Pallet
What is a pallet?
A pallet is the flat platform that lets goods be moved, stored and counted as one unit: forklift tines go in, the goods stay put, and the warehouse counts positions rather than pieces. In the US the common standard is the 48 by 40 inch GMA pallet; elsewhere the euro pallet (1200 by 800 mm) and the 1200 by 1000 mm industrial pallet dominate, and mixed fleets mean mixed footprints.
What varies and why it matters
- Footprint: 48x40 versus export sizes, which decide how many fit a trailer and a rack bay.
- Construction: stringer (two-way, or partial four-way when notched) or block (four-way), which decides what handling equipment can take them.
- Condition and grade: new, graded recycled, or repair-only, which decides what a customer will accept.
- Ownership: shipper-owned, pooled, or customer-owned: the pool decides what happens when one breaks.
The pallet as a billing unit
Storage billed per pallet is only as good as the definition of a pallet position: full pallet or part pallet, in rack or floor, double-stacked or not. Customers argue about pallets more than about any other unit, because two careful people can count the same bay differently. The fix is a stated rule (what counts, counted when, visible on the statement) rather than a better counting effort.