Pallet Styles for Warehouses with racking
Racks decide the order of questions. A pallet on beams needs a racking load that matches the span; a floor-stacked pallet needs a static load that matches the bottom of the stack.
Two jobs, two ratings
| Job | Rating | Where it is printed |
|---|---|---|
| Pallet on beams | Racking load, at a stated span | Rehrig Pacific rackable: 2,000 lb edge rack; Nelson multi-use: 2,700 lb |
| Pallet block-stacked | Static load, the bottom pallet | Up to 30,000 lb on PHS Plastic stackables |
| Pallet moved by forklift | Dynamic load | 2,500 to 5,000 lb across PHS Plastic 48 x 40 stackables |
Most warehouse demand is for general pallets in the common 48 x 40 in footprint, split between rack service and block stacking. A warehouse that does both needs two ratings, or one pallet whose lowest number clears both.
The risk that racks add
- A pallet with no racking rating on its sheet is not rated for beams.
- Long loading adds creep; see the creep guide.
- Plastic in a rack changes the sprinkler question; see fire rated pallets.
- The rack has its own load rating, which limits the pallet.
The pallet's racking figure is one input to a rack decision, not a sign-off.
Questions for the maker
- What span was the racking load rated at?
- Is it for the 48 in or the 40 in side across the beams?
- What happens to it after months loaded?
- Does the pallet nest when empty, for the return?
A beam load worked out
Take a pallet with a 2,000 lb racking load. A loaded pallet of 1,722 lb uses 86.1 percent of it and leaves 278 lb; one of 3,340 lb is 1,340 lb over. Rack engineers also apply their own safety margins, so treat the figure as a ceiling.
| Loaded pallet, lb | Share of the racking load | Left over, lb | Within the rating? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,722 | 86.1 percent | 278 | yes |
| 1,925 | 96.3 percent | 75 | yes |
| 2,128 | 106.4 percent | -128 | no |
| 2,431 | 121.5 percent | -431 | no |
| 2,734 | 136.7 percent | -734 | no |
| 2,937 | 146.8 percent | -937 | no |
| 3,340 | 167.0 percent | -1,340 | no |
A stack worked out
Take a stackable rated 8,000 lb static. The bottom pallet carries the pallets above it, so with each loaded pallet weighing 2,638 lb it can hold 3 above, a stack of 4. With 6,680 lb per pallet it can hold 1 above. This is a ceiling on a flat floor for a still stack, not a promise for a stack that moves or waits.
| Loaded pallet, lb | Pallets above the bottom | Stack height | Load on the bottom pallet, lb |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2,638 | 3 | 4 | 7,914 |
| 3,145 | 2 | 3 | 6,290 |
| 3,652 | 2 | 3 | 7,304 |
| 4,159 | 1 | 2 | 4,159 |
| 4,666 | 1 | 2 | 4,666 |
| 5,673 | 1 | 2 | 5,673 |
| 6,680 | 1 | 2 | 6,680 |
Trailers for your volume
Suppose 1,400 empty pallets come back in a month. At the maker figures on file that is 2 trailers of Rehrig Pacific heavy-duty nestables (1,200 each), 1 of PHS Plastic's EXP 100 (2,340 each) or 3 of a rackable (540 each). The table runs the same sum for 6 volumes, from 1,400 to 7,330.
| 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) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,400 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| 2,580 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| 3,770 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 7 |
| 4,960 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 10 |
| 6,150 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 12 |
| 7,330 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 14 |
Words on this page
- Dynamic load
- The weight a pallet holds while it is moved by a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor. It is lower than static because motion adds shock.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, a tough resin used in many plastic pallets, valued for strength against its weight.
- GMA pallet
- The 48 by 40 inch North American standard, named for the Grocery Manufacturers Association that popularised it.
- Edge rack
- A rack arrangement where the pallet rests on the edges of the beams. It is the common test case for a racking rating.
- Footprint
- The length and width of a pallet deck. It is chosen to fit the container, the drum, the bag or the receiving rack.
- Stretch wrap
- Elastic film wound around a loaded pallet to hold the load together.
- Closed loop
- A route where pallets return to the sender after delivery, so the empty trip is a standing cost.
- Recycled content
- The share of a pallet moulded from reground plastic. Makers print it as a range, often by colour.
Tell us the footprint and how many stacks you move.
We work out the empty trailer, then take the request for a load.