New 96 x 48 pallets

The 96 x 48 carries goods sold in eight-foot lengths, panels, doors and bundles of tube or trim. It is not on the standard lists, so it is drawn to the product: the length of the load, how much it may overhang, and how the bundle is banded.

A 96-inch stringer has to stay straight when the pallet is lifted from the middle, so it is usually thicker than a 48-inch one, and the pallet usually has four or more. Where a single board that long isn’t practical, two are joined with a splice. Tell us how the load is lifted, so the strength goes where the forks are.

A pallet this long is lifted from the long side, across the stringers, so the stringers are notched or the pallet is a block build. Place the notches where your forks are spaced and where the load’s weight sits. See long pallets for loads that roll.

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

Panels, doors, pipe, extrusions, bundled trim and lumber are the usual eight-foot loads. They flex, so the pallet must support them along their length without the ends drooping; that usually means a stringer under each band and a deck that lies flat. If the bundle is stacked two or three high, give the total weight and the number of tiers.

Stringers

Four or more, 96 in long; spliced where needed

Top deck

Boards 48 in long

Entry

From the long side: notched or block

Lumber

Straight, sound stock for long members

Banding

Placed to the bundle’s ties

Why not two 48 x 48s?

Long goods bridge the gap between two pallets and bend or slide. One long pallet carries them straight.

How are eight-foot pallets lifted?

Usually from the long side with forks spread wide, so the pallet is notched or a block build.

What about longer loads?

Any length can be drawn. Long pallets explains how loads that roll or bend are carried.

Do long pallets need a bottom deck?

For racking and conveyors, yes. Bundles set on the floor and lifted by forklift often ship on long skids instead, which use less lumber.

Will it fit a standard trailer?

Lengthwise along a van, yes. Two side by side across the width depends on the trailer’s inside width; check before ordering.

Can the stringers be steel-reinforced?

We quote wood pallets. If a load is beyond what wood can sensibly carry over eight feet, we will say so.

How do eight-foot pallets ship to you?

Stacked flat and banded. Their length means fewer stacks fit per load, so freight costs more per pallet than for standard sizes; ordering a full truck spreads it.

Where should they be stored?

Flat on level ground or dunnage, under cover. Leaned against a wall, long pallets warp; left in rain, their stringers bow as they dry unevenly. Restack them every few weeks if stored long.