The stringer pallet is the most commonly used
pallet in the United States, with the most common size being 48
x 40". The Grocery Manufacturer Association (GMA) has created
a standard 48 x 40 hardwood stringer pallet specification that
is used widely for many consumer products.
A stringer pallet is called that because it
uses "stringers," which support the unit load. The stringers
are the boards, typically 2 x 4's or 3 x 4's, sandwiched between
the top and bottom deck boards.
When specifying a stringer pallet, the length
(i.e. the length of the stringer) is noted first, and the width,
or length of the deckboards is noted second. Frequently, stringers
may be notched to allow for partial four-way fork entry, thus
creating a "4-way" stringer pallet. If the stringers
are not notched, it is called a "2-way" pallet, with
fork entry only from either end. Bottom deckboards can be chamfered
to allow entry for the wheels of a pallet jack.
A stringer pallet with no bottom deck boards
is called a skid.
Block pallets are true 4-way entry pallets.
They use blocks of solid wood, plywood, or plastic to support
the unit load. Typically, block pallets use 4 to 12 blocks to
support the top deckboards. Curiously enough, between the blocks
and the deckboards are thin stringers, which form a mat with the
deckboard. Like in a stringer pallet, the length of a block pallet,
is specified by the length of the stringer board and the width
by the length of the deckboards. Block pallets can be designed
with or without bottom deckboards, or a full-perimeter base.
Both stringer and block pallets can have a variety
of deckboard configurations, number, width, and spacing. In addition,
plywood or oriented strand board (OSB) can be used as deck material,
otherwise known as a "panel deck" pallet.
In special cases, certain types of synthetic
foam can replace stringers or blocks. These are frequently called
"floater pallets," and are used to cushion the unit
load.
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