller gaps, so the bottom of each case is fully supported and nothing tips into a gap. Lead boards matter on a pallet that is picked from and pushed around in a store: specify them sound, and wider if your jacks are hard on them.
Handling in stores and routes
Pallets bound for stores are often moved by hand jack through narrow aisles, so fork entry from the ends with notches for side entry is common. If your pallets come back on the route, a heavier build lasts more trips; if they are one way, a lighter one does the job. Say which. Beverage loads has more.
Writing down a 42 x 42
A starting point for the spec at this size. Your load sets the final numbers.
Beverage pallets live hard lives. They are loaded at speed by palletizers, wrapped, stacked two high in warehouses, carried on side-loading route trucks and dragged across store floors on hand jacks, often several times. Each of those steps hits a different part of the pallet: palletizers need it square and flat, stacking needs a stiff bottom deck, jacks punish the lead boards. Tell us which of them your pallets go through.
- Stringers
- Three, 42 in long
- Top deck
- Close-spaced boards, 42 in long, under cases
- Lead boards
- Wider or thicker for jack traffic
- Entry
- Ends, or notched for side entry by forklift
- Trips
- One-way, or heavier for returnable route pallets
| 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 42 x 42
- Why not ship drinks on a 48 x 40?
- Many do, but a full 48 x 40 of canned drinks can exceed what a floor, a rack or a route truck should carry. A smaller square holds fewer cases at the same height.
- How many cases fit a layer?
- It depends on the case. Send its length and width and the pattern you stack, and we size the deck so nothing overhangs.
- Can a 42 x 42 go in standard racking?
- It can, but it is shorter than a 48 x 40 front to back, so check that both stringers reach the beams.
- Are returnable beverage pallets different?
- They are built heavier, with thicker lead boards and stronger nailing, because each one makes many trips through trucks, warehouses and stores before it is retired.
- Does a 42 x 42 suit route delivery?
- Route drivers often move pallets by hand jack over curbs, ramps and store thresholds. A lighter build, openings sized for the jack’s forks and wheels, and smooth bottom lead boards that roll over a lip without catching all help.
Quote 42 x 42 pallets
Give the case count per layer, layers per pallet and the weight.
- Pallet size
- 42 x 42
- 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.