Two-way pallets: lifted from two sides

BOX 01What two-way means

Two-way describes entry, not frame. The forks slide between the stringers from either short end, and the long sides are blocked by the stringers. Per PHS, a two-way pallet is lifted by the deck boards.

BOX 02Where it fits

A dock with forklifts only, loading trailers from the back, runs two-way pallets without trouble. A dock that moves pallets with jacks from the side cannot. If your dock handles both, ask for four-way. Two-way stock is the plentiful kind, so it is easy to buy and to sell, particularly in 48 x 40.

• Cheaper than four-way in the same size and grade.
• The most common used pallet entry type.
• Not suited to a dock that loads from the side.

BOX 03Related

The frame under a two-way pallet is usually a stringer build. The build comparison is in block versus stringer.

BOX 04What two-way means for a rack

Two-way entry restricts forks to the two short ends, so a pallet jack or forklift driver must approach from one of those sides. In a rack aisle that is fine, because the aisle already dictates the approach. In a tight back room it can force awkward turns.

The commonest two-way pallet is the plain stringer pallet, which is why most standard 48 x 40 piles are two-way by default. If your dock needs four-way, say so, and a buyer can see whether your pile qualifies. The stringer page describes the frame: stringer pallets.

BOX 05Questions that settle it

Where does the pallet go? If the answer is a rack or a trailer, two-way is enough. If it is a crowded floor, ask about four-way. State the answer in the request instead of a type word, and the buyer can pick the build.

BOX 06Common two-way mistakes

A common mistake is to call a pallet four-way because it has a bottom board that looks open. Check by sliding a fork, or a tape, into the long side: if it stops against a stringer, the pallet is two-way. Another mistake is to assume that all stringer pallets are two-way; notched ones are not.

A request that names the entry wrongly causes a rejection at the dock, so check before writing it.

BOX 07Two-way pallets in trailers

In a trailer, forks usually approach from the rear, and a two-way pallet loaded with its entry facing the door presents no problem. Loaded sideways, it may need a jack from the side, which it cannot take. Loaders therefore orient two-way pallets with their open ends toward the door.

BOX 08Counting entries

To check, slide a tape measure under the deck from each of the four sides. If it passes on two and stops on two, the pallet is two-way. If it passes on all four, the pallet is four-way. Test two or three pallets from the pile.

BOX 09Stencils and branded two-way pallets

Many two-way pallets carry a brand burned into the stringer. It names a manufacturer or a pool, not a different build. Brands help a buyer identify a pallet's origin but do not change how it should be graded.

BOX 10Why photographs help here too

Show the short end of the pallet in a photograph with the fork openings clear.