Concentrated load
Also called: point load, line load, non-uniform load
A concentrated load is a load that bears on one or a few small areas of the pallet deck instead of spreading over it, such as drums, machinery feet or a coil. It usually gives a much lower safe load than the same weight spread evenly.
In depth: Drum pallet: 48 × 48 pallets for four 55-gallon drums
A concentrated load forces one or two deckboards or one stringer to carry weight the rest of the deck would otherwise share. The pallet fails locally long before its average capacity is reached.
Types
| Type | Examples |
|---|---|
| Point load | Machine feet, casters, legs of a skid-mounted product |
| Line load | Coils, rolls, bearers, sheet goods on runners |
| Multiple point loads | Four 55 gal drums on a 48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) pallet |
PDS models concentrated loads and up to four rigid line loads (version 6.11).
Why it matters
Where the load sits relative to the stringers or blocks decides the design. A load centered over a stringer is carried directly. The same load centered between stringers bends the deckboards. Designers respond with thicker or wider deckboards, closer deck spacing, a solid deck, extra stringers, or load-spreading bearers. Drum pallets exist because of this problem.
On a spec sheet or RFQ
Give the number of bearing points, the size of each bearing area, their positions on the deck, and the weight on each. A sketch or photo of the product's base helps more than a total weight.
Common confusions
A pallet rated 2,500 lb (1,134 kg) for a uniformly distributed load is not rated 2,500 lb for a machine on four feet. Ask for a rating for the actual load.
Related
- GlossaryUniformly distributed loadA uniformly distributed load (UDL) is a load whose weight is spread evenly over the full top deck of the pallet. Most published pallet ratings assume a UDL unless they say otherwise.
- GlossarySafe loadSafe load (safe working load, SWL) is the largest load a pallet should carry in a given support condition, set well below the load that breaks it. Test standards divide the ultimate load by a safety factor, and PDS uses reliability-based safety levels.
- TypesDrum pallet: 48 × 48 pallets for four 55-gallon drumsA drum pallet is a heavy-duty pallet sized to carry 55-gallon (208 L) drums, most often a 48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) square pallet holding four drums. It needs tight deckboard gaps so drum chimes cannot drop between boards, and extra stringers because four filled drums can weigh about 2,000 lb (900 kg) or more.
- GuidesHow to spec a custom pallet: the fields that decide the designSpecify a custom pallet in two parts. First the requirements: load weight and type, footprint, how it is handled, racked and stacked, environment, export rules and trips. Then the design: construction, board sizes, lumber species, grade, moisture and fasteners. A manufacturer can rate and price a spec with both.
- GuidesHow much weight can a pallet hold? Static, dynamic and racking capacityIt depends on how the pallet is supported. A typical 48 × 40 wood pallet safely carries about 1,500 to 2,800 lb (680 to 1,270 kg) in racking or on forks, and several times that on a flat floor. A EUR pallet is rated 1,500 kg. Only the manufacturer's rating for your support condition is authoritative.
More in Performance and engineering
- GlossaryCreepCreep is the gradual increase in a pallet's deflection while a load stays on it over time. Wood creeps, and plastic creeps much more, especially when warm, so racked pallets sag more after days or weeks than when first loaded.
- GlossaryDeflectionDeflection is the amount a pallet bends or sags under load, measured at the point of greatest movement. Racking limits are commonly about 2% of the span, and automated systems often require 0.5 in (13 mm) or less.
- GlossaryDurabilityDurability is a pallet's ability to survive repeated handling, measured as the number of trips or handling cycles before it needs repair or is scrapped. It is driven by fastener quality, lead board width, member thickness and species density.
- GlossaryDynamic loadDynamic load is the weight a pallet can safely carry while it is being moved, supported on forklift tines, a pallet jack or a conveyor. It sits between the static rating and the racking rating.
- GlossaryLoad bridgingLoad bridging is the effect of a stiff unit load spanning across the pallet's weak points, so the packaged product carries part of the load and the pallet deflects and stresses less than it would under a flexible load of the same weight.
- GlossaryLoad capacityLoad capacity is the maximum weight a pallet can safely carry under a stated support condition. It is always quoted per condition: static (on the floor), dynamic (on forks or a pallet jack) and racking (spanning rack beams), and the racking figure is usually the lowest.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 237 words.