Pallet Types & Materials
Comprehensive guides to every pallet type — wood, plastic, metal, composite, and more. Compare specifications, costs, and find the right pallet for your application.
Wood Stringer Pallets
Wood stringer pallets are the most common pallet type in North America, built using two or three parallel pieces of lumber (stringers) that support the deck boards. They are economical, widely available, and easily repaired, making them the backbone of domestic supply chains across the United States and Canada.
Wood Block Pallets
Wood block pallets use cylindrical or rectangular wooden blocks between the top and bottom decks, providing true four-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks. They are stronger, more durable, and more versatile than stringer pallets, making them the standard in Europe and increasingly popular in international trade.
Plastic HDPE Pallets
High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic pallets are durable, hygienic, and moisture-resistant platforms designed for demanding supply chain applications. Made from one of the most widely recycled plastics, HDPE pallets excel in food processing, pharmaceutical, and clean-room environments where hygiene and consistency are paramount.
Plastic Polypropylene Pallets
Polypropylene (PP) plastic pallets offer excellent chemical resistance, lighter weight than HDPE, and superior performance at elevated temperatures. They are widely used in the chemical, automotive, and food industries where resistance to solvents, acids, and high temperatures is critical.
Steel Metal Pallets
Steel pallets are the heaviest-duty option in the pallet universe, engineered to handle extreme loads, harsh environments, and demanding applications where no other material can perform. Used in heavy manufacturing, military logistics, and permanent storage systems, steel pallets offer unmatched strength and longevity.
Aluminum Metal Pallets
Aluminum pallets combine the strength and durability of metal with significantly lighter weight, making them ideal for airfreight, pharmaceutical, and food-grade applications. Their excellent corrosion resistance, hygiene properties, and recyclability make them a premium choice for demanding supply chains.
Composite Pallets
Composite pallets are engineered from a combination of materials — such as wood fibers and plastic resins, fiberglass-reinforced polymers, or recycled material blends — to achieve performance characteristics that no single material can provide alone. They bridge the gap between affordable wood and durable plastic pallets.
Presswood Pallets
Presswood pallets (also called compressed wood or molded wood pallets) are manufactured by pressing wood chips, shavings, or sawdust together with heat and resin to form a single-piece pallet. They are ISPM-15 exempt, lightweight, and nestable, making them popular for export shipping applications.
Corrugated Cardboard Pallets
Corrugated pallets are lightweight, recyclable shipping platforms made from heavy-duty corrugated cardboard or fiberboard. They offer the ultimate in lightweight, one-way shipping solutions and are increasingly popular for export, retail display, and airfreight applications where every pound matters.
Plywood Pallets
Plywood pallets are constructed using engineered plywood panels for the deck surface, mounted on solid wood stringers or blocks. They offer a smooth, consistent deck surface, good strength, and lighter weight than solid lumber pallets, making them popular for export shipping and specialty applications.
Not sure which type to choose?
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