Material Handling Resources

A standard 48″ x 40″ GMA wooden pallet holds roughly 2,500 pounds dynamically (while being moved), up to 4,600 to 6,000+ pounds static (sitting on the floor), and about 1,500 to 2,800 pounds racked (supported only on its edges). Always rate to how the pallet is supported.

Static is the weight a pallet holds sitting still on the floor (highest). Dynamic is the weight it holds while being moved by a forklift or jack (lower). Racked is the weight it holds supported only on its edges in racking (usually lowest, and often the real limit).

A standard wooden GMA pallet weighs about 30 to 70 pounds, most commonly 37 to 50 pounds. Plastic pallets run roughly 15 to 60 pounds depending on duty rating.

Damage, moisture, uneven or concentrated loads, lighter materials and construction, and edge-only (racked) support all reduce the safe limit below the catalog rating. Inspect pallets and rate to actual support conditions.

The four types are storage and handling equipment (racking, shelving, mezzanines), engineered systems (conveyors, AS/RS, robotics), industrial trucks (forklifts, pallet jacks, carts), and bulk material handling equipment (conveyors, hoppers, silos for loose material).

The pallet, along with the equipment built around it: pallet jacks, pallet racking, and forklifts. Pallet handling is the backbone of nearly every warehouse and distribution operation.