Pallet Top Decks, What Are They?

A top deck is the top surface area of a pallet or skid, the space / platform that inventory or a more general payload will rest upon during storage or transportation. Although, top decks vary on by pallet, common top options can be found on both stringer and block pallets.

Two Pallet Top Deck Types: Open Deck & Closed Deck

The two main types of top decks on a pallet are, open decks and closed decks. An open deck can also be referred to as a ventilated deck, and a closed deck can also be referred to as a solid deck. Knowing the different types of top decks is important when selecting the best pallet option for your application!

Modern Top Decks: Open vs. Closed

Modern day top decks come in two main categories, open and closed. One Way Solutions offers both modern top deck styles in: nestable, rackable, and stackable plastic pallets Both of our open and closed top deck pallets are available in a full range of sizes to best suit your needs!

Open Pallet Top Deck

Open top decks, also known as ventilated decks, have openings in the surface often referred to as the mesh or grid. These openings make the pallets lighter in weight and less expensive to purchase. The larger the mesh/grid openings are, the thinner the plastic pallet appears. Open deck pallets also allow easy draining when wet. One of our most popular open deck pallets is our 40 x 48 x 5” Nestable Light Duty Plastic Pallet (#PP-O-40-NL7).

Closed Pallets Top Deck

Closed top decks, also known as solid top decks, have solid plastic surfaces without grated  openings. Most closed deck plastic pallets have a smooth surface with either an anti-skid surface or a lip around the perimeter. Closed deck pallets offer great hygiene due to protection from spills or splashes, and are easier to clean. One of our most popular closed deck pallets is our 40×48” Solid Deck Rackable Plastic Pallet (#PP-S-40-R3).

An Old School Take on Closed Decks

Our other most popular option for a closed deck plastic pallet would be any of our rackable RC plastic stringer pallets. These pallets are based off old school, classic stringer pallet drawings and designs. One of our best selling examples would be our 44×44” Heavy Duty Solid Deck Rackable Plastic Pallet (#PP-S-4444-RC).

Anti-Slip Options

Offering pallets with different anti-slip options and designs helps ensure that our customers inventory and products remain safe and secure. Some of our anti-slip designs include: * an elevated pallet lip or safety rim around the perimeter of our pallets * rubber surface attachments (known as pallet grommets). These anti-slip options are most commonly found on the smoother surfaces of our closed deck pallets.

Finding Your Perfect Pallet Online

Our plastic pallet experts want your pallet shopping to be as easy as possible! That’s why we offer a special way to filter your searches! When viewing our “Shop Plastic Pallets” or “Pallets by Industry” drop down bars, you have the option to filter your search to really narrow down what you’re looking for! The filter section can be found on the left of our product pages, right under the “Shop by Category” box.

Want to learn about Pallet Stringers?

There’s more to a pallet than a top deck – go here check out our article on Pallet Stringer Boards.

Share your Comments!

We’d love to hear from you – please share thoughts about our open and closed top deck pallet options in the comments below.

Need Help Selecting A Pallet?

Our Plastic Pallet Experts are happy to help you find the right plastic pallet and send you a quote that includes shipping costs. Please contact us to find the perfect pallet at the best price.

Buying Pallets With Surplus Year End Budget

The End Is Near – Are You Prepared?

*With 2019 quickly coming to a close, it’s important for all businesses to make sure they have taken advantage of their allotted spending for the year. That especially holds true for the plastic pallet industry.

*Using all of your plastic pallet budget by the end of the year enables optimal spending, while also allowing your business to prosper.

*At One Way we have pallet experts ready to assist you in making the most out of your plastic pallet budget by year’s end.

Why is this important? Because!

* Here at One Way Solutions, we offer top of the line pallets for all industries and purposes. Making the most of your plastic pallet budget with our products allows you to save money and stay stress free of shipping hassles. All of our products are fully export compliant and not subject to the ISPM-15 regulations, alleviating you of the anxiety of dealing with delays and other burdens.

