Cracked deck panel
Usually from fork entry at an angle. We re-deck these in minutes — do not scrap the container over it.
Sizes / pallet types
Four pallets, four personalities
The cheapest decision in the specification with the longest-running consequences for racking, washdown and repairability.
- Sheet
- 55
- Revision
- 2026-10
- Scale
- 1:1
- Drawn at
- Peoria IL
The part of the container nobody specifies, then regrets
Pallet type changes empty weight, racking behaviour, washdown suitability and whether a damaged container is repairable. It is the cheapest decision with the longest consequences.
| Pallet | Weight | Fork entry | Racking | Washdown | Repairable | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite (steel frame + plastic deck) | Medium | 4-way | Good | Good | Deck yes, frame yes | General purpose — our default |
| Full steel | Heaviest (+12 lb) | 2 or 4-way | Excellent | Excellent | Yes, weldable | Heavy racking, hot washdown |
| Plastic (one-piece) | Lightest (−13 lb) | 4-way | Check rating | Excellent | No — replace | Food, clean rooms, light duty |
| Wood | Medium | 2-way usually | Poor | Poor | Yes, re-deck | Legacy units, export with ISPM-15 |
- Plastic one-piece pallets are superb for hygiene and poor for beam-supported racking — many are rated for floor stacking only.
- Full steel is the only pallet we will put on a hot washdown line without reservations.
- Wood pallets on IBCs are a legacy format. For export they need ISPM-15 heat treatment marks; ours are swapped out as a matter of course.
- Composite is the right default: four-way entry, repairable deck, acceptable in nearly every environment.
How each type dies
Bent runner
Takes real abuse to achieve. Straightened on the jig or cut out and re-welded.
Stress fracture at the corner
Not repairable. Replace the pallet, keep the bottle and cage.
Rot and broken stringers
Our intake graders flag any wood pallet for replacement before the container is re-released.
Specify it on the order
Pallet type is free to choose and expensive to change later. Tell us in the message field — composite unless you have a reason.
Which pallets can sit on beams, and which cannot
This is the question that matters most and the one almost nobody asks before buying. A pallet that is fine on the floor is not automatically fine on two steel beams with nothing underneath the middle.
| Pallet | Floor stacking | Beam support | Full-depth decking | Pallet jack | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composite (steel frame + plastic deck) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | The safe default |
| Full steel | Yes | Yes, best in class | Yes | Yes | Specify for heavy racking |
| Plastic one-piece | Yes | Check the rating | Yes | Some models only | Hygiene yes, racking cautiously |
| Wood | Yes | Poor | Yes | 2-way entry only | Replace it |
- Fork entry
- 4-way on composite and most plastic; 2-way on wood and some steel
- Fork pocket height
- 3.5–4.5 in — check against low-profile fork tines
- Deck height above ground
- 4.5–6 in depending on type
- Height added to the container
- Composite 5 in, steel 5.5 in, plastic 4.5 in, wood 5.5 in
- Weight difference, empty
- Plastic −13 lb, composite baseline, steel +12 lb vs composite
- Washdown temperature
- Steel unlimited, plastic to 180°F, composite to 160°F, wood no
ISPM-15, and the one pallet that creates paperwork
Wood packaging crossing most international borders has to be heat-treated or fumigated and stamped under ISPM-15. That applies to a wooden IBC pallet exactly as it applies to a shipping crate, and an unstamped wooden pallet is a reason for a container to be refused at a port — at your cost, with the product still inside it.
- Composite, steel and plastic pallets are outside ISPM-15 entirely. No stamp, no treatment, no question at the border.
- Wooden pallets need the IPPC mark with the country code, the treatment code (HT or MB) and the producer number.
- A repaired wooden pallet needs re-marking if any component was replaced with untreated wood.
- We swap wooden pallets out as a matter of course on export orders, and we will tell you if a container you already own is going to be a problem.
Can I change the pallet on a container I already own?
Yes, and it is a quick job — the bottle and cage lift off as an assembly. Expect $18 to $32 for the pallet plus a few minutes of labour. It is nearly always cheaper than living with the wrong one.
Does changing the pallet affect the UN marking?
It can. The marking covers the complete design type, and the pallet is part of it. We document pallet changes against the serial and we will tell you honestly when a swap means the container should no longer be used for UN-regulated goods.
Which pallet do food customers want?
Usually plastic for washdown and hygiene, sometimes full steel. The deciding factor is whether the pallet will be beam-racked; if it will, steel is the answer, because the plastic rating often is not there.
What fails first on a composite pallet?
A cracked deck panel from fork entry at an angle. It is a re-deck, not a replacement, and the container should never be scrapped over it.
Are plastic pallets slippery?
On a wet floor, yes, more than composite. If you move containers with a pallet jack across a washdown area, specify composite or steel and keep the plastic for racked storage.