Top 5 Pallet Terms for the Uninitiated

Unlike those of us in the packaging industry, most professionals hope to avoid (or at least find unnecessary) the unique details that go into making a pallet. For many buyers, basic packaging lingo can be confusing, alienating or just plain frustrating. 

Our job is not just to offer the best pallet for the job, but to help you understand why. That's where our packaging lab comes in, where pallets and packaging equipment can be tested on your merchandise to determine that perfect balance between cost savings and protective thriftiness. 

So next time you need to talk with a pallet expert, be sure to ask if you don't understand! 

Here are the top five vocabulary words to understanding the pieces and parts of a pallet:

1. Stringer - The continuous, longitudinal, solid, built up or notched beam component of a pallet, supporting and spacing deck components often identified by its location. 
2.  Deckboard - The element or component of a pallet top and bottom, perpendicular to stringers or stringer boards.
3.  Block - Rectangular, square or otherwise multi sided deck spacer, often identified by its location within the pallet as a corner, end, edge, inner or center block.
4.  Stringerboard - Continuous, solid member extending the full length of the pallet, perpendicular to deckboard members and placed between deckboards and blocks.
5. Shiner - A fastener point that protrudes from the pallet.

Did you enjoy this mini-pallet lesson, or do you have bigger and bolder questions that need answered? Let us know in the comments and we'll do our best to address your questions as they come!

Note: These terms and their definitions were provided by the Approved American National Standard on Pallets, Slip Sheets and Other Bases for Unit Loads.