A pallet is a flat transport platform, built just high enough for forklift or pallet-truck forks to slide underneath, on which goods are assembled, stored, handled and moved as a single unit load. Instead of lifting fifty cartons one by one, a warehouse lifts one pallet, which is why pallets sit at the base of almost every modern supply chain.
The formal definition
Pallet terminology is standardized internationally in ISO 445, Pallets for materials handling — Vocabulary, maintained by ISO technical committee TC 51. The current edition is the fourth, published in 2013; a fifth edition passed its draft (DIS) vote in 2026 and is moving toward final publication. In Europe the same vocabulary appears as EN ISO 445, and the logistics terminology standard EN 14943 uses a closely aligned definition.
Paraphrased, these standards describe a pallet as a horizontal platform of the minimum height that still allows handling by pallet trucks, forklift trucks or other suitable equipment, used as a base for assembling, storing, handling and transporting goods and loads. A pallet may also carry a superstructure, such as collars or a box frame, which turns it into a box pallet or post pallet.
Three ideas are packed into that definition:
- Horizontal platform – the load sits on a flat deck.
- Minimum height for handling – the space between decks exists only to admit forks or a pallet jack.
- Base for a unit load – the pallet's purpose is to let many items move as one.
The unit load concept
A unit load is a group of items, such as cartons, sacks or drums, bound together (usually by stretch film or strapping) so that it can be handled as a single object. The pallet is the foundation that makes this possible. Once goods are unitized, they move through factories, trucks, containers, racks and retail backrooms without being touched individually.
The gains are practical: fewer handling operations, less product damage, faster truck loading and denser storage. Pallet dimensions also drive the dimensions of everything around them, from carton sizes to rack bays, truck widths and warehouse aisles. That is why a handful of standard footprints dominate world trade; see ISO 6780 pallet sizes for the six internationally recognized formats.
Main parts of a pallet
Most wooden pallets are built from three groups of components. A full breakdown, with ISO terms, is in the guide to pallet anatomy.
| Component | Function | Typical examples |
|---|---|---|
| Top deck | Load-bearing surface the goods sit on | Deck boards nailed across stringers or stringer boards |
| Bottom deck | Spreads load onto the floor or rack beams, adds stiffness and stability when stacked | Boards on the underside; absent on single-deck pallets |
| Supports | Hold the decks apart and create fork openings | Stringers (long beams) or blocks (short posts) |
| Fasteners | Join the components | Helical or annular ring-shank nails, staples, screws |
| Deck boards | Individual boards forming each deck | Lead (edge) boards and inner boards |
Two basic construction families exist:
- Stringer pallets use two or more continuous beams (stringers) running the full length, usually three on a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) North American pallet.
- Block pallets use blocks, typically nine, connected by stringer boards, which allow forks to enter from all four sides. The EPAL Euro pallet is the best-known example.
The differences in strength, cost and handling are covered in stringer vs block pallets.
Materials and common types
Wood remains the dominant pallet material worldwide because it is strong, cheap, repairable and easy to build into custom sizes. Alternatives fill specific niches:
| Material | Typical strengths | Typical limitations |
|---|---|---|
| Solid wood (softwood or hardwood) | Low cost, high stiffness, easy repair and recycling | Needs ISPM 15 treatment for export, moisture and mold risk |
| Plastic (HDPE, PP) | Washable, consistent weight, long service life | Higher purchase cost, can creep under load, harder to repair |
| Metal (steel, aluminium) | Very strong, durable, hygienic | Expensive, heavy (steel) |
| Moulded wood fiber (presswood) | Nestable, exempt from ISPM 15 | Limited sizes, not repairable |
| Paper and corrugated board | Very light, recyclable, ISPM 15 exempt | Sensitive to moisture, mostly single-use |
A Virginia Tech survey of US plastic pallet makers found that high-density polyethylene accounted for about 68% of their 2018 production. Material choice is compared in detail in wood vs plastic pallets.
Pallets are also classified by use. Reusable pallets circulate many times, often in exchange or rental pools; one-way (expendable) pallets are built light and cheap for a single trip, typically for export.
Why pallets matter
Pallets are so common that they are easy to overlook, but they influence cost and safety at every stage of distribution:
- Handling speed: a forklift moves an entire unit load in seconds.
- Storage density: standardized pallets fit standardized racks and allow high-bay storage.
- Transport efficiency: a 13.6 m European semi-trailer holds 33 Euro pallets of 1200 × 800 mm (47.2 × 31.5 in) in a single layer.
- Product protection: a stiff, well-designed pallet reduces carton crushing and load shifts.
- Plant health: solid-wood pallets crossing borders must comply with ISPM 15, the international standard that requires heat treatment or fumigation and an official mark.
Scale is large but hard to measure precisely. Market analyst Fastmarkets, building on periodic Virginia Tech industry surveys, estimated about 3.7 billion pallets in circulation in the United States in 2025, with combined new and recycled production approaching 1 billion units a year. In Europe, the European Pallet Association (EPAL) reports more than 1,700 licensed production and repair companies in over 40 countries.
Key specifications buyers should know
When specifying a pallet, the essential parameters are:
- Footprint (length × width), e.g. 1200 × 800 mm or 48 × 40 in. By convention the first figure is the stringer or stringer-board length.
- Height, usually 100–160 mm; the Euro pallet is 144 mm (5.7 in).
- Entry type: two-way, partial four-way or four-way.
- Load capacity under three conditions: static (floor stacking), dynamic (moving on forks) and racking (spanning beams). Ratings are established by tests such as ISO 8611 or ASTM D1185.
- Material and treatment, including ISPM 15 marking for international trade.
- Weight, which affects freight cost and manual handling.
For the EPAL Euro pallet, EPAL specifies a weight of about 25 kg (55 lb), 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, a safe working load of 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) and up to 5,500 kg (12,100 lb) on the bottom pallet when laden pallets are stacked on a solid, level floor.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pallet and a skid?
A skid has supports (runners) but no bottom deck, so it is usually dragged or lifted only from two sides. A pallet normally has a bottom deck, which improves stability when stacking and allows use with more handling equipment.
Which standard defines the word "pallet"?
ISO 445 (Pallets for materials handling — Vocabulary) is the international terminology standard. The current edition dates from 2013, and a revised fifth edition is in the final stages of the ISO process.
What is the most common pallet size?
It depends on the region. In North America the 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) pallet dominates, while Europe relies on the 1200 × 800 mm Euro pallet and the 1200 × 1000 mm industrial pallet. ISO 6780 recognizes six sizes in total.
Are all pallets made of wood?
No, but most are. Plastic, metal, moulded wood fiber and paper pallets are used where hygiene, weight, durability or export rules justify their higher cost or specific limitations.
Sources
- ISO 445:2013 Pallets for materials handling — Vocabulary — International Organization for Standardization
- Pallet (EN 14943 definition) — PIARC Road Dictionary
- EPAL Euro Pallet (EPAL 1) technical data — European Pallet Association
- About EPAL — European Pallet Association
- Annual pallet estimates viewpoint — Fastmarkets
- An Investigation of the Plastic Pallet Industry in the United States in 2018 — Virginia Tech
- How Much Load Can My Pallet Carry? — Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design