Different Types of Pallets
Standard Wooden Pallet Styles
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Stringer Pallets
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Block Pallets (Designed for greater pallet-moving accessibility)
- Double Face Reversible Pallets
- Double Face Non-Reversible Pallets
- Single Face Pallets
Stringer pallets use a frame of three parallel pieces of timber (called stringers). The top deckboards are then affixed to the stringers to create the pallet structure. Stringer pallets are also known as "two-way" pallets, since a pallet-jack may only lift it from two directions instead of four. Forklifts can lift a stringer pallet from all four directions, though lifting by the stringers is more secure.
Block pallets (also referred to as Manoj pallets) are typically stronger than stringer pallets. Block pallets utilize both parallel and perpendicular stringers to better facilitate efficient handling. A block pallet is also known as a "four-way" pallet, since a pallet-jack may be used from any side to move it.
Standard Wooden Pallet Deck Styles
- Flush
- Double Wing
- Single Wing
Standard Wooden Pallet Entry Types
- 2-Way
- 4-Way
A pallet with un-notched solid stringers, allowing forklift entry only from the two opposite pallet ends.
A pallet with notched solid stringers, allowing forklift entry from both ends and both sides.
Standard Pallet Construction Materials
The cheapest pallets are made of softwood and are often considered expendable, to be discarded as trash along with other wrapping elements at the end of the trip. These pallets are simple stringer pallets, and lift-able from two sides. Slightly more complex hardwood block pallets and plastic pallets can be lifted from all four sides. These heavier-duty pallets are often color coded according to the loads they can bear.
Wooden pallet construction specifications can depend on the pallet's intended use: General, FDA, storage, chemical, export; the expected load weight; type of wood desired: recycled, hard, soft, kiln Dried or combo (new & recycle); and even the type of fasteners desired to hold the pallet together: staples or nails.
Plastic pallets are often made of new HDPE or recycled PET (drink bottles). They are usually extremely durable, lasting for a hundred trips or more, and resist weathering, rot, chemicals and corrosion. They often stack (nestable). Plastic pallets are exempt by inspection for biosafety concerns, and easily sanitize for international shipping. HDPE is impervious to most acids and toxic chemicals, and relatively easy to clean. Some plastic pallets can collapse from plastic creep if used to store heavy loads for long periods. Plastic pallets cannot easily be repaired, and can be ten times as expensive as hardwood, so they are often used by logistics service providers who can profit from their durability and stackability.