This article contains everything you need to know about Shipping Pallets.
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A shipping pallet is a foundational platform upon which items, products, equipment, and materials are placed for easy and efficient handling during transport and storage. They were first introduced when forklifts were invented at the beginning of the 20th Century as replacements for kegs, boxes, and barrels. Shipping pallets revolutionized the way materials were stored, organized, and protected and have become a staple part of warehousing with close to two billion of them in use.
The standard shipping pallet for North America and the United States is 48 x 40 x 6 and weighs between 30 lbs to 40 lbs. Although pallets come in a wide variety of sizes and shapes, the standard pallet is the most widely used due to its ability to easily fit onto warehouse racking. Pallets are made of various materials including wood, plastic, metal, paper, and recycled aluminum and paper. Of the various structural materials, wood is used the most.
Shipping pallets are designed to be easily moved using a forklift or pallet jack for stacking, transport, and storage. Various industries have developed customized forms of pallets for greater protection of their products and easier transport. Depending on the types of goods being shipped, additional protection and securing is provided by wrapping shipped materials in plastic film or strapping goods in place.
Plastic pallets present more advantages when it comes to durability, strength and cost while being microbial and chemical resistant. Hence, plastic pallets are becoming the standard pallet material type.
Since shipping pallets are an important item in logistics and the whole supply chain, several organizations regulate the dimensions and sanitation of shipping pallets. Such regulations are made to eliminate downtimes and difficulties during transportation and to preserve the health and safety of the personnel involved in the shipment, the end-users, and the biodiversity of the recipient region.
The following are materials that can be used in constructing shipping pallets:
Wooden pallets are the most commonly used shipping pallets. They are best used for transporting furniture, sealed, and non-biodegradable products. They are durable, can handle heavier loads, cheaper, and easy to repair. The conventional wooden pallet can be made from oak or pine. They are easily gripped during lifting due to the high friction of the wooden surface.
Due to their heavy weight, they are costly and difficult to transport. They are also susceptible to insect infestation (i.e. termites) which is attributed to the porous surface of the wood. As an organic material, they are very susceptible to moisture, corrosion, chemical, and microbial contamination. Hence, wooden pallets are more frequently sanitized and usually coated with varnish to reduce susceptibility from such contaminations and prolong their service life. There are engineered variations of wooden pallets to overcome these disadvantages:
Plywood pallets are significantly lighter compared to their conventional counterparts. They are used to carry light to medium weight goods. Using pressure-treated plywood makes it resistant to pests and microbes. Plywood pallets are sturdy, have uniform strength, and dimensionally stable.
Engineered molded wood pallets are made from wood fibers, shavings, or recycled wood that is bonded with resin under high temperatures and pressure. They weigh less than standard wood pallets but have the same strength, durability, and stiffness. Molded wood pallets come in all the standard pallet sizes and are manufactured using molds for compressing and heating the raw wood material and resin. Presswood pallets are exceptionally strong and are far less than plastic pallets.
To comply with IPPC ISPM-15, the wooden fibers for engineered wooden molded pallets are dried by intense heat prior to use in order to kill all pests and microorganisms. This aspect of IPPC ISPM-15 is designed to prevent shipping of diseases during international shipping. They come with a license stamp of certification that indicates compliance with IPPC ISPM-15.
Elements of the IPPC ISPM-15 Certification Stamp are:
Like conventional wooden pallets, molded wooden pallets are sensitive to moisture absorption during outdoor storage use. For best results with their use, it is advised that they be stored indoors to enhance their longevity.
Presswood pallets are derived from wood fibers and shavings, or sometimes can contain recycled wood), that are bonded together and compressed to form a wooden block. These pallets are also lightweight and easy to customize, but still, inherit the trait of conventional wooden pallets of being sensitive to moisture damage.
Plastic pallets are made of polymeric plastic materials, which can be manufactured by several molding techniques such as rotational molding, thermoforming, blow molding, or injection molding. They are durable, have a longer service life (which can last for more than a hundred trips), and weigh less compared to wooden and metal pallets. These pallets are known to be resistant to corrosion, odor, microbial, and chemical contamination. It does not absorb moisture and can be easily sanitized. Hence, it is commonly used in the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. On top of these, plastic pallets can be manufactured from recycled plastics, although 100% virgin plastics offer superior performance. However, these pallets have high repair costs since the joints are seamlessly connected.
