Types of Pallets
From a distance, pallets might all look the same: stacks and stacks of wooden structures with hollow centres and the occasional brown stain. Up close, you’ll notice that no two pallets are alike.
Pallets are created with various materials, including recycled wood, plywood, and plastic. Here are some common types of pallets you might find in a warehouse or at the back of your local grocery store:
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1. Block Pallets
These pallets are known for their four-way entry, meaning they can be accessed by forklifts on all four sides. Block pallets can be made of wood, plastic, or plywood, generally comprising four to 12 cylindrical wooden posts to stabilize the top deck boards.
Block pallets are available with or without bottom boards and can come in various configurations. This design uses both perpendicular and parallel stringers to increase handling efficiency.
2. Stringer Pallets
Two-way stringer pallets:
This pallet gets its name from the stringers—the boards running between the top and bottom deck boards—used to support the pallet’s load. The two-way pallet allows fork entry from only two sides.
Four-way stringer pallets:
This pallet is the same as its two-way counterpart but allows access on four sides. There are two types of four-way stringer pallets: those with notched stringers and those with block designs. Notched stringer pallets allow four-way entry only with forklifts and two-way entry with pallet jacks. Block design pallets allow four-way access from both pallet jacks and forklifts.
3. Double-Face Pallet
Pallets exist in two general styles: single-face and double-face. Double-face pallets are comprised of decks on both top and bottom surfaces. The bottom tier increases the strength of the pallet and helps distribute the weight of the load evenly.
Double-face pallets come in two types: reversible and non-reversible. Reversible pallets can be flipped and have items stacked on either side. Non-reversible pallets generally have one surface with more densely packed planks for storing and packing.
4. Double Wing Pallet
This pallet’s design comprises top and bottom deck boards extending beyond the stringers or stringer boards. This design gives the illusion of “wings” along the side of pallets.
5. Solid Deck Pallet
The surface of solid deck pallets consists of one large sheet of wood with no spaces. These pallets are aesthetically appealing to many customers and easy to clean and transport. They also make transporting or storing smaller items easy—with other pallets, these might slip through the cracks.
At Pallet Management Group, we are committed to providing our clients with the high-quality recycled wood pallets they’ve come to expect from us.
We also buy your used and broken wood pallets so you can turn your old scraps into cash. For more information about our recycled wood pallet products and services, contact us at Pallet Management Group.
