Pallet

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A pallet, sometimes referred to as a skid, is a piece of transportation/movement equipment utilized in the movement of unit loads, typically made of wood, although plastic or metal pallets are also available. Pallets are usually forkliftable in that they are designed to accept forks between the top and bottom platforms of the unit. Pallets are used for assembling, storing, stacking, handling and transporting goods as a unit load, and are often equipped with a superstructure.

Pallet, courtesy of CICMHE/MHIA Multimedia Bank

Pallet History

Pallets in use at a warehouse

While the pallet has been serving on the front lines of the material handling industry since the beginning of the 20th century, it wasn't until the 1940s that it became as essential to the industry as it is today. Much of the pallet's success as a mode of unitization and transport can be attributed to the mass-production of the forklift, which greatly increased the ease and efficiency of pallet storage.

The pallet (in combination with the forklift has had arguably the greatest impact on the material handling industry. The pallet was not the first form of unitization in the material handling world. Precursors to the pallet include unitization equipment such as barrels and wooden crates. The pallet was first introduced in the late 19th century, around the same time as the forklift. The technology for both of these items evolved until the 1930s. The onset of the Great Depression put unitization technology on the back burner due to high rates of unemployment, lack of capital investment and a sharp decline in production of manufactured goods.

The United States' involvement in World War II rekindled an interest in more efficient means of unitizing and transporting bulk items. Palletization became the standard means for transporting goods to U.S. troops overseas. Not only could palletized loads handle a greater capacity of goods, these goods were able to be shipped by fewer people, an important factor in a war-time economy. Palletized loads also increased warehouse storage capacity and throughput. While pallets were used for some purposes in the war in Europe, their use was extensive in the war in the Pacific. Pallets were used not only to ship goods abroad, but domestically as well. By the 1950s, the pallet had become the industry standard for unitizing and shipping bulk materials.^[1]

Pallet Types

There are six pallet types:

Main article: Types of pallets

Type I pallet: Single-faced, nonreversible pallet.
Type II pallet: Double-faced, flush-stringer or block, nonreversible pallet.
Type III pallet: Double-faced, flush-stringer or block, reversible pallet.
Type IV pallet: Double-faced, single-wing, nonreversible pallet.
Type V pallet: Single-faced, single-wing, nonreversible pallet.
Type VI pallet: Double-faced, double-wing, reversible pallet.^[2]

Pallet Dimensions

Main article: Pallet dimensions

In a pallet measurement, the first number is the stringer length, the second is the deckboard length. Square or nearly-square pallets help a load resist tipping. The ISO sanctions six standard pallet dimensions:^[3]

Dimensions (mm)	Dimensions (inches)	Wasted Floor	ISO Container Region
1219 x 1016	48.00 x 40.00	3.7%	North America
1200 x 1000	47.24 x 39.37	6.7%	Europe, Asia; similar to 48x40
1140 x 1140	44.88 x 44.88	8.1%	Australia
1067 x 1067	42.00 x 42.00	11.5%	North America, Europe, Asia
1100 x 1100	43.30 x 43.30	14%	Asia
1200 x 800	47.24 x 31.50	15.2%	Europe; fits many doorways