Stringer pallets
A stringer pallet has three or more parallel timbers, the stringers, running under the deck boards. It is the most common build and the standard 48 x 40 is usually one.
How it is built
- Frame
- Three or more parallel timbers, the stringers
- Deck
- Boards nailed across the top of the stringers
- Entry
- From the two ends by default, from the sides only if notched
- Search interest
- About 880 US searches a month for stringer pallets
The stringers run the length of the pallet, and the deck boards cross them. A stringer pallet is simple to make and simple to repair: a split board is replaced, a damaged stringer is plated. That simplicity is why it is the default in used stacks around Detroit.
Entry
A plain stringer pallet is a two-way pallet, entered by forks from the two ends. A notched one has cut-outs in the stringers so forks can also come in from the sides, making it a four-way. The notch removes some wood, which is why the two kinds are not interchangeable in a rack. Two-way pallets and four-way pallets cover the difference.
Where stringer pallets are the right choice
- General freight. The pallet the standard 48 x 40 size was written around.
- Repair-and-reuse programs. Easy to fix means a longer life in a loop.
- Price-sensitive loads. Fewer parts and fewer fasteners than a block pallet.
Where they are not
Heavy, point-loaded freight, tight supplier docks where a forklift has to approach from the side, and automated systems that need all four faces open. For those, look at a block pallet.
Buying and selling
Most used pallets on the market are stringer pallets, so a request for "used pallets" is usually a request for these. If entry matters to you, say so in the request. Buy used pallets, or see how a stringer pallet is repaired.
Questions about stringer pallets
How many stringers does a typical one have?
Three or more. The standard has three, with one at each edge and one in the middle.
Is a notched stringer weaker?
Slightly, since wood is removed where the forks enter. For general freight the difference does not matter.
Can I tell the type from above?
No. Look underneath, or from the end of the pallet, to see whether timbers or blocks carry the deck.
The stack that fills most docks
Walk any dock in Warren, Taylor or Livonia and most of the pallets you see are stringer pallets. They are cheap to make, quick to repair and easy to stack. A dock manager who has never thought about types is almost certainly holding these. When a buyer asks for "stringer pallets" they usually mean a plain, notched-or-not, 48 x 40 or 48 x 45 deck on three timbers.
Repair in a sentence
Because the stringers carry the weight, a stringer pallet is only as good as its stringers. A cracked board is a quick fix; a cracked stringer is a decision. Check them first.
Common stringer sizes
Most stringer pallets are 48 x 40 or 48 x 45, though other footprints exist. The build says nothing about the size, so the two should be named separately in a request.
Why they dominate
Fewer parts, faster to build, simpler to fix. These are the reasons the type dominates used stacks.
Replacement
Replacing a single stringer is a significant repair and should be done by a pallet shop.
Nail patterns
Stringer pallets are held together by nails, often ring-shank or screw nails. The pattern affects strength and repairability.