Shipping pallets are commonly used to ship large quantities of things to one location and to make items easier to handle. Most pallets are made from wood, but there are some made from metal or plastic depending on the use.
Standard Pallets
In the United States, the most common pallets you will find are made from wood and measure forty by forty-eight inches and are about six and a half inches tall. The cross pieces on the top of the pallet typically are made from five-sixteenths-of-an-inch lumber and can vary from five to ten boards. The standardization of pallets makes it easier to get more of them on a truck or in a container and helps ensure that they fit together tightly so the load does not shift.
There are other size pallets available for other uses, but for most shippers, the forty by forty-eight-inch pallets are the first choice. Pallets can be made from several different wood types, but hardwoods are the most durable and will stand up to the most load. If you are using hardwood pallets, the pallet may be notably heavier than a pine pallet, and a full load of these on a truck can add some extra weight.
No Standard Pallets
Some less common pallets are used in some special situations but still need to be durable and fit on the truck. Some shippers use forty-eight by forty-eight in pallets for larger items, but these pallets still fit with the standard pallets on a load because of the size.
In rare situations, the shipper may want to use a pallet made from plastic or steel, but this is not common unless the item on the pallet is very heavy. In this situation, the size of the pallet may be far outside the standard size, but if the items being shipped are heavy enough to need pallets like this, it is often the only thing on the truck.
Recycling Pallets
Companies receiving a lot of wood pallets start to build up a surplus very quickly. In many cases, the company may want to talk to the shipper about sending the pallets back to them for a credit, and the shipper may welcome that.
If the shipper does not want the pallets back, the pallets can be sold to a recycler that will find companies that will reuse the pallets. Pallets in good condition are all in demand, and they are worth a few dollars each, so if you have a large stock of them, you could stand to make a little money on them, and get them out of your warehouse or yard as well.
For more information about pallets, reach out to a professional who provides them.
Share5 May 2020
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