*Utilizing your entire plastic pallet budget with One Way before the new year also leads to reducing your taxable income!

We Optimize Plastic Pallet Budgets

* One Way Solutions offers the best prices with reliable service. Your plastic pallet budget will be used efficiently especially around this time of the ending fiscal year. Make sure to take advantage of these prices as you can stock up on plastic pallets before the end of the year!

*We can also help you find the best shipping rates with our real time freight rating and optimizers. We will always find the best shipping rates because we have an extraordinary and caring team. Our sales team loves to help customers out specifically when it comes to saving client’s hard earned cash!

*Lastly, make sure to take advantage of our service to maximize your plastic pallet budget!

Top 4 Best Selling Pallets: For a Reason!

PP-O-40-NL7

This nestable light duty pallet is a fan favorite. We like to call it the muscle-car of all rackable pallets out there. It includes three permanent runners, which increases the strength. It can hold a dynamic capacity of 2,800 lbs. This pallet has great strength at the price of a light duty model.

PP-O-40-NM7

The NM7 is a plastic pallet gaining ground in popularity. This is due to the large dynamic capacity of 2,700 lbs. Along with the light duty pricing, similar to the NL7. The NM7 was engineered to endure heavy capacity while cutting down on weight of the pallet itself. Weighing in at 17 lbs. (super light) this pallet can do what many pallets this weight cannot achieve.

PP-O-40-SL7

The SL7 is commonly used for exports and storage while having seemingly endless additional uses. This pallet is very similar to the NL7 yet there is a key difference as his one os stackable. IT still has the same muscle-car pallet feel in regards to pricing and weight capacity capability.

PP-O-40-SM7

Much like the NM7, yet this one has three permanently attached runners to increase the strength and the stackable surface area. These will ship unassembled but assembly is extremely easy.

Let me know how I can help!

* What’s the greatest challenge you face in your warehouse?

* We’re here to help meet unique challenges in your warehouse!

We’d love to hear from you – please let us know what other tricks you’ve used to save on freight – and check our our article on other ways to save money on pallet shipping charges.

Need Help Selecting A Pallet?

Our Plastic Pallet Experts are happy to help you find the right plastic Plastic Pallet and send you a quote that includes shipping costs.

Please contact us to find the perfect pallet at the best price.

 

Shipping Pallets By Rail

Why are Intermodal Cars perfect for shipping Plastic Pallets by Rail?

Intermodal cars are long, strong, and down to get the friction on! 

– Sir Ships-A-Lot

Intermodal cars are:

• Long – Approximately 70 feet long, allowing them to easily transport 53′ containers full of plastic pallets. 
• Strong – they can carry gross weights of 220,000 lbs – that’s more pallet weight than we could hope to pack into a container. 

Blocking and Bracing

When loading a full truckload / rail car shipment, it is mandatory that you judge freight stability and take any measures required to prevent unwanted movement during transportation.

The process of shoring up loose pallet loads and empty space is called blocking and bracing.

During the blocking and bracing process, warehouse staff should cautiously load the container, position the pallets, and reinforcing the all packed goods to prevent any shifting, tipping, collapse, and falling does not accidentally occur during transport and delivery.

We Hope That Helps!

We hoped you enjoyed learning about the basics of shipping plastic pallets by rail – a great way to optimize the pallet’s journey from our dock to your dock – saving money by reducing freight to the most efficient method during each segment of transport.

We’d love to hear from you – please let us know what other tricks you’ve used to save on freight – and check our our article on other ways to save money on pallet shipping charges. 

Need Help Selecting A Pallet?

Our Plastic Pallet Experts are happy to help you find the right plastic Plastic Pallet and send you a quote that includes shipping costs.

Please contact us to find the perfect pallet at the best price.

