Pallet vs skid: what is the difference?

The technical difference is the bottom deck. A skid is a single-deck platform: deckboards (or a plywood panel) fastened across two or more runners, with nothing underneath. A pallet adds a bottom deck, which spreads the load when it sits on the floor, on a rack or on another load. Historically skids came first; pallets were developed from them so loads could be stacked and handled from more sides. See what is a pallet.

#Side-by-side comparison

#Why the bottom deck matters

Without a bottom deck, a skid's weight sits on narrow runners. On a warehouse floor that's fine. On top of another unit load, it puts two or three narrow lines of load onto the cartons below, which can crush them. On conveyors, rollers need a continuous bottom surface running the right way. On rack beams, a pallet's bottom deck and stringers or blocks bridge the gap in a predictable way. That is why distribution and retail supply chains almost always use pallets, and why retailer pallet specs typically call for a double-face pallet.

#Why people still choose skids

Skids are simpler, sit lower, and are often stronger per dollar for concentrated loads. Heavy runners carry machinery, castings, transformers and generator sets well, and equipment can be bolted through the deck into the runners. Skids can be dragged into position, which is useful on job sites and when loading machinery into buildings. They are also the standard base for crates and many export packages.

#Terminology in freight and trade

Carriers, brokers and warehouse staff often say "skid" when they mean any pallet, and freight quotes may be priced "per skid". Retailers and pallet manufacturers generally use the technical meaning. When you order, say what you need: "single-face skid with 4 × 4 runners" or "double-face stringer pallet", and state the entry. The Uniform Standard classifies deck style as single-face, double-face non-reversible or double-face reversible, so those terms remove the ambiguity. See reversible pallet and single-face pallet.

#Cost

A skid uses fewer boards than a pallet of the same size, so the material cost is lower for the same deck. But skids for machinery often use heavy runners (4 × 4 or 4 × 6 in) and thick decks, which can cost more than a standard pallet. Compare quotes for the actual design. See pallet cost.

#When to choose each

Choose a skid when:

• the load is a single heavy item (machinery, equipment) that will be bolted down;
• it will be dragged or skidded into place;
• nothing will be stacked on top and it will not go into racking or on conveyors;
• you need a crate or box base.

Choose a pallet when:

• loads will be stacked, racked, conveyed or handled by pallet jacks from several sides;
• the customer or retailer specifies a pallet;
• products are cartons or bags that need an even base.

#Specifying a skid

For a skid, state the footprint, runner size and count, deck boards or panel thickness, any chamfered runner ends for dragging, bolt-hole locations for the equipment, and tie-down points. Heat treatment rules for export apply to skids just as to pallets; see heat-treated pallets. You can open a skid in the designer and adjust runners and deck.