Construction terms
Stringer — the timber running the long dimension of a pallet, carrying load in bending. Three is standard on a 48×40.
Block — a solid cube supporting a block-style pallet. Nine per pallet is standard: four corners, four edges, one centre.
Deck board — the boards nailed across stringers or blocks forming the top and bottom surfaces.
Lead board — the outermost deck board at each end. Takes the most forklift abuse and is the first thing to break.
Chamfer — the bevelled edge on bottom deck boards that lets a pallet jack roll on without catching.
Notch — the cut-out in an outer stringer giving partial four-way entry.
Entry and handling
Two-way entry — forks enter from two opposite sides only.
Four-way entry — forks enter from all four sides. On stringer pallets this is partial, via notches.
Fork entry height — the clearance between decks. Matters more than people think with older pallet jacks.
Overhang — load extending past the deck edge. Reduces packaging compression strength significantly.
Load ratings
Static load — what the pallet holds sitting still on a flat floor. The largest number, and the least useful.
Dynamic load — what it holds while being moved by a forklift or jack.
Racked load — what it holds supported only at its edges in a beam rack. The smallest number and the one that matters if you rack. Always ask for it in writing.
Safe working load — a general term that could mean any of the above. Always ask which.
Grades and repair
Grade A / #1 — premium recycled: no plugs, no repairs, tight tolerance.
Grade B / #2 — used, may be plugged or companion-repaired, full working life.
Grade C / core — not for freight; dismantled for boards and fibre.
Reman / remanufactured — rebuilt from salvaged components onto a usable frame.
Companion stringer — a second timber nailed alongside a cracked one to restore the load path.
Plug — a short deck board let into a damaged area.
Stringer plating — a metal plate reinforcing a cracked stringer. Cheaper than a companion, less durable.
De-nailer — the machine that separates boards and removes fasteners.
Treatment and compliance
HT — heat treated: 56 °C core for 30 continuous minutes, per ISPM-15.
MB — methyl bromide fumigated. Being phased out globally. We do not produce it.
ISPM-15 — the international standard governing wood packaging in trade.
IPPC mark — the stamp proving treatment: wheat symbol, country code, facility number, treatment code.
KD — kiln dried, usually to 19% moisture content or below.
MC — moisture content, expressed as a percentage of dry weight.
Commercial and logistics terms
Core — low-grade material bought for fibre and board recovery rather than resale.
Pool — a managed population of pallets, either a rental operator's or a customer's own.
Exchange — swapping empty for loaded pallets at delivery, common in Europe.
One-way — a pallet that leaves and never returns. Specify the cheapest grade that survives the trip.
Closed loop — pallets circulating between known points and returning. Cycle time governs pool size.
Diversion certificate — documentation of weight kept out of landfill. Increasingly required for ESG reporting.
Tare weight — the weight of the empty pallet. A real freight cost line that almost nobody audits.