Pallet Stringers

Stringer Pallets are one of the original models of wooden pallets. A stringer pallet is a pallet with a unique design that adds boards, known as the stringers, to create a more stable base for heavy unit loads. When looking at a plastic pallet stringer, the stringers can be identified on each side of the pallet, as well as, down the middle of the pallet. However, pallet stringers no longer have to be built in or permanently attached to a pallet. Detachable plastic pallet stringers make it possible to customize basic pallets to make them as versatile as possible. Most commonly pallet stringers are able to be picked up by either a forklift or pallet jack forks, through a two way entry. Stringer pallets or pallet stringers can be made from wood or plastic, and be notched to create partial four way entries if needed.  

Stringer Pallets vs. Block Pallets

The original model of a stringer pallet differs from that of a traditional block pallet. A stringer pallet is only accessible to be picked up from a two way entry unless specifically notched to have a partial four way entry. A block pallet is almost always accessible from a four way entry. This is because block pallets have hand jack openings. Along with the openings, a block pallet has about 4-12 blocks supporting a unit load, these are located between the top of the pallet and the bottom deck boards. Block pallets can also be made from wood or plastic. A stringer pallet allows a full coverage base where a block pallet has three different base options. A block pallets base can be perimeter based, uni-directional based, or have an overlapping base.

The Design of a Stringer Pallet

A stringer pallet, is a pallet that has boards known as the stringers, on each side, and down the middle of a pallet, sandwiched between the top and bottom boards. The stringers run lengthwise on the pallets and grant the pallets more support for the unit load. This design allows a two way entry and ability for the pallet’s deckboards to be chambered for a pallet jackets wheels to enter.

Modern Plastic Pallets & Pallet Stringers

Some of our plastic pallets have detachable pallet stringers that snap on and off to create a more versatile pallet. Allowing our stringers to snap on and off of our pallets, allows a pallet to be stackable or rackable depending on how they’re applied. A great example of a rackable/stackable plastic stringer pallet is our 45 x 48 Heavy Duty Solid-Deck Rackable Plastic Pallet (# PP-S-4548-RC).

Which is better?

When deciding what type of pallet to invest in, both block and stringer pallets are good options. Each, whether plastic or wood, can be modified, notched, and configured in the molding process to create the perfect pallet for its intended use or easy mobility. Block pallets typically cost more than stringer pallets due to production and material costs.

3 Questions to ask when selecting the perfect pallet!

• How will the pallets be stored?
• How will the pallets be handled and transported?
• What is the cost?

Want to learn about Pallet Top Decks?

There’s more to a pallet than a stringer – go here check out our article on Pallet Top Decks.

Share your Comments!

What is your preferred pallet type, stringers or block? What benefits or advantages do you feel they hold for you? Do you like the concept of a detachable plastic pallet stringer? We’d love to hear from you – please share thoughts in the comments below.

Need Help Selecting A Pallet?

Our Plastic Pallet Experts are happy to help you find the right plastic pallet and send you a quote that includes shipping costs. Please contact us to find the perfect pallet at the best price.

The first ever Pallet Fest took place in Denver over the weekend, showing many Denverites (Denvernians? Denvertians?) the fun and excitement of upcycling.

What is upcycling, you ask?

Upcycling the “practice of turning old products into a new item when its usable life comes to an end,” according to Pallet Enterprise since upcycling has fast become synonymous with wooden pallets.

This notion is only reinforced with Pallet Fest. Continue reading →

While watching HBO’s The Leftovers this past Sunday, I started thinking of what would affect me significantly if it one day just poofed and disappeared.

The answer was simple. The answer was pallets. And even though the answer was simple, the implications of how pallets would affect the world if they just vanished wouldn’t be.

Grant it, it wouldn’t be enough to fill an HBO drama (True Pallet Detective, anyone?), but the effects would be sprawling nonetheless. Continue reading →

There are two types of people in the world right now: People who have heard of 2048, and people who are still able to focus on their jobs. Yes, the ever-popular tile-stacking math game has successfully stolen the attention of people across the nation who are trying to focus on things that don’t involve numbered tiles.

Believe it or not, there are some very important warehouse safety lessons that we can learn from this focus-siphoning life-stealer of a browser game.

When you really break down the strategy involved in 2048, you’ll find that it can actually be applied to a few different areas. Continue reading →