Plastic pallet guides
Twelve guides on reading ratings, counting empties, and the paperwork that comes with a plastic pallet. Each one names its sources and the date it was checked.
The twelve
| Guide | What it settles |
|---|---|
| Static, dynamic and racking load | The three ratings and which one governs. |
| Nest ratio explained | Height over increment, and what it means in freight. |
| How many nestable pallets fit on a truck | The per-trailer figures makers print. |
| Nestable vs stackable vs rackable | Three styles, three strengths. |
| Why standard-duty nestables are not rackable | The racking line that is not on the sheet. |
| Reading a maker's pallet spec sheet | The lines that decide a purchase. |
| Plastic pallet creep | Why a rating at rest is not a rating for storage. |
| Plastic pallets in the cold | Freezing and brittleness. |
| ISPM 15 and plastic pallets | Why plastic is outside the wood rule. |
| FM 4996 and UL 2335 | Fire listings, per model. |
| Cruciform base and runners | What the base means for conveyors and racks. |
| Open deck and closed deck | Drains against solid. |
Where to start
If you are choosing a style, begin with the three styles side by side. If you already have a sheet in front of you, read how to read a maker's spec sheet, then the one on static, dynamic and racking load.
If you move empties, the numbers are in how many fit on a truck and nest ratio. If the question is paper, read the guides on ISPM 15 and fire listings.
Trailers for your volume
Suppose 3,410 empty pallets come back in a month. At the maker figures on file that is 3 trailers of Rehrig Pacific heavy-duty nestables (1,200 each), 2 of PHS Plastic's EXP 100 (2,340 each) or 7 of a rackable (540 each). The table runs the same sum for 6 volumes, from 3,410 to 17,890.
| Pallets to return | Rehrig Pacific Heavy-duty nestable (1,200 per trailer) | Rehrig Pacific Standard-duty nestable (1,260 per trailer) | Nelson Company Nestable, stackable, rackable (1,800 per trailer) | PHS Plastic EXP 116 nestable (1,260 per trailer) | PHS Plastic EXP 100 nestable (2,340 per trailer) | Rackable (540 per trailer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3,410 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 6,300 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| 9,200 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 18 |
| 12,100 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 6 | 23 |
| 15,000 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 28 |
| 17,890 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 15 | 8 | 34 |
How the guides are checked
Each guide cites the maker pages and public standards it uses, and each figure carries the date it was last checked against the source: November 12, 2026. Where makers disagree, or a sheet is silent, the guide says so and does not fill the gap.
The guides do not give engineering sign-off. Rack loads, fire classifications and food-contact claims are decisions for the people responsible for the building and the product. What the guides can do is shorten the list of questions to put to a maker, and say which answers would settle each one.
Where to start reading
A buyer comparing styles should begin with the guide that sets nestable, stackable and rackable side by side, then read the one on static, dynamic and racking load, since those three ratings decide most purchases. Anyone shipping abroad can go straight to the export and treatment guides; anyone storing on racks should read the beam and runner guides before any model sheet.
Guides for a first purchase
Someone buying a first plastic pallet usually needs three guides: the one that names the three load ratings, the one on nesting and the empty trailer, and the one on reading a maker sheet. Those answer most of what a salesperson will be asked, and in the right order.
Words on this page
- Nest ratio
- How many empty pallets fit in the height of one: pallet height divided by nest increment.
- Static load
- The weight a pallet holds while standing still on a flat floor, spread evenly across the deck. It is the highest of the three ratings.
- Closed deck
- A solid deck that keeps small items and torn bags from falling through and wipes clean on top.
- Dunnage
- Loose material used to support or secure cargo inside a trailer or container.
- Runner
- A continuous rail under a pallet. Runners lie flat across rack beams but stop pallets from nesting.
- Closed loop
- A route where pallets return to the sender after delivery, so the empty trip is a standing cost.
- Stretch wrap
- Elastic film wound around a loaded pallet to hold the load together.
- Footprint
- The length and width of a pallet deck. It is chosen to fit the container, the drum, the bag or the receiving rack.
Tell us the footprint and how many stacks you move.
We work out the empty trailer, then take the request for a load.