The commonly used polymeric plastic materials are the following:
PET plastics are lightweight, cheaper, and highly recyclable. with a surface that is impenetrable by moisture, liquids, and gases. It is a plastic that belongs to the family of polyesters and is easily recyclable. PET is ideal for the manufacture of pallets since it is very rigid but lightweight.
HDPE plastics generally have a high strength-to-density ratio and they maintain their strength at high temperatures. It is impact-resistant, which means it absorbs shock effectively if dropped during transporting or storing. Due to its excellent chemical resistance, it is used to ship hazardous industrial chemicals.
Polypropylene is harder and more rigid than HDPE, but it is more expensive. PP is durable and resilient when subjected to continuous and repeated torsional and bending forces.
Metal pallets are made of aluminum, carbon steel, and stainless steel and are used in shipping military equipment, automotive parts, food, beverages, and pharmaceutical products. They are strong, can carry heavier loads, and are resistant to weathering, chemical, and microbial contamination. Metal pallets can last for many trips due to their extreme durability and can be easily sanitized.
One of the disadvantages of metal pallets is their expense, which far exceeds the cost of plastic, pressed wood, and wooden pallets. They are difficult to repair and are restricted from use in electrically charged environments. Due to their weight, using them for shipping can increase transportation costs.
The very specific design of metal pallets makes them applicable to certain types of shipping needs. Their heavy duty nature makes them ideal for shipping heavy pre-assembled parts and components as well as providing a platform for long warehouse storage of materials.
Paper pallets developed from the difficulties of packaging companies having to deal with the problems of metal and wood pallets, which were cost, weight, safety, adaptability, and disposal. Paper pallets, or corrugated pallets, are pallets made from paper board sheets or reinforced paper. Built with runners, cores, and top sheets, paper pallets are engineered to be strong and exceptionally reliable. They are safer than wood pallets since they are built without the use of nails, fasteners, staples, and never splinter.
Much like PET plastic pallets, paper pallets are 100% recyclable and are Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) approved. They weigh between 13 lbs to 16 lbs, which is approximately one third the weight of wooden pallets.
Lightweight, customizable, environment-friendly, and easy to manufacture, paper pallets are an ideal choice for shipping products. Some of their drawbacks are their lower strength, which limits their ability to carry heavier loads and provide more protection for products. As with all types of paper, paper pallets are sensitive to exposure to moisture and temperature changes and can cause fires when ignited.
Pallets can be classified in different ways. Support, number of entry points, deck configurations, and features and design of the pallet are some aspects to be distinguished, and also to consider when choosing a pallet.
The mode of support between the top and bottom deck board is crucial to the design of a pallet. A pallet may be a stringer pallet or a block pallet:
The top and bottom decks of stringer pallets are joined by longitudinal slabs or boards called stringers. Two stringers are positioned on opposite sides of the pallet, and one or two more stringers are fixed in the middle in parallel to the outer stringers.
The top and bottom decks of block pallets are supported with twelve columnar posts called blocks, which are located at the four corners, the center of each side and middle of the pallet.
The number of entry points. Pallets can also be categorized according to the number of entry points in which handling equipment (e.g., forklift, pallet jack) can access:
These pallets allow entry on all of its four sides, thus providing the most handling efficiency (i.e., less loading and unloading time) especially if the floor space is small. Generally, all block pallets are four-way pallets. They are the most durable type of pallet and have the highest weight capacity, but are also the heaviest and most expensive.
These pallets only allow entry on their two sides. Due to their fewer entry points, they require the machinery to maneuver to a specific angle to handle the pallet or a specific orientation that the pallet must be stored. All non-modified stringer pallets are two-way pallets. A two-way pallet can be converted to a four-way pallet or a partial four-way pallet by creating notches to the non-accessible sides to allow entry of handling equipment. However, these notches decrease the strength of the pallet and reduce its weight capacity compared to its two-way counterpart.
The top deck is where the product is mounted on a pallet. There are many deck configurations to select from, depending on the product and shipment conditions.
Open deck pallets, or also known as ventilated pallets, have a top deck board with gaps or perforations. The mesh (or spaces) at the top deck board makes the pallet lighter and allows easy drainage of liquid when the product is wet.
