Questions

1. Which material is most commonly used to manufacture pallets? 
1. Plastic
2. Wood
3. Metal
4. Flour, sugar, eggs and milk
2. Around how many pallets are in service in the United States each day?
1. 1 million
2. 2.5 million
3. 1.8 billion
4. 720 million
3. When was the modern pallet first patented?
1. 1560
2. 1999
3. 1939
4. 1802
4. What is the most common pallet size?
1. 48x40
2. 40x48
3. 40x40
4. 48x48
5. What percentage of wooden pallets are recycled into usable materials at the end of their life cycle?
1. 12 percent
2. 50 percent
3. 83 percent
4. 95 percent

Answers

1. b. Wood. Though there are several alternatives, wood pallets still dominate the market, with over 90 percent of pallets being made of wood.
2. c. 1.8 billion. There are at least 1.8 billion pallets in service in the U.S. alone each day, not including pallets used to ship goods overseas. 
3. c. 1939. The modern pallet evolved alongside the creation of the forklift and pallet jack and was patented by George Raymond, Sr. and Bill House in November 1939. The pair were also issued a patent for the modern lift truck on the same day. 
4. a. 48x40. Though there is no true standard pallet size, the most popular size is the 48x40, also known as GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association). About 35 percent of pallets are 48x40 measured length by width (a 40x48 pallet would be 40 inches long and 48 inches wide, which is not a commonly used size).
5. d. 95 percent. Many wood pallets are able to be repaired and reused, and those that are not can be recycled into other usable materials, such as mulch. This leads to a relatively small percentage of wood pallets that end up clogging up landfills.