Custom pallets for loads that don't fit a standard size

BOX 01When a standard size will not do

There is no universally accepted standard for pallet dimensions, according to PHS. 48 x 40 is the most used; the rest are set by industry habit. A load that does not fit one of them either wastes space or overhangs the edge, and overhang is where damage starts.

Docks at the port and on Presidents Island, which see steel, chemicals and grain, are the Memphis places custom builds come up most. River port and heavy goods covers what those loads need.

BOX 02What to give for a custom build

A custom pallet is the opposite of an off-the-shelf pile, so the more exact the request the better. Photos are not needed. A drawing or a measured sentence is.

BOX 03Check the standard sizes first

Before you commit to a custom size, compare it with the standard footprints. A 48 x 48 or 48 x 45 may cover a heavy or oversized load at lower cost, and the 48 x 48 page says who ships on it. For a spec checklist see new pallets.

BOX 04Drawings, samples and tolerances

The best input for a custom pallet is a sample. A buyer can measure the sample, count the boards and match the wood. Failing that, send a sketch with measurements in inches: overall length and width, deck board width and gaps, stringer or block dimensions, height of the fork opening.

Say what the pallet carries. A pallet for a 2,000-pound machine is built differently from one for 400 pounds of cartons. And say how many you want at first and how many over a year, because a custom run costs less per pallet when it repeats.

FAQStraight answers