Solid deck pallets have top deck boards which are made of a continuous sheet with no spaces that are appealing to most customers. These pallets are hygienic and easily cleaned because there are no hard-to-reach areas. These pallets are easy to transport and ideal for shipping small items since they have no spaces where things may slip into.
Double face pallets have mesh or planks on the top and bottom faces of the pallet. The mesh or planks in the bottom deck makes the pallet stronger and distributes the weight evenly across the pallet. There are two types of double-face pallets: reversible and non-reversible. Reversible pallets have identical top and bottom decks and they are stackable with products on either side. Non-reversible pallets have different top and bottom deck configurations; the top deck has more planks to support the product during mounting.
Double wing pallets have top and bottom decks that extend beyond the stringers or blocks, thus offering more surface area. These pallets are used to transport bulky products and numerous goods all at once.
CP pallets are specially produced pallets designed and manufactured for the chemical industry. For a pallet to be classified as a CP pallet, it must adhere to the standards of the Plastics European Council and meet CP specifications. The CP rating of a pallet indicates its size with sizes varying between 29.92 in. by 44.88 in. up to ones that are 44.88 in. by 44.88 in.
In addition to the size variations for CP Pallets, the CP rating determines what types of containers a pallet may ship as well as its construction. The various CP ratings are:
Several features can be incorporated in the design of a pallet to provide convenience and ergonomic efficiency to shipping service providers and warehouse personnel. These features are more common in plastic pallets since they can be reinforced during manufacturing seamlessly to the pallet.
Drum pallets are used to handle containers filled with oil, liquids, and hazardous chemicals during transportation and storage. They are designed with a catch panel to contain leaks and spills, to prevent the substances from spreading and contaminating the workplace and environment, and also to make cleaning easier. The standard drum pallet can hold up to four 55-gallon drums.
Stackable pallets have a flat solid base at the bottom which allows double stacking of products and other pallets. The support at the bottom ensures maximum stability, to prevent slipping or falling when the pallets are stacked with or without products. They are more abundant in warehouses wherein different stacking configurations are required and heavy loads are carried.
Nest-able pallets have legs that can be stacked within the legs and top of another nest-able pallet. This feature of nest-able pallets makes it possible to have multiple pallets stored on top of one another. The design of nest-able pallets makes it possible to compactly stack them during storage to free up space during return trips and warehouse storage. The design of nest-able pallets prevents them from having a smooth flat surface.
Rackable pallets are used for heavier loads due to their greater load capacity. They are produced from plastics using injection, rotational, or foam molding processes that add reinforcement to the pallet to enable it to carry heavier loads. Rackable pallets come in the standard pallet size of 48 x 40 to be able to fit in standard type pallet racks.
To fit more securely on warehouse racks, rackable pallets have grooves or ridges on the bottom and are designed to optimize the use of storage space. Light duty rackable pallets of special design have been approved by the Federal Drug and Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for use with pharmaceuticals, meat, food products, and medical devices.
Pallet sizes are standardized to eliminate the difficulty of handling materials by several equipment and vehicles. Such standards make fair agreements and compatibility among industries involved in the supply chain; hence making global trading easy. There are organizations and associations in different regions that regulate the sizes of shipping pallets. The most popular among them are:
The table below presents the six ISO-approved pallet dimensions, which are used as standard pallet sizes by many regions. It is detailed in the ISO Standard 6780:2003 Flat Pallets for Intercontinental Materials Handling – Principal Dimensions and Tolerances.
| Dimensions in mm (W x L) | Dimensions in inches (W x L) | Regions most used in |
|---|---|---|
| 1016 x 1219 | 40 x 48 | North America |
| 1000 x 2000 | 39.37 x 47.24 | Europe, Asia |
| 1165 x 1165 | 45.9 x 45.9 | Australia |
| 1067 x 1067 | 42 x 42 | North America, Europe, Asia |
| 1100 x 1100 | 43.3 x 43.3 | Asia |
| 800 x 1200 | 31.5 x 47.24 | Europe |
There are pallet sizes from GMA and EPAL which were adapted and recognized by the ISO.
