Used 24 x 20 quarter plastic pallets
Used 24 x 20 plastic quarter pallets, 600 x 500 mm, are for promotions and point-of-sale displays. A quarter pallet is a quarter of a 48 x 40.
- Footprint
- 24 x 20 in (600 x 500 mm) quarter pallet
- Metric
- 610 x 508 mm
- Deck area
- 3.3 sq ft
- Use
- Promotions and point-of-sale displays
What 24 x 20 quarter is for
A 24 by 20 inch quarter pallet is a quarter of a 48 x 40, with both sides halved. It is the smallest standard footprint on this site, at 3.3 square feet, and it is listed for promotions and point-of-sale displays. Four of them cover one GMA footprint.
A quarter pallet carries a small display, so nobody is asking for racking. What matters is whether it is clean, undamaged and sorted, since a buyer who needs a hundred for a promotion also needs a hundred that match. Count the lot, and ask whether the colours are mixed.
Where it fits
| Use | Why it fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Point-of-sale displays | The listed use | Ask for like-new decks |
| Promotions | Light and quick to build | Count the lot |
| Four to a GMA footprint | Fills a truck bay evenly | Check heights match |
Deck area against the common footprints
Worked out in inches, 24 x 20 quarter is 610 by 508 mm and 3.3 square feet of deck.
| Footprint | Deck area | Compared with GMA |
|---|---|---|
| 24 x 20 quarter (this page) | 3.3 sq ft | 25% of a 48 x 40 |
| 48 x 40 | 13.3 sq ft | 100% of a 48 x 40 |
| 48 x 48 | 16.0 sq ft | 120% of a 48 x 40 |
| 45 x 45 | 14.1 sq ft | 105% of a 48 x 40 |
| 43 x 43 | 12.8 sq ft | 96% of a 48 x 40 |
| 42 x 42 | 12.3 sq ft | 92% of a 48 x 40 |
What to watch in a used lot
A request for this footprint is answered with a written lot description. This site states no price and no stock list.
- Check that the whole lot matches in colour
- Check the corners for chips
- Do not expect a rating
Where a quarter pallet earns its place
A pallet this small is chosen for the display or the shelf rather than the truck. Retail displays, small-parts storage and point-of-sale stacks use it because it can be moved by hand or by a light jack and fits where a full pallet would block an aisle. Ask whether the lot is nestable, whether the deck is open or closed for small items, and how many pallets a stack can hold before it leans.
Because the footprint is a quarter of the common 48 x 40, a lot of these can arrive on a full pallet in a regular pattern. Say how you will unload them so the stacks can be built to suit.
Wear on a small pallet
Small pallets travel by hand, so the wear is mostly scuffing on the deck edge and the underside rather than fork-strike gouges. Cracks near the corners are the fault to look for, as a small deck puts a lot of stress on a few ribs.
Nesting and stacking small pallets
Small pallets nest high, and a tall stack of them can topple. Ask for the safe stack count, and use a cart or a flat tray for moving them, not a forklift fork. If the pallets are for retail displays, sort by colour to match store design.
Photographs worth taking
- One wide shot of each stack with a tape or a person for scale.
- The four corners of a sample pallet, close enough to show gouges.
- The underside, including the runners and the bottom of each fork pocket.
- Any plate, label, moulded number or mark, shot square on and in raking light.
- Repairs and cracks, with a coin or a ruler beside them to show size.
Comparing two lots fairly
- Use the same footprint for both, measured in the same units.
- Compare grade by wear, not by the seller's letter.
- Count makers present in each, since fewer makers means a more uniform lot.
- Compare the share of repaired pieces, and where the repairs sit.
- Set freight, timing and handling beside the wear, rather than in place of it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat, no rocking on the floor
- 2Corners: surface gouges only
- 3Runners: whole along their length
- 4Fork pockets: open on the sides the footprint is used with
- Footprint measured: 610 x 508 mm
Words used on this page
- GMA pallet
- The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
What the sources say
- HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com
- 48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers. nelsoncompany.com
- That used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary. nelsoncompany.com
- That Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors. nelsoncompany.com
How a request works
- Pick the footprint, then the grade you can live with.
- Say what the pallets will carry and how many you need.
- Read the written lot description that comes back.
- Agree the lot before anything moves.
The four grades, in a line each
- Like new. A few trips only. Clean, no cracks, no missing parts, deck and runners flat.
- Used and clean. Many trips, scuffs and colour variation, but whole and usable for general-purpose or closed-loop work.
- Repaired. A cracked or chipped part welded or swapped. Some designs use snap-lock parts for repair.
- Mixed lot. Mixed makers, colours and sizes sold by the truckload, sorted by footprint.
Questions people ask
What is a 24 x 20 pallet?
A quarter pallet, 600 x 500 mm, used for promotions and point-of-sale displays.
How many make a 48 x 40?
Four.
Does it have ratings?
Small pallets seldom do. Ask the maker.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.