Two-way pallets: forks from two sides

What two-way means

The count is about entry, not about the number of boards. A solid stringer blocks the sides, so the openings face only the ends. The pallet is lifted by the deck boards, with the forks under them and between the stringers.

When it is enough

• Docks with a straight approach to a rack or a trailer.
• Freight loaded and unloaded the same way every time.
• Cost-sensitive loads, since two-way pallets are the simpler build.

When it is not

Tight docks and cross-docks where trucks cannot square up. A four-way pallet, usually heavier, bigger and more durable, saves the turn. The four-way page goes through it.

Two-way and grade

Grading does not care about the number of entries. A two-way pallet with no repairs is Grade A; with a plug it is Grade B. Entry type is a build choice that sits alongside the grade.

The two sides a fork can use

A two-way pallet is designed to be lifted by its deck boards, with the forks entering between the stringers from the two ends. Four-way pallets, by contrast, are lifted by their more rigid stringers. That difference explains the common failure: when a two-way pallet is lifted from the side, the forks bear on the stringers or push the stringers apart, and the pallet splits.

When two-way is a sensible buy

• One-way freight leaving a dock with a straight approach to the trailer.
• Racking in which the beams cross the stringers, so only the ends are used.
• Programs where cost per trip counts more than longevity.
• Docks whose truck drivers all load from the same side.

Reading the underside

A two-way pallet shows solid stringers running the full length of its underside, with no half-moon cuts along their lower edge. Forks go between the stringers from either end, and the pallet is lifted by its deck boards. A quick check on a mixed pile separates the types: kneel at the end of a stack and look for daylight under the stringers from the side. If you see none, the pile is two-way, and a four-way request is not met by it. Wikipedia's pallet article says the cheapest softwood pallets are simple stringer pallets lifted from two sides, which describes a large share of what comes off American docks.

Decks, wings and the leading edge

Two-way pallets are often double-faced, with deck boards on top and bottom. The board at each end is the lead board, and it takes the first contact with a fork or a jack. A lead board with a corner chipped away is the commonest early failure on a two-way pallet. A pallet built with a wider or thicker lead board, or with chamfered edges, enters a pallet jack more easily.

Some two-way pallets are single-faced, with no bottom boards, and are lighter and cheaper again. They cannot be racked on beams that run parallel to the stringers without sagging, which is a reason to confirm the equipment before the build.

Why two-way pallets break in a pool

A two-way pallet that circulates among many companies meets many forklift drivers, some of whom lift from the side. Each side lift loads a part of the pallet that was not designed for it. Over a handful of trips that adds up to split lead boards and loosened nails, which is why pooled pallets are usually four-way.

Why a stringer gets called a skid

A skid is a deck on stringers with no bottom boards, and it is the simplest relative of the two-way pallet. Skids are cheap and strong along their length, and they suit loads that are lifted by forks and set straight down. The lack of bottom boards means they cannot ride on a conveyor or be stacked with their own load on top, which is why the term is kept for single moves.