GMA sanctions the standard dimensions of pallets used for handling goods within North America. This standard tailor fits the pallet sizes to industry-specific needs. Some of the pallet sizes in the GMA standard have counterparts in the ISO standard.
| Dimensions in mm | Dimensions in inches | Production Rank | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| (W x L) | (W x L) | ||
| 1016 x 1219 | 40 x 48 | 1 | Grocery, many others |
| 1067 x 1067 | 42 x 42 | 2 | Telecommunications, Paint |
| 1219 x 1219 | 48 x 48 | 3 | Drums |
| 1219 x 1016 | 48 x 40 | 4 | Military, Cement |
| 1219 x 1067 | 48 x 42 | 5 | Chemical, Beverage |
| 1016 x 1016 | 40 x 40 | 6 | Dairy |
| 1219 x 1143 | 48 x 45 | 7 | Automotive |
| 1118 x 1118 | 44 x 44 | 8 | Drums, Chemical |
| 914 x 914 | 36 x 36 | 9 | Beverage |
| 1219 x 914 | 48 x 36 | 10 | Beverage, Shingles, Packaged Paper |
| 889 x 1156 | 35 x 45.5 | Unknown | Military ½ ISO container, fits 36" standard doors |
| 1219 x 508 | 48 x 20 | Unknown | Retail |
EPAL pallet sizes, or EUR pallets, are pallets that are designed to meet the export specifications within the European Union. Some of the pallet sizes in the EPAL standard have counterparts in the ISO standard.
| EURO Pallet Type | Dimensions (W x L x D) | ISO Alternative |
|---|---|---|
| EUR 1 or EUR | 800 mm × 1200 mm 31.50 in × 47.24 in |
ISO 1 |
| EUR 2 | 1200 mm × 1000 mm 47.24 in × 39.37 in |
ISO 2 |
| EUR 3 | 1000 mm × 1200 mm 39.37 in × 47.24 in |
|
| EUR 6 | 800 mm × 600 mm 31.50 in × 23.62 in |
ISO 0, half the size of EUR |
| 600 mm × 400 mm 23.62 in × 15.75 in |
quarter the size of EUR | |
| 400 mm × 300 mm 15.75 in × 11.81 in |
one-eighth the size of EUR |
International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM-15) is the "Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade". It is a set of approved measures created by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to address the introduction and spread of invasive species through the shipment of insufficiently processed and contaminated wood. Raw wood originating from living or dead trees may be infested with bugs, beetles, and pathogens. The spread of these harmful organisms has negative impacts on biodiversity. The practices under this regulation have been adopted by many countries across all continents since 2002, and are continuously improved.
ISPM-15 affects wooden pallets and other packaging materials such as crates and dunnage, with a thickness of greater than 6 mm, which uses coniferous softwood and non-coniferous hardwood. Exempted from this standard are the following wooden articles with a low risk of pest infestation:
Raw wood which is used to create the wooden pallet must be debarked regardless of the treatment method to be used. Debarking prevents re-infestation while the wood is queued for subsequent processing. Only small pieces of bark, which are less than 3 cm in width or greater than 3 cm but with a total surface area of less than 50 square centimeters on the individual piece, are allowed.
Debarking must be done before methyl bromide and sulfuryl fluoride treatment because the presence of bark may reduce the treatment efficiency. When wood is subject to heat treatment, the bark may be removed after the process.
The following are examples of different types of treatments:
Treatment procedures, which are done by approved providers, are regulated and supervised by the national plant protection organization (NPPO) of the importer and exporter countries.
An IPPC marking is placed by the treatment providers on treated wood to certify that it was subjected to the approved procedures set by ISPM-15. The marking is composed of:
The illustration above is an example of an IPPC marking and may come in variants which must contain all of the required components of the official mark.
Wooden pallets that undergo treatment in accordance with ISPM-15 standards and have not been repaired or altered are allowed to be reused without re-treatment. However, if one-third of the parts of a wooden pallet is replaced by raw wood during repair, it is then considered re-manufactured and must be re-treated.
Pallets made from plastic, metal, and paper are exempted from this regulation and do not require treatment processes. However, cleaning and disinfection must be done regularly especially for pallets handling food, beverage, agricultural, and pharmaceutical products. Cleaning methods such as high pressure washing, power washing, and manual washing are employed in plastic pallets.
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