Pallet Industry Glossary: Essential Terms and Definitions

Navigate the pallet industry with confidence. This comprehensive glossary defines essential terms for pallets, forklifts, warehouse equipment, and material handling operations.

Pallet Types and Components

Block Pallet: Pallet with blocks (typically 9) between top and bottom deck boards, allowing 4-way fork entry. More versatile than stringer pallets.
Deck Board: Horizontal boards forming the top and bottom surfaces of a pallet where loads rest.
Double-Face Pallet: Pallet with deck boards on both top and bottom. Can be reversible or non-reversible.
GMA Pallet: Grocery Manufacturers Association standard pallet (48" × 40"). Most common size in North America.
Heat Treatment (HT): ISPM-15 compliant process heating wood pallets to 56°C for 30 minutes to kill pests. Required for international shipping. Marked with "HT" stamp.
ISPM-15: International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15. Regulation requiring wood packaging to be treated to prevent pest spread in international trade.
Load Capacity: Maximum weight a pallet can safely support. Includes static load (stored), dynamic load (in motion), and racking load (on shelves).
Single-Face Pallet: Pallet with deck boards on top only. Lighter and less expensive than double-face pallets.
Stringer Pallet: Pallet with 2×4 or 3×4 boards (stringers) running perpendicular to deck boards. Typically allows 2-way fork entry. Most common and economical design.
Stringer: The structural support boards (usually 2×4 or 3×4) running the length of a stringer pallet. Top and bottom deck boards nail to stringers.
Wing Pallet: Pallet with deck boards extending beyond the stringers, creating wings or overhangs. Provides extra support for odd-sized loads.

Pallet Conditions and Grades

A-Grade Pallet: Highest quality used pallet. Minimal wear, no broken boards, suitable for customer shipments. Also called "Premium" grade.
B-Grade Pallet: Good quality used pallet with minor cosmetic defects but structurally sound. Suitable for shipping and storage.
C-Grade Pallet: Lower quality pallet with visible wear, may have 1-2 repaired boards. Best for internal use or light loads.
Cull Pallet: Pallet beyond economical repair. Used for parts recycling or ground into mulch/fuel.
Recycled Pallet: Used pallet that has been repaired or reconditioned. Costs 40-60% less than new pallets.
Remanufactured Pallet: Pallet built using recycled components from multiple pallets. Structurally sound but not uniform appearance.

Forklift Types and Components

Capacity: Maximum weight a forklift can safely lift, measured at a specific load center (usually 24 inches from fork face).
Counterweight: Heavy weight at rear of forklift (usually 4,000-10,000 lbs) that balances the load on forks and prevents tip-over.
Free Lift: Distance forks can rise before mast extends upward. Important for container and trailer work with low ceilings.
IC Forklift: Internal Combustion engine forklift. Powered by propane, diesel, or gasoline. Used indoors (propane) or outdoors.
Load Backrest: Metal guard attached to forks preventing loads from sliding backward toward operator. Required by OSHA.
Load Center: Horizontal distance from fork face to load's center of gravity. Standard is 24 inches. Capacity decreases as load center increases.
Mast: Vertical assembly that supports and raises/lowers the forks. Types: simplex (single-stage), duplex (two-stage), triplex (three-stage).
Overhead Guard: Protective roof structure above operator protecting from falling objects. Required by OSHA.
Reach Truck: Specialized electric forklift with extendable forks for high-density narrow aisle operations. Can reach 30-40 feet high.
Sideshift: Hydraulic function allowing forks to slide left or right (typically 4-6 inches) for precise load positioning without repositioning truck.
Tilt: Forward or backward angle of mast/forks. Tilt back stabilizes loads during travel. Forward tilt helps place or dump loads.

Material Handling Equipment

Dock Board: Metal or aluminum ramp bridging gap between dock and trailer, allowing forklifts to drive in/out safely.
Dock Leveler: Permanently installed adjustable platform at loading dock that compensates for height differences between dock and trailer.
Hand Truck: Two-wheeled cart for moving boxes, cartons, or small loads manually. Not for palletized loads (use pallet jack instead).
Order Picker: Vertical lift forklift with platform that raises operator to pick individual items from high racking. Used in warehouses for order fulfillment.
Pallet Jack: Manual or electric wheeled device with forks for lifting and moving pallets short distances. Lifts 4-8 inches off ground. Also called pallet truck or pump truck.
Pallet Positioner: Spring-loaded turntable or lift that maintains pallets at ergonomic height for loading/unloading. Reduces bending and reaching.
Shrink Wrap Machine: Equipment that wraps plastic film around palletized loads for stability and protection during shipping.
Slip Sheet: Thin plastic or cardboard sheet used instead of pallets. Requires special push-pull forklift attachment. Common in food/beverage.
Stretch Wrapper: Machine that rotates pallet while applying stretch film to secure load. Can be automatic or semi-automatic.

Warehouse and Logistics Terms

Closed-Loop System: Pallet management system where pallets are returned to original sender. More cost-effective for plastic pallets due to high initial cost and long lifespan.
Cross-Docking: Practice of unloading goods from incoming trucks and immediately loading onto outbound trucks with minimal storage time. Reduces handling and storage costs.
Cube Utilization: Percentage of trailer or container volume actually used by cargo. Higher cube utilization = more efficient shipping.
FIFO: First In, First Out. Inventory method where oldest stock ships first. Important for perishable goods and preventing product obsolescence.
LTL: Less Than Truckload. Freight shipment not large enough to fill entire truck. Multiple customers' shipments combined. Cost-effective for 1-10 pallets.
One-Way Pallet: Pallet intended for single shipment with no return. Typically cheap wood pallets ($5-10). Receiver keeps or disposes of pallet.
Pallet Pooling: Rental system where company pays per-use for pallets from pool. Provider handles retrieval and maintenance. Examples: CHEP (blue), PECO (red).
Pick Face: Front position in warehouse racking from which items are picked for orders. Fastest moving SKUs placed in pick faces.
SKU: Stock Keeping Unit. Unique identifier for each distinct product in inventory. Enables tracking and management.
TL: Truckload. Freight shipment filling entire truck (typically 24-26 pallets for 53' trailer). More economical per-pallet rate than LTL.

Safety and Compliance

ANSI B56.1: American National Standards Institute standard for forklift safety requirements, design, and operation.
Load Stability Triangle: Three-point balance system on forklifts (two front wheels + rear pivot point) that determines stability. Load must stay within triangle to prevent tip-over.
OSHA 1910.178: OSHA regulation governing powered industrial truck (forklift) safety, operator training, and workplace requirements.
PPE: Personal Protective Equipment. Safety gear required in warehouses: steel-toe boots, high-visibility vests, hard hats, gloves, safety glasses.
Safe Working Load (SWL): Maximum weight equipment can safely handle under specific conditions. Exceeding SWL risks equipment failure and injury.

Measurements and Standards

Board Foot: Lumber measurement: 1" thick × 12" wide × 12" long (144 cubic inches). Used to calculate wood volume and pricing.
Euro Pallet (EUR/EPAL): European standard pallet (800mm × 1200mm or 31.5" × 47.2"). Four-way entry block pallet marked with EPAL or EUR stamp.
Nominal vs Actual Dimensions: Nominal = stated size (e.g., "2×4"). Actual = true size after milling (e.g., 1.5" × 3.5"). Always smaller than nominal due to drying and planing.
Pallet Footprint: Floor space occupied by pallet (length × width). Standard GMA is 13.33 square feet (48" × 40").