Pallets by industry
Summary
The pallet sizes, types and requirements used in each industry, from GMA pallets in grocery to CP pallets in chemicals and hygienic plastic in pharma.
Industries13
- Pallets for food and beverage manufacturingFood companies run two pallet systems: hygienic plastic or aluminum inside wet and open-product areas, and 48 × 40 in wood or pooled pallets for cased goods. The FDA Sanitary Transportation rule requires suitable, cleanable, sanitary pallets but does not mandate a material.
- Pallets for grocery and consumer goodsGrocery runs on the 48 × 40 in pallet: GMA-style stringer pallets or pooled block pallets (CHEP, PECO, iGPS plastic). Retailers set the rules in vendor guides: footprint, entry, condition, height, weight and labels, and some accept pooled pallets only. Check each retailer's current guide.
- Pallets for pharmaceutical and healthcare productsPharmaceutical plants keep wood out of cleanrooms and GMP areas and use hygienic plastic (closed deck, washable) or aluminum there. Finished goods ship on 48 × 40 in or 1200 × 800 mm wood or plastic pallets to meet distribution, cold-chain and customer rules. The quality system, not a law, sets the material.
- Pallets for the chemical and plastics industryChemical loads (drums, pails, IBCs and 25 kg bags) need heavier, tighter-decked pallets than grocery. Europe uses the CP1 to CP9 block pallets; North America uses 48 × 48 in drum pallets, 42 × 42 and 44 × 44 in sizes and heavy 48 × 40s. Deck gaps and load type matter as much as weight.
- Pallets for the automotive industryAutomotive supply chains run on returnable plastic pallets, bulk containers and steel racks that cycle between suppliers and plants. OEM packaging guidelines set the footprints; 48 × 45 in is a common automotive size in North America. One-way wood pallets and ISPM 15 crates cover service parts and export.
- Pallets for beverages: water, soft drinks, beer and spiritsA pallet of bottled water commonly weighs 2,100 to 2,500 lb, and canned drinks and beer 1,500 to 2,200 lb. Most North American beverage loads ship on 48 × 40 in pooled or GMA-style pallets, plus 48 × 20 in half pallets for store delivery. Stiff decks, tier sheets and good wrap prevent crushed loads.
- Pallets for dairy: milk, cheese, butter and dairy ingredientsDairy uses 40 × 40 in pallets, the size traditionally linked to dairy in North America, and 48 × 40 in pallets for retail DCs. Plants are cold, wet and washed down, so plastic is common inside and wood must arrive dry. Much fluid milk moves in stacked crates on dollies or pallets.
- Pallets for fresh produceFresh produce ships mainly on 48 × 40 in pallets in North America, many of them pooled block pallets. Pallets must survive wet cooling, cold storage and long reefer hauls and let cold air flow through the load. Imported produce, including from Mexico, needs ISPM 15 treated and marked wood pallets.
- Pallets for building materials: bags, block, brick, pavers and roofingBuilding materials put the heaviest loads on ordinary pallets: bagged concrete, block, pavers and shingles often exceed 3,000 lb. The industry uses heavy-duty wood pallets, winged pallets for bags and product-specific bases for brick and drywall, stored outdoors and often returned for a deposit.
- Pallets for paper, corrugated and packaging productsPaper and packaging need flat, dry pallets with high deck coverage, because sheets and blanks take the shape of the deck and absorb moisture. Box and print plants often buy custom sizes per product. Rolls ship on end or in cradles for clamp trucks, and some light loads ship on slip sheets.
- Pallets and skids for metals and machineryMetals and machinery rarely ship on standard pallets. Machines go on custom runner skids they are bolted to, sheet on solid-deck skids, coils on cradles or coil skids, bars on bunks. Loads of 2,000 to 10,000 lb or more on small areas are common, so each base is designed to its load.
- Pallets for e-commerce, fulfillment and 3PL warehousesE-commerce and 3PL warehouses mostly receive 48 × 40 in four-way pallets and publish receiving rules on grade, height, weight, wrap and labels. For Amazon FBA, 40 × 48 in four-way pallets, 72 in and 1,500 lb are widely cited limits. Used Grade A or B pallets usually meet inbound rules.
- Pallets for military and government shipmentsUS military supplies ship on 40 × 48 in wood pallets to ANSI MH1 Part 9 or MIL-DTL-15011, palletized to MIL-STD-147. Its 2008 base text caps a load at 3,000 lb (2,500 lb to NATO). Wood must be ISPM 15 marked and shipments marked to MIL-STD-129. The contract always governs.