Glossary
Wing
Also called: wing overhang, lip
Reviewed
A wing is the part of a pallet deck that overhangs beyond the outer stringers or stringerboards. On a single-wing pallet only the top deck overhangs; on a double-wing pallet both decks do. Wings are used for bar-sling lifting and for bagged goods such as cement and fertilizer.
How wings are specified
The wing is recorded as an overhang distance: the PDS field "Wing: 0.00" means a flush pallet with no wing. There is no standard overhang; it is set per design. Useful fields in a spec:
- Style: flush, single-wing (top only) or double-wing (top and bottom)
- Sides: normally the deckboard ends, past the outer stringers
- Overhang: the distance past the stringer face
- Sling lifting: if yes, the top deckboards need to carry the sling bar loads
Note that some sources use "double-wing" to mean wings on two opposite sides, so define the term on the drawing.
Why winged pallets are used
Wings enlarge the deck area and let crane bar slings lift the pallet from under the overhanging top deck, which is why they appear under bagged cement, fertilizer, feed, seed and sugar and on loads handled at ports and job sites. They also give stretch film and straps an edge to grip.
Trade-offs
Bottom-deck wings get in the way of pallet-jack entry and strapping at floor level. A winged stringer pallet is normally two-way, or partial four-way if notched. See winged pallet and overhang.
Questions
- What is the difference between single-wing and double-wing pallets?
- Single-wing pallets overhang on the top deck only, with a flush bottom. Double-wing pallets overhang on both the top and bottom decks.