A rackable plastic pallet, spec by spec

Two models, two kinds of rackable

The two are built for different jobs. Rehrig's is a stiff, heavy pallet for racks and conveyors. Nelson's is a light multi-use model that nests when empty and carries 2,700 lb on a rack. The second gives up some static carrying power to be lighter and shorter; the first gives up the empty return to be rigid.

Edge rack and beam rack

Rehrig Pacific's figure is called edge rack: the pallet rests on the edges of the rack beams. That is the common arrangement, and it is the one the number describes. Other arrangements, such as a pallet supported on its centre or on rails, are different tests. Ask the maker which arrangement the number comes from.

Questions before it goes on a beam

• What span was it rated on, in inches?
• Was the load evenly spread, or concentrated?
• Does the rating apply at the temperature the rack lives at?
• Is there a rack deflection limit in the rating?

A beam load worked out

Take a pallet with a 2,000 lb racking load. A loaded pallet of 1,130 lb uses 56.5 percent of it and leaves 870 lb; one of 2,748 lb is 748 lb over. Rack engineers also apply their own safety margins, so treat the figure as a ceiling.

A stack worked out

Take a stackable rated 12,000 lb static. The bottom pallet carries the pallets above it, so with each loaded pallet weighing 3,193 lb it can hold 3 above, a stack of 4. With 7,235 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.

Reading the racking line

Find the racking figure first and the static figure second, since the first is usually lower and is the one that governs on beams. If the sheet prints no racking figure for the model, that blank is the answer, and a pallet with no racking load belongs on a floor or in a stack, not on a beam.

Specs that sit beside the rating

Alongside the racking load, check the deck pattern, the base type, the empty weight and whether the figure was taken at room temperature. Each of these can change how a pallet behaves on beams without changing the number printed on the sheet.

From the dock

• Do not guess the racking load from the static one; the two numbers can differ by a large factor.
• A pallet bridging two beams flexes at its centre; the more it flexes, the less margin it has left.
• Shuttle and pallet-flow racks ask more of a deck than static rack; a conveyor-compatible base matters.
• Racks in cold storage are tightly spaced; confirm the pallet rating holds at that temperature.
• Runner pallets lie flat across beams, which spreads load but stops them nesting; cruciform bases do the reverse.
• Mixing wood and plastic pallets in one rack bay complicates inspection and fire design; many sites avoid it.
• Pallets are put on rack by forklift; a rack with tight clearance punishes any sloppy placement.

Words on this page

Closed deck

A solid deck that keeps small items and torn bags from falling through and wipes clean on top.

4-way entry

A pallet that forks or a pallet jack can enter from all four sides.

Pallet jack

A hand or powered truck with two forks, used to move a pallet short distances.

Open deck

A deck with slots or a grid, which drains water, sheds dust and weighs less than a solid one.

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.

UL

Underwriters Laboratories, a safety testing body that publishes fire test standards, including one for storage pallets.

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.

Beam span

The open gap between two rack beams. The longer the span, the lower the load the pallet can carry across it.