Used 40 x 24 half plastic pallets

What 40 x 24 half is for

At 40 by 24 inches, which is 1000 by 600 mm, this half pallet comes from the European retail footprint, where display bases go into narrow aisles. It is half of a 40 x 48 pallet, with the 40 inch side kept and the other side halved. A 48 x 20 base is the same area, 960 square inches, laid out long and thin instead of short and wide.

Because it is a European footprint, it is more likely to appear in a lot from an importer than from a US plant. Ask whether the lot came from a retailer, an importer or a pool, and check marks carefully, because a display base from a retailer's supply chain may belong to someone else.

Where it fits

Deck area against the common footprints

Worked out in inches, 40 x 24 half is 1016 by 610 mm and 6.7 square feet of deck.

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.

• Look for retailer or pool marks
• Check both short sides for pockets
• Compare the heights of a pair

Where this half pallet comes up

A 40 x 24 half pallet has the same deck area as a 48 x 20, and a buyer may be asked to choose between them by the equipment that will carry it. Check the width of the aisle or conveyor against the 24 inch side, and ask whether the pallet is rated for display use only or for transport too. A display pallet with a low rating is not one to stack three high in a truck.

Used halves are often sold in mixed lots, so ask to have the 40 x 24 counted apart from the 48 x 20.

Displays in stores

Half pallets live in stores as display bases. Ask whether the lot will be seen by shoppers and, if so, whether colour and wear matter. A display pallet with heavy scuffing may be acceptable in a stockroom but not on a floor. Say where the pallet will sit and the desk can sort accordingly.

Safe handling at the stack

• Lift with the tines fully under the load and tilt back slightly before travelling.
• Never climb a stack, and never stand beside one while it is being moved.
• Take a damaged pallet out of service at once and tag it, so nobody reloads it.
• Keep stack heights even and edges square, since a leaning stack feeds on itself.
• Match tine length to the pallet, because short tines can crack the underside of a deck.

Training the dock crew

• Show new staff three pallets: one acceptable, one marginal, one rejected.
• Agree on words for faults, such as crack, gouge, bow and dish, and use them.
• Tell people to stop and ask when a pallet carries any mark they do not recognise.
• Remind drivers to enter pockets squarely, since angled entry splits the pocket wall.
• Walk the dock together once a month and compare notes.

Words used on this page

Runners

Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.

Fork pocket

Opening in the pallet where the forks go.

Euro pallet

800 x 1200 mm footprint.

What the sources say

• ISO 6780 lists 1016 x 1219 mm for North America, 1000 x 1200 mm for Europe and Asia and 800 x 1200 mm for Europe. en.wikipedia.org
• 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
• Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb. en.wikipedia.org
• HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com

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