A guide to wooden pallets: what you need to know when you buy pallets in bulk

The world of pallets is a collective myriad of shapes and sizes, and if you’re not working with pallets all day every day, it can quickly become confusing.

In this guide, we explain how to choose the right pallets for your loads. Of course, we’re always on hand to offer advice on the phone or in person. But we hope that this guide will give you a handy starter-for-ten.

Choosing a grade 

Pallets come in a range of Grades for lighter or heavier materials. 

• Grade 1 can hold the most weight. That’s usually around 1000kg for a UK pallet.
• Grade 2 can hold approximately 750kg. 
• Grade 3 is the lightweight option that holds between 200kg and 500kg. 

Once you know roughly how your loads are split in terms of weight, you can choose the right Grade of pallet.

Four-way or two-way entry

The next thing to think about is whether you need four-way, or two-way entry. This typically depends upon the equipment available in your storage facility, and the layout of the facility.

All wooden pallets are built to be either four-way, or two-way pallets. A four-way pallet can be picked up by a forklift from any of its sides. On the other hand, a two-way pallet can be lifted only from two sides. 

If space is at a premium, the four-way pallet is usually preferable. That’s because these pallets can be moved within the facility more easily, and without taking up so much space.

Two-way pallets are generally cheaper, but a forklift will need more space to manoeuvre to line up and get under a two-way pallet.

Choosing a base

You’ll also see on our website that pallets come with different bases; perimeter, legged, or strapped.

Again, this choice is based upon your required forklift entry, and the storage options available. 

Perimeter based pallets sit flush and are good for floor stacking. But your facility might need legged, or strapped bases for warehouse racking. In fact, legged pallets are ideal for handling with a manual or electric pump trucks, so you might opt for that if you have pump trucks available.

UK pallets

The most popular option in the UK is the standard size UK pallet, which is 1200mm x 1000mm. 

It’s available in lightweight, mediumweight and heavyweight, which is why you’ll see them in different Grades on our website. They’re used to store, handle and transport a range of goods from food to heavy electrical items.

Euro pallets

Euro pallets are the standard size for shipments around Europe. The main difference from the UK pallet is the size of the base. The Euro pallets are slightly smaller, measuring in at 1200mm x 800mm as standard. This is designed to fit most European door frames and property sizes. 

Our Euro pallets are supplied with an official European stamp so that they are universally accepted throughout Europe.

CP pallets

CP pallets are specialist pallets that were developed in cooperation with the Chemical Industry Association. They have closely spaced boards and they’re ideal for shrink-wrapped pallet loads, which are often used in the chemical industry. You can find them in a variety of sizes to suit your load.

Other pallets

You’ll also see a range of other types of pallets on our website. Here’s a brief description of those pallets, which are used a little less frequently than the standard UK or Euro pallets.

Name	Size	Use	Description
Printer pallets	920mm x 660 mm	Small bulky goods.	Ideal for saving space on your transport.
Yankee	40 inch x 48 inch	Most commonly used in North America.	Low cost, heavyweight pallet
Agricultural	1500mm x 1200mm	Heavy bulky goods often used in farming	Large in size, and heavyweight
Builders	1000mm x 12000mm	Heavy building materials	Robust and durable

Heat treatment: when it’s necessary and why

One important factor to consider is whether or not you need heat-treated pallets. This is usually mandatory for any shipments that are crossing international borders. 

When you move wooden materials (like pallets) from one country to another, there’s a risk of introducing tree pests, insects, or diseases to new areas. This could potentially harm the ecosystem of that area. 

To protect against this risk, the International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15 (ISPM15) was introduced. This is a standard developed by the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) to protect the world’s plants, agricultural products, and natural resources from plant pests. 

To comply with ISPM15, wood materials that are more than 6mm thick must be treated with heat before they are shipped cross-borders,). For more information on ISPM15, please see our blog.

Plastic pallets

While this guide is designed to help you pick the right wooden pallets for you, it’s worth thinking about plastic pallets as well.

Plastic pallets can be a versatile alternative to their wooden counterparts. The main benefit of using plastic pallets is that they are more weather resistant, and are unaffected by moisture. That makes them a good choice for any outdoor storage.

They are highly durable, and they can be cleaned easily for reuse. As they don’t need to comply with ISPM15, they can be a more attractive option for cross-border exports.

Sizes range from 600mm x 800mm pallets to 1200mm x 1000mm pallets.

Protecting your shipment with collars

You might consider placing a ‘collar’ on each of your pallets to protect your goods during transport. These collars make sure that the goods stay in place, and reduce any movement while they are in transit. 

The good thing about collars is that they are collapsible, so once your goods reach the storage facility the collars can be removed and they don’t take up much space when they’re not in use. 

Sustainability of wooden pallets

Finally, it’s worth adding a word on sustainability. With increasing regulation around the world about greener ways of working, most businesses now need to think about the environmental impact of their supply chain.

Using wooden pallets can help you maintain a greener supply chain. 

How can we help you with that?

All of our pallets are reconditioned, which means that they are made from recycled wood. Pallets are repaired and reused to prolong their lifespan.

In fact, we usually recycle around 2 million pallets per year, which saves around 50,000 trees.

When wood can no longer be recycled and made into other pallets, it’s biodegradable and compostable. It can even be used in renewable energy sources, and become fuel for biomass.

There’s an environmental benefit to using wooden pallets, but it also makes good business sense, as reconditioned pallets are available at attractive prices.

We’re here to advise

That’s a brief rundown of the things you should consider when you’re buying pallets in bulk. But every shipment is different and you may need some guidance on which pallets are right for you.

Please feel free to give us a call to discuss your requirements. Our experts will ask you the right questions to work out which pallets are best for you. Please call us on 01376 516 742 or email us at sales@robinsonpalletservices.com.