Pallet types
Metal pallet: steel, stainless and aluminum pallets
Reviewed
A metal pallet is a steel, stainless steel or aluminum pallet, usually welded and fabricated to order, used for heavy, hot, outdoor, hygienic or long-life closed loops. Metal pallets are exempt from ISPM 15, weigh roughly 50 to 150 lb in the 48 x 40 class and cost several times more than wood.
On this page
What is a metal pallet?
Metal pallets are fabricated from carbon steel, stainless steel or aluminum. Unlike plastic, they are commonly made to order, so custom sizes are practical at modest quantities.
palletdesign.ai does not design metal pallets. It designs wood stringer, block and skid pallets. This page helps you decide between metal and wood and specify metal to a fabricator.
How metal pallets are built
| Element | Options |
|---|---|
| Construction | Welded, seal-welded (fully sealed, washable), or bolted knock-down |
| Deck | Solid, corrugated, checker plate, perforated, expanded metal, wire mesh, grating |
| Base | Channels or stringers, runners, cruciform bottom, legs with stacking cups |
| Gauge (steel) | 16 ga light, 14 ga medium, 12 ga heavy |
| Finish | Hot-dip galvanized, electro-galvanized, powder coat, paint, passivated stainless, bare aluminum |
| Accessories | Removable posts, sides, lifting lugs, drain holes |
Published examples (manufacturers' and vendors' figures):
| Pallet | Ratings | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Galvanized steel | 8,000 lb static, 4,000 lb dynamic, 2,200 lb unsupported rack | Vendor figures |
| Steel-Pallets.com 1000 x 1200 x 120 mm | 3.5 t static | About 46 kg, 100 mm fork pocket |
| PHS aluminum, 40 x 48 x 5.7 in | 30,000 lb static, 6,000 lb dynamic | Seal-welded, 4-way, ventilated top, cruciform bottom; listed at $330 |
When to use a metal pallet
- Heavy loads: coils, dies, castings and machinery.
- Heat: oven and heat-treat processes where wood and plastic fail.
- Hygiene: aluminum or stainless for cleanrooms, pharma and food washdown.
- Long-life closed loops, such as interplant automotive returnables.
- Export without ISPM 15, since metal is exempt; see export pallets.
When wood is the better choice
- One-way shipments: a metal pallet costs roughly $150 to $600 or more against about $10 to $25 for a new GMA wood pallet (indicative).
- Moderate loads that a heavy-duty wood design can carry.
- Weight-sensitive freight, where 50 to 150 lb of tare adds up.
Metal vs heavy-duty wood pallet
| Metal | Heavy-duty wood | |
|---|---|---|
| Custom geometry | Yes, fabricated | Yes |
| Tare weight, 48 x 40 class | About 50 to 150 lb | About 30 to 70 lb |
| Rackable | Yes | By design |
| ISPM 15 | Exempt | Treatment required |
| Service life | Very long | Limited by repairs |
| Lead time (indicative) | About 3 to 8 weeks | About 1 to 3 weeks |
How to specify a metal pallet
- Metal: carbon steel, stainless 304 or 316, or aluminum.
- Construction: welded, seal-welded or bolted.
- Deck type and gauge or thickness.
- Frame members and base style.
- Footprint, height, entry and rackable or not.
- Finish and color.
- Accessories: posts, sides, lifting lugs, stacking cups, drain holes.
- Load: weight, distribution and support conditions, including rack direction and beam span.
- Quantity.
For a wood alternative, a heavy-duty stringer pallet or skid with deeper runners is the usual comparison; see the machinery and equipment page.
Questions
- Are metal pallets ISPM 15 exempt?
- Yes. ISPM 15 applies to wood packaging, so steel and aluminum pallets need no treatment or mark.
- Can metal pallets be custom sized?
- Yes. Most are fabricated to order, so custom footprints and features are practical at modest quantities.
- Does palletdesign.ai design metal pallets?
- No. It designs wood stringer, block and skid pallets.