New 48 x 42 pallets

A 48 x 42 is a 48 x 40 with deck boards 2 inches longer. It ranks fifth in North American production and is listed for chemical and beverage loads, where containers and case patterns that don’t quite fit 40 inches need the extra deck. Because the stringers are the same 48 inches, it runs through the same racking and handling as a 48 x 40 when lifted from the ends.

Very little in the frame: three stringers, the same height, the same notches if you need side entry. The deck boards are 42 inches long, and with chemical containers or full beverage cases the deck usually carries more boards and tighter gaps than a light 48 x 40. If your loads are drums or pails, a solid board under each container’s rim is worth specifying.

A 48 x 42 and a 48 x 40 look alike in a stack, and on a dock that uses both they get mixed up. If both sizes are in your building, say so; a mark or a different board count can make them easy to tell apart.

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

Because it is so close to the grocery footprint, this size is easy to confuse with one. Separate stacks, a painted end or a different number of top boards make the difference visible at a glance. Buyers who stock both should say how they tell them apart today, and we keep that detail in the written spec so every delivery matches.

Stringers

Three, 48 in long

Top deck

Boards 42 in long, close-spaced for containers

Entry

Ends, or notched for side entry

Lumber

Pine or hardwood by weight

Identification

A board count or mark that tells it from a 48 x 40

Is a 48 x 42 the same as a 42 x 48?

No. A 48 x 42 has 48-inch stringers; a 42 x 48 has 42-inch stringers and 48-inch deck boards, and is lifted from the other direction. Both appear on standard lists.

Do I need the extra two inches?

If your containers or case pattern overhang a 48 x 40 deck, yes: overhang crushes the edge and snags in transit. If they fit inside 40 inches, a 48 x 40 is cheaper.

Can it be racked?

Yes, from the ends, like a 48 x 40. Give the beam spacing if the load is heavy.

What loads need 42 inches?

Chemical containers, beverage cases and mixed cartons whose pattern runs just past 40 inches. Measure the load at its widest point, wrap included, before choosing.

Can I get it as a block pallet?

Yes. A block build gives forklifts and jacks access from every side, at a higher price than stringers.

How many fit a trailer?

It depends on which way they load and how high the loads stack. Turned with the 48-inch side across, the 42-inch side runs along the trailer, so each row is two inches longer than with a 48 x 40; on a 48-foot trailer that is one row fewer. Count against your own trailer before promising a number, and allow for doors, bulkheads, wheel wells and any refrigeration unit intruding inside.