Pallets are used in all kinds of industries for shipping and transporting goods. Products are stacked and are often supported with a film wrapping which keeps everything in place. This ensures that the goods can be easily lifted by forklifts and other warehouse transportation vehicles.
Pallets are ideal for use in warehouses, as they are designed in a way that makes them easy to store on pallet racking and heavy goods shelving, and they are available in a range of types and sizes to cater for different businesses.
Is there a standard pallet size?
Amongst the average dimensions of pallets are 36×36, 42×42 and 48×48 inches, but because they are used for such a wide variety of products, they can be manufactured for a multitude of purposes. There are many factors which could determine the size of a pallet, such as the door size of the storage building, the dimensions and weight capacities of transportation vehicles and the types of products that they are holding.
However, there are a number of pallet sizes which are used for specific products and industries:
| 40×48 | Fresh produce, groceries and other uses |
| 42×42 | Telecommunications and paint |
| 48×48 | Drums |
| 48×40 | Military and Cement |
| 48×42 | Chemical and Beverage |
| 40×40 | Dairy |
| 48×45 | Automotive |
| 44×44 | Drums and Chemical |
| 36×36 | Beverage |
| 48×36 | Beverage and packaged paper |
| 35×45.5 | Military ½ ISO container, fits 36” standard doors |
| 48×20 | Retail |
Other Materials
Standard pallets are usually made from wood, but if goods require pallets which are a lot more durable, then a different material might be more suited to the job. For example, pallets can be made of plywood which is ideal for holding light to medium weight products whilst still remaining relatively strong. Pallets can also be made from plastic, which is the best option if you’re looking to regularly reuse them as they tend to have a ten year lifespan. Plastic is resistant to water and some chemicals, and its lightweight structure is perfect for transportation.
Of course, some products don’t require such solid structures, which is why pallets can even be made out of cardboard. Cardboard pallets are perfect for transporting lightweight products in bulk and are an inexpensive form of pallet which is 100 percent recyclable.
At Focus Packaging, we aim to make the transportation and storage of your pallets as easy as possible as we specialise in the supply of pallet wrapping machinery. If you’re interested in saving time and money in your business with a pallet wrapper, feel free to contact us at 0333 123 6666 with any enquiries that you might have.