New 48 x 36 pallets

The 48 x 36 is listed for three quite different loads: beverage, roofing shingles and packaged paper. What they share is density. Bundles of shingles and cartons of paper are heavy for their size, and a footprint 4 inches narrower than a 48 x 40 matches the way those products are bundled and cased.

The 48-inch stringers are the same as a 48 x 40’s, so it lifts and racks the same from the ends. The deck boards are 36 inches, a shorter span, which helps under heavy loads. Shingle and paper loads are flat and even, so the deck can be fairly open; beverage cases need closer boards.

Shingle pallets often stand outdoors in supply yards. If yours will, say so: the lumber, a deck that sheds water and how the stack is supported off wet ground all go into the spec. Building products has more.

A starting point for the spec at this size. Your load sets the final numbers.

Paper mills and converters ship reams, cases and rolls cut to fixed sizes, and a footprint four inches narrower than the grocery pallet suits many of those packs. The loads are heavy and flat, so the deck works mostly in bending between stringers; thicker boards are cheaper insurance than more of them. Send the pack size and weight and we work out which.

Stringers

Three, 48 in long

Top deck

Boards 36 in long; open for flat loads, close for cases

Lumber

Heavier for outdoor storage

Entry

Ends, or notched

Yard storage

A deck that sheds water

Why do shingle makers use 48 x 36?

Bundles of shingles are dense, and the narrower deck keeps a full pallet to a weight that yard and truck-mounted forklifts handle.

Can a 48 x 36 go in a trailer alongside 48 x 40s?

Yes, but the mix leaves gaps. If you ship full loads of one product, one footprint packs tighter.

What about packaged paper?

Reams and cases of paper are heavy and flat. A close deck keeps the bottom cases from sagging between boards.

Can it carry roofing underlayment rolls?

Rolls stand on end or lie in cradles. Send the roll diameter, length and weight, and whether they stand or lie, and the deck is laid out to hold them.

How many per truckload?

That depends on the build’s height and how they are stacked for shipping; we give a count with the quote.

Is the 48 x 36 used beyond roofing?

Trade size lists link it with shingles, packaged paper and roofing rolls. Any load whose base is 36 inches or less across can use it, saving floor space where 40 inches would leave a gap.

Does a narrower deck tip more easily?

A tall, narrow load is less stable than a squat one on any pallet. Keep heavy items low, wrap or band the load to the deck, and tell us the loaded height so the deck and stringers suit it. Corner boards help.