Spec sheet
Also called: pallet specification, pallet spec sheet, specification sheet
A pallet spec sheet is a document that defines a pallet design completely: overall size and classification, every component's count and dimensions, lumber species and grade, fasteners, treatments and, when an analysis was run, load ratings by support condition.
In depth: How to read a pallet spec sheet: every field explained
The spec sheet is what lets two different manufacturers build the same pallet. Many are produced in PDS, the Pallet Design System from Woodpack Global.
What a complete spec sheet contains
| Section | Contents |
|---|---|
| Identification | Pallet ID, drawing number, revision, date, units |
| Classification | Size, stringer or block class, deck style, entry, use, manufacture class |
| Treatments | ISPM 15 method, drying or conditioning |
| Top and bottom deck | Number, thickness, width, length of each board line; spacing |
| Stringers or blocks | Number and dimensions; notches, chamfers, strap slots |
| Fasteners | Type, length, wire diameter, thread details, count per joint and total |
| Lumber | Species classes, grade, mix percentages, moisture content |
| Views | Top, bottom, side and end drawings with overall height |
| Analysis (optional) | Safe load and deflection per support condition |
An example PDS line: top deck "5 0.625 3.500 40.00" means five boards, 0.625 in thick, 3.5 in wide, 40 in long.
Why it matters
A spec sheet held by the buyer makes the design portable between suppliers. When the only copy sits in a supplier's software, switching suppliers means re-specifying the pallet. PDS output is copyrighted and watermarked; buyers typically receive a copy for their own use.
On an RFQ
Attach the spec sheet and drawing. If you do not have one, describe the requirements and ask suppliers to return one with their quote. The spec sheet guide walks through a real layout.
Common confusions
A spec sheet is not a test report. Load ratings on it come from analysis unless it cites an ASTM D1185 or ISO 8611 test.
Related
- GuidesHow to read a pallet spec sheet: every field explainedA pallet spec sheet has four parts: identification and classification (size, class, deck style, entry, use), component tables (count and actual size of every board, stringer or block), materials (lumber species, grade, moisture, fasteners), and often an analysis of safe load and deflection by support condition.
- GlossaryRFQ (request for quote)An RFQ (request for quote) is a buyer's request asking suppliers to price a defined product at stated quantities and terms. For pallets, a complete RFQ includes the pallet specification or requirements, volumes, delivery, compliance needs and quality rules.
- GlossaryPallet Design System (PDS)The Pallet Design System (PDS) is proprietary wood pallet design and structural analysis software from Woodpack Global (formerly the National Wooden Pallet & Container Association, NWPCA). Licensed pallet manufacturers use it to produce specification sheets, drawings, safe load ratings and service-life estimates.
- 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.
- PagesPallet design software compared: PDS, Best Pallet and pallet.designPDS (Woodpack Global) is the established Windows tool for structural pallet analysis, leased from $2,000 a year. Best Pallet (White & Company) is desktop software for pallet makers that also calculates safe loads. pallet.design is a free browser tool for drawings, parts lists and quotes, with no load analysis.
More in Commercial and lifecycle
- GlossaryClosed loopA closed loop is a supply chain in which pallets travel between a fixed set of sites and are returned to the owner for reuse, for example between a parts supplier and an assembly plant. Because the pallets come back, higher-cost custom, plastic or metal pallets can pay for themselves.
- GlossaryCombo palletA combo pallet is a wood pallet built from a mix of new and recycled components, commonly new stringers with reclaimed deckboards or the reverse. It sits between new and fully recycled pallets in cost and consistency.
- GlossaryCore palletA core is a used pallet, usually a standard 48 × 40 in stringer pallet, that a pallet recycler buys or collects as raw material to sort, repair and resell. Cores that cannot be repaired are dismantled for parts or ground.
- GlossaryGrade B palletA grade B (#2) pallet is a used pallet, usually a 48 × 40 in GMA-style stringer pallet, that has been repaired more than a grade A: it may have companion stringers, metal plates or replaced deckboards. It is functional but less uniform, and definitions vary by supplier.
- GlossaryMOQ (minimum order quantity)MOQ (minimum order quantity) is the smallest quantity a supplier will produce or sell in one order. For pallets it depends on the material and process: wood pallets need little setup, while custom molded plastic pallets need a mold and very large runs.
- GlossaryOne-way palletA one-way pallet is a pallet designed to make one trip and not come back, such as export pallets or shipments to customers who keep or discard the pallet. It is usually built lighter and from lower-grade material than a reusable pallet.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 288 words.