Stringer pallet: construction, sizes and when to use one

What is a stringer pallet?

A stringer pallet is the stringer-class pallet in the Uniform Standard's classification: the deck sits on continuous boards that run the full length of the pallet. Those beams are the stringers, and the pallet size is always stated stringer length first, so a 48 x 40 in pallet has 48 in stringers. It is the workhorse wood pallet of North America and the basis of the GMA pallet.

How a stringer pallet is built

A typical 48 x 40 in (1219 x 1016 mm) stringer pallet has three component groups:

With those parts the pallet is 0.625 + 3.5 + 0.625 = 4.75 in tall, the top gaps work out to 3.25 in, and the lumber comes to about 13.5 board feet. In green mixed hardwood that is roughly 59 lb.

Stringer widths commonly run 1-1/8 to 2 in and heights 3-1/2 to 5-1/2 in. Hardwood mills often cut 1-1/4 or 1-3/8 x 3-1/2 in; softwood builds often use a 2x4 (1-1/2 x 3-1/2 in). Wide or heavy pallets add a fourth or fifth stringer.

Notches and entry

Unnotched stringers give two-way entry: forks enter from the two ends only. Cutting two notches in each stringer lets forklift tines enter from the sides as well, which is partial four-way entry. Pallet jacks still enter only from the ends, because the bottom deckboards block the wheels on the sides. The Uniform Standard recommends a notch about 9 in long, an opening about 2 in high to the top of the notch, a radiused (never square) corner and at least 7 in of flat top on the stringer. The guide to notched stringers covers the details.

When to use a stringer pallet

• One-way and closed-loop shipments where cost matters more than four-way pallet-jack access.
• Racking across the length, where the stringers themselves span the rack beams.
• Non-standard sizes. Stringer pallets are simple to resize, so most custom pallets start here.
• Heavy concentrated or line loads, where extra or deeper stringers add stiffness cheaply.

When not to use one

• When pallet jacks must enter from all four sides. Use a block pallet.
• When the customer requires pooled block pallets, as Costco does, accepting purpose-built pallets only by exception.
• When the pallet will be racked across its width with a heavy load. Across the width only the top deck spans the beams, so capacity drops sharply.

Stringer pallet vs block pallet

The full comparison is in stringer vs block pallets.

How to specify a stringer pallet

A quote needs these fields:

1. Size, length (stringer direction) first: e.g. 48 x 40 in.
2. Top and bottom deckboards: count, thickness, width, and which boards are leads.
3. Stringers: count, width x height, notched or not, notch size and location.
4. Fasteners: type, length, wire diameter and nails per joint (see the pallet nail schedule).
5. Lumber: species, grade and moisture (green or kiln dried).
6. Load, support (floor, rack across length or width, stacked N high) and handling.
7. Treatment: ISPM 15 heat treatment if the pallet will be exported.

palletdesign.ai starts from the GMA-style 48 x 40 layout and produces the drawing, cut list, nail count and weight from these fields. Capacity figures it shows are an indicative beam check; a certified rating comes from a PDS analysis or a physical test.