Pallet types and how they are built
A stringer pallet has three or more parallel timbers under its deck. A block pallet stands on blocks, so a fork can enter from any side.
Four types, two questions
Two questions sort every wood pallet. How is the frame built, and where can a fork go in? The first gives stringer or block. The second gives two-way or four-way. Most pallets on a Detroit dock are one of each pair.
| Type | Frame | Lifted by |
|---|---|---|
| Stringer | Three or more parallel timbers (stringers) | Deck boards or stringer notches, depending on the build |
| Block | Parallel and perpendicular stringers on blocks, entry from any side | Any side |
| Two-way | Solid stringers | The deck boards |
| Four-way | Notched stringers or blocks | The stringers; usually heavier, bigger and more durable than two-way |
Why entry matters on a tight dock
A forklift or jack that can only come in from two sides must line up square to the pallet. On a crowded supplier dock with trailers backed in close, that costs seconds a lift and sometimes a damaged board. Four-way entry lets the operator take the pallet from whichever side is clear. It matters more on tight docks, and less in a wide-open warehouse.
Reading a pallet in your hands
Look underneath
Can you see long timbers running the length of the pallet, or square blocks at the corners and middle? Timbers mean stringer. Blocks mean block.
Look at the sides
If a fork opening is cut into the stringer, it is a notched stringer and likely four-way. If the stringers are solid, it is two-way.
Count the deck boards
Fewer boards with a bigger gap suit chunky loads. Tight Deck coverage suits small parts and boxes.
If you are writing a spec for a new pallet, pick the type here, then the size on sizes, then take both to new and custom pallets.
Identifying a type at a glance
Kneel at the open end of the pallet and look under the deck. Long timbers running its full length are stringers. Square blocks at corners and the middle are block construction. Notches cut into the stringers mean a four-way stringer pallet. If the timbers are solid, the pallet is two-way. It takes a few seconds and answers the question a buyer will ask first.
Mixed stacks
Docks that receive from many suppliers hold both kinds. Keeping them apart costs little and spares an argument later about what was delivered.
Common mistakes
- Assuming all stringer pallets are four-way. Only notched ones are.
- Assuming all block pallets are new. Used block pallets exist, though they are rarer.
- Ordering two-way pallets for a dock where trucks must come from the side.
- Paying a premium for four-way entry on a dock that never uses it.
Quick comparison
| Type | Entry | Strength | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stringer, plain | Two sides | Good for general freight | Lowest |
| Stringer, notched | Four sides | Slightly reduced at the notches | Moderate |
| Block | Four sides | Highest of the wood builds | Highest |
When to specify
Specify the type whenever it matters to your handling. If you do not care, say so, and let the buyer offer what is available.
Hybrid builds
Some pallets mix features. Describe what you see.
Photos
A photo from below shows the type at once.
On this page
- Stringer pallets A stringer pallet has three or more parallel timbers under the deck. How it is built, how a forklift enters it and where it is the right choice.
- Block pallets A block pallet has parallel and perpendicular stringers on blocks and can be entered from any side. How it is built and where Detroit docks use it.
- Two-way pallets A two-way pallet is lifted by the deck boards from two sides. What that limits, where it is fine and when to ask for four-way instead.
- Four-way pallets A four-way pallet is lifted by the stringers from all four sides. Why tight Detroit supplier docks ask for it and what it costs.
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