Block pallets: nine blocks, four-side entry

BOX 01The frame

Blocks sit at the corners, the middle of each side and the center, and boards span the gaps. The openings between blocks are the same on all four sides, which is why the pallet is four-way. A block pallet is usually heavier, bigger and more durable than a two-way stringer pallet, according to Wikipedia.

BOX 02Why buyers ask for block

• Pallet jacks and forklifts both work from any side, so a dock does not turn pallets.
• Heavier and sturdier for racked or repeated use.
• Common in pooled and export freight, where handling varies from one dock to the next.

The cost is weight and price. A block pallet costs more than a stringer of the same size, and used block stock is thinner on the ground than used stringer stock.

BOX 03In the Mid-South

Block pallets turn up at intermodal ramps, at air and export docks, and at buildings that handle containers, since a container load may be on any build. Intermodal and rail covers what those docks collect. If your pile is mostly block, say so in a sell request, because the buyers who want them ask by name.

The sibling build is stringer, and the comparison is in the guide.

BOX 04Reading a block pallet's damage

Blocks hold the deck up at nine points, so a block pallet fails differently from a stringer pallet. The common faults are a split block, a block that has worked loose, or a bottom board that has pulled away. Each is a repairable fault in principle and should be counted as one.

A block pallet with nine sound blocks and a split deck board is a good core. One with several loose blocks is a worse one. Mention how many blocks are damaged and whether the pallet is plastic, wood or composite. Wood is the case described here.

BOX 05Why block pallets cost more to rebuild

A block pallet has more parts than a stringer pallet, and each part is a possible repair. Replacing a block requires care to keep the deck flat. Because of that, block cores are worth less to a rebuilder than stringer cores of the same condition, even though a block pallet is stronger when whole.

Mention the build in a request. A pile of sound block pallets is worth selling as they are, while a pile of damaged ones may be better cleared.

BOX 06Block pallets and automation

Automated warehouses prefer block pallets because the openings are consistent and the structure is rigid. Conveyors and shuttle systems often specify block pallets of a particular size. A dock with automation should say so in a request, as it narrows the set of acceptable pallets.

BOX 07Block pallet sizes in the Mid-South

Block construction is common in 48 x 48 and 48 x 45 pallets, where weight and four-way entry matter, and also in 1200 x 800 Euro pallets. Standard 48 x 40 pallets come in both builds, though stringers predominate. If you hold block pallets of a size that is unusual, say so; a specialist buyer may want them.

BOX 08Deposits and resale

Block pallets are the costlier build, and per Wikipedia they usually require a deposit and are returned to the sender or resold as used. That is part of why a sound used block pallet has a buyer, and why a request that says block is read differently from one that says only pallets.