Stringer pallets: timbers under the deck

BOX 01The frame

Three timbers run the length of the pallet, with deck boards nailed across them on top and bottom boards beneath. The stringers carry the load. If one splits, a plug is nailed beside it, which is the usual repair on a Grade B. A GMA stringer pallet weighs about 33 to 49 pounds unloaded per Mecalux.

BOX 02Where it works, where it does not

• Works on forklifts, which enter between the stringers from either short end.
• Works for retail and grocery, where the pallet is a tool.
• Fails on pallet jacks from the long side, because the stringers block entry.
• Fails in docks that load from the side without turning the pallet.

Notched stringers have a cut in each timber that opens the long side, which turns the pallet four-way, and the dock can use jacks from any side. See four-way.

BOX 03In the Mid-South

Stringer pallets dominate grocery and retail docks in the Southeast Memphis belt and the DeSoto County DCs, because most freight on 48 x 40 rides on them. If your pile is mostly stringers in a standard size, it is the easiest to place. For the comparison with block, read the guide, and for the sibling build, block pallets.

BOX 04How to tell a stringer pallet by touch

Run a hand under the deck. Three parallel boards running the long way, each carrying the deck boards above, make a stringer pallet. The fork pockets are open at the two short ends and closed on the long sides unless notches are cut.

If a stringer cracks the pallet is usually a core, because the stringer is the part that carries the load. If only a deck board is broken, it is often a cheap repair. This is the main reason stringer piles are sorted by looking underneath rather than on top.

BOX 05Cost and trade-offs

A stringer pallet uses less wood than a block pallet and takes less time to build, which is why it is the common choice. The trade-off is strength: a stringer carries its load along three lines, and a heavy point load can crack a stringer or push a nail through. The pallet is also harder to enter from the sides.

For most cartons and bags on a flat deck, the trade-off favors the stringer. For drums, castings and concentrated loads, a block pallet is the safer choice. See block versus stringer.

BOX 06Stringer pallets in a Memphis summer

Stringer pallets, with large flat surfaces on the stringers, hold water in contact with the ground. In a humid Memphis summer, a stack left on bare earth wicks moisture into the stringers. Putting stacks on boards or concrete keeps them drier.

BOX 07Notching a stringer

A stringer pallet can be notched to let forks in from the sides. The notches weaken the stringers a little, and a notched pallet is generally rated lower. A notched stringer pallet is, in effect, a limited four-way pallet. See four-way.

BOX 08How much one weighs

A standard 48 x 40 wooden stringer pallet weighs about 33 to 48 pounds, and Wikipedia gives 37 pounds as typical for a GMA pallet. Weight is a rough guide to build: a lighter pallet has thinner boards, a heavier one has thicker stringers or more fasteners.