When working with pallets you will hear a number of terms thrown at you: stringer, deckboard, notched, entry point, etc., but what does it all mean? Whether you are looking to buy pallets or simply trying to educate yourself, we've put together a helpful glossary of the key pallet terms you should know.
Can't find what you're looking for? Head over to our FAQs page, where you'll find answers to commonly asked questions; we also expand on a number of terms below.
Block Pallet
A pallet with blocks between the pallet decks or beneath the top deck for added support.
Butted Deckboard
An inner deckboard placed tightly against an adjacent lead deckboard during pallet assembly
Chamfered Deckboard
Deckboards with edges of one or two faces beveled, either along the full or specified length of board or between the stringers of blocks, allowing easier entry of pallet jack wheels.
Deckboards
The boards or planks that make up the top and bottom surfaces of a pallet. These are oriented perpendicular to the stringer or stringer board.
Double-Wing Pallet
A pallet with top and bottom deckboards or decks extending beyond the edges of the stringers or stringer boards.
Euro Pallet
A pallet commonly used in Europe. It uses nine blocks for support rather than runners and typically measures 800 mm × 1200 mm.
Fastener
A device for connecting pallet components such as nails, staples, screws, bolts, etc.
Flush Pallet
A pallet with deckboards flush with the stringers, stringerboards or blocks along the ends and sides of the pallet
Forklift Entry
The opening between decks, beneath the top deck and ground to admit the forks of a lifting device.
Four-Way Pallet
A pallet with openings on all 4 sides allowing for a forklift to enter from any direction.
GMA Pallet
The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) pallet, a common pallet size in the United States, measuring 48 inches × 40 inches.
Heat-Treated Pallets
A process of subjecting pallets to heat to eliminate pests and comply with international phytosanitary regulations.
Load Capacity
The maximum weight that a pallet can support, including the weight of the pallet itself and its contents.
Notched Stringer
A stringer with two or more notches spaced for forklift entry.
Opening Height
The vertical dimension measured between decks
Pallet
A flat structure used as a base for storing, handling, and transporting goods.
Pallet Collar
A removable frame that can be added to a pallet to increase its height and capacity.
Pallet Grade
A classification system used to categorize pallets based on their quality and condition. Most common grades are A Grade and B Grade pallets.
Pallet Recycling
The process of collecting, repairing, and reusing pallets to extend their lifespan.
Pallet Wrapping
The process of wrapping a pallet and its contents with plastic film to secure and protect them during transportation or storage.
Palletizing
Arranging goods on a pallet for storage or transportation.
Skid
A pallet without bottom deckboards or deck. Also known as a single-faced pallet.
Standard Pallet
A pallet with dimensions conforming to industry or regional standards for compatibility. In the U.S. this is a 48" x 40" pallet (also known as a GMA pallet).
Stringers
The longitudinal supports running underneath a pallet deck.
Stringer Pallet
A pallet with longitudinal wooden or metal supports called stringers. The top deck boards are affixed to the stringers to create the pallet.
Stringer board
In block pallets, the continuous, solid board member extending for the full length of the pallet perpendicular to the deckboard and placed between the deckboards and blocks, to serve as support
Two-Way Entry Pallet
A pallet with un-notched stringers allowing forklift entry only from the two opposite ends of the pallet.