42 x 42 pallets for beverage freight

BOX 01Why a square pallet

A square footprint packs cans, bottles and cartons into a pattern with no long side, which matters when a layer is a block of cases. The 42 x 42 is described as common in the beverage industry by Mecalux. In the Memphis metro, it shows up where beverage is distributed, not made, so its pallets pile up at distributors more than at plants.

BOX 02Working with it

On an assumed 630 x 98 inch trailer interior, the better orientation puts 42 inches along the trailer and 42 across: 630 ÷ 42 gives 15 rows, 98 ÷ 42 gives 2 across, so 15 × 2 = 30 single stacked. Real loads vary with the trailer, the weight and the pattern.

That matches the best count for 48 x 40 on the same trailer: the square footprint gains nothing in pallets per load, only a different shape on the deck. Whether a dock can take it depends on racking: shelves built for 48 x 40 may not hold a 42 x 42 safely.

• Check rack beam spacing before ordering.
• Ask whether a block or a notched stringer build is on offer, so forks and jacks enter all four sides.
• Used 42 x 42 stock is thinner than 48 x 40, so give a count and let the request be read.

BOX 03Alternatives

If racking allows, a 48 x 42 is the closest relative and is also used in beverage and chemical freight. For the common size see 48 x 40. A 42 x 42 request can also be filled by a custom build.

BOX 04Spotting one in a mixed pile

A 42 x 42 pallet looks nearly square when it sits among 48 x 40s, and a quick eye misses it. Look for stacks that sit flush at the corners rather than overhanging on one side. If a stack leans or the fork pockets look wide, measure it.

Square pallets that arrived with beverage freight are usually clean and sound because the loads are heavy and handled gently. They are poorer sellers in a general pile, since few buyers stock the size, so a separate count matters more than a grade note.

BOX 05A closer look at the corners

A square pallet has a corner at each of four equal sides. When pallets of this size are stacked and the stack leans, the lean shows at the corners. Check a stack by sighting along each face; a stack that bows is a sign of warped or mismatched pallets.

BOX 06Beverage and the square

A square pallet suits a square pattern of bottles or cans. The shape lets a loader build layers of the same pattern on any side. That is the main reason beverage producers prefer it, and why other freight rarely uses it.