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The sizes and use pallets (tray)

General Information About Pallets

A pallet is a flat transport structure made of wood, plastic (or, in some cases, metal) designed to move a wide range of goods conveniently, and to be lifted by any mobile handling equipment.

Goods placed on a pallet can be secured to it with straps (tie-down bands) or wrapped in shrink or stretch film. Wooden pallets must be strong enough to bear the weight of three loaded tiers. Cardboard boxes or bags loaded onto a pallet should not extend beyond its edges.

The most common pallet under ISO standards measures 100×120×12 cm (slightly smaller than 40×48×5 inches). An empty pallet weighs 15–21 kg.

Most pallets can easily carry a load of 1,000 kg. The emergence of containers for rail, sea and road transport for almost all goods has driven pallet use, since containers always provide a flat, even surface, making pallet use economically advantageous.

In Europe, the standard EUR pallet is commonly used, measuring 80×120×12 cm. It is used mainly in retail trade, its size being determined by the internal dimensions of the trucks delivering goods from warehouses to retail outlets. The cheapest pallets are made from softwood and are often non-returnable, disposed of along with other packaging materials. These pallets have a very simple design that allows them to be lifted from only two opposite sides. Somewhat more sophisticated hardwood pallets, along with most plastic and metal pallets, can be lifted from all four sides. These more expensive pallets usually require a deposit and must be returned to the sender or resold after use. Many of these “four-way” pallets are colour-coded according to the loads they can carry and may bear other markings too.

Retail companies that use standard pallets for loading, unloading and internal handling benefit far more from the modular nature of pallets than companies that do not use standardised pallets. The exceptions are businesses that sell small quantities of high-value goods, such as jewellery stores or car dealerships.

One of the biggest advantages of pallets is the number of ways they can be moved. They can be handled by forklifts of various sizes, transported using hydraulic pallet trucks, or moved by hand — requiring no more than the effort of one person, wherever there is sufficient access.

A forklift often costs as much as a luxury car, but a manual hydraulic pallet truck can be bought for a few hundred euros. As a result, the largest costs typically go into planning paperwork and building level surfaces when constructing commercial and industrial premises where pallet use can be beneficial.

When transporting goods to the European Union, bear in mind that wooden pallets are subject to separate inspection — a phytosanitary certificate confirming phytosanitary treatment is required.

Using Pallets

Pallets are widely used in many countries. When using pallets, we recommend paying attention to the following:

There are two main types of pallets: the “Euro pallet” and the standard pallet. The Euro pallet measures 800 mm × 1,200 mm, while the standard pallet measures 1,000 mm × 1,200 mm.

A 20-foot container can be loaded with 11 Euro pallets or 9–10 standard pallets in a single tier (see illustration).

A 40-foot container can be loaded with 23–24 Euro pallets or 20–21 standard pallets in a single tier (see illustration).

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