Pallet design guides
Working guides for people who design, quote and buy pallets. Each one starts with the answer and works through a real example. 23 pages.
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Getting started
- How to design a wood pallet, step by stepTo design a wood pallet, start from the load and how it is handled and stored, then choose the footprint, the class (stringer or block), the deckboards, the stringers or blocks, the nail…
- How palletdesign.ai designs and checks a palletpalletdesign.ai splits the work in two: an AI turns a plain-language request into changes to a structured pallet spec, and a deterministic engine computes everything from that spec (part…
- Pallet dimensions explainedPallet dimensions are written length x width (x height), and the length is always the stringer (or stringerboard) direction, stated first. A 48 x 40 in pallet has 48 in stringers and 40 in…
- How to choose a pallet sizeChoose a pallet size by starting from the product's footprint so the load neither overhangs the deck nor leaves large empty margins, then checking that the size fits your trailers or…
- Stringer vs block palletsA stringer pallet rests on continuous beams (usually three 48 in stringers) and gives two-way entry, or partial four-way with notches; a block pallet rests on nine blocks and gives full…
Construction details
- Pallet deck board spacingWith lead boards flush at both ends and interior boards equally spaced, the gap between pallet deckboards is (pallet length minus the total width of all boards) divided by (number of…
- Pallet nail scheduleUnder the Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets, each deckboard-to-stringer joint needs at least 2 fasteners for boards up to 5-1/4 in wide, 3 for boards 5-1/4 to 7 in, and 4 for boards 7 to 8…
- Notched stringersA notched stringer has two cutouts in its lower edge so forklift tines can enter the pallet's sides, giving partial four-way entry. A typical 48 in stringer is notched 9 in long and about…
- Pallet jack compatibilityA pallet jack needs an entry opening taller than its lowered forks and a gap in the bottom deck where its load wheels can drop to the floor. Stringer pallets accept pallet jacks only from…
- Pallet tolerancesUnder the Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets (2012 edition), a finished pallet's length and width may be up to 1/4 in over or 1/2 in under the specified size, it must be flat within 1/4 in…
Strength
- Pallet load capacityA pallet's load capacity is not one number: it depends on how the pallet is supported. The same GMA-style 48 x 40 pallet was rated at about 5,200 lb floor-stacked one high but about 1,560…
- Racking palletsIn a selective rack a pallet spans open space between two beams, so it carries the load as a beam and its racked capacity is far lower than its floor capacity. A stringer pallet racked…
- Pallet deflectionPallet deflection is the sag of a loaded pallet between its supports. Common limits are about 1.9 to 2% of the span in racking (about 0.7 in on a 36 in span), 1.5 to 2% of the stringer or…
- Unit load designA unit load is the pallet, the product and its packaging, and the stabilizers (stretch wrap, straps, corner boards) handled as one piece. Unit load design sizes these together: the case…
Weight, cost and shipping
- How much does a wood pallet weigh?A standard 48 x 40 GMA-style wood stringer pallet (13.5 board feet) weighs about 59 lb built from green mixed hardwood, about 39 lb kiln dried, and about 44 lb in green SPF. Weight is…
- How to calculate board feet in a palletBoard feet (bf) measure lumber volume: thickness x width x length in inches, divided by 144, summed over every part at its actual size. A GMA-style 48 x 40 stringer pallet has 4.95 bf in…
- What does a wood pallet cost?A new wood pallet's cost is mostly lumber: board feet times the price per thousand board feet (MBF), adjusted for species, grade and drying. Nails, assembly labor, heat treatment, freight,…
- How many pallets fit on a truck?A 53 ft trailer holds 26 standard 48 x 40 pallets on the floor when loaded straight (two across, 13 rows of 48 in) and up to 30 when the pallets are turned so the 40 in side runs along the…
- Reusable vs single-use palletsA single-use (one-way) pallet is built to make one trip; a reusable (multiple-use) pallet is built to survive many handling cycles and repairs. Under the Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets,…
Specifying and quoting
- How to write a pallet RFQ (with checklist)A good pallet RFQ gives every supplier the same complete picture: a dimensioned design or the requirements it must meet (load, support, handling, environment), the quantities and release…
- How to read a pallet drawingA pallet drawing shows the pallet in three orthographic views (top, front and side), each dimensioned to the actual size of every part, with nail positions drawn as dots and hidden edges…
- PDS report explainedA Pallet Design System (PDS) report is a set of documents a licensed pallet manufacturer produces for one design: a specification sheet (classification, treatments, every component's size,…
- Pallet design softwareThe Pallet Design System (PDS), leased by Woodpack Global (formerly NWPCA), is the North American industry standard for certified wood pallet analysis; Best Pallet and Best Load from White…