Paletten
Also: Palette, Europalette, EUR-Palette, EPAL-Palette, Industriepalette, Einwegpalette, Holzpalette, Kunststoffpalette, Ladungsträger, Paletten
AI-generated
Pallets are standardized load carriers made of wood, plastic, or metal on which goods are stacked, transported, and stored. They form the foundation of efficient intralogistics and are indispensable in virtually every supply chain.
Key facts
- The Euro pallet (1,200 × 800 mm) is the most widely used pallet format in Europe and is standardized by EPAL.
- In WMS systems, pallets frequently serve as the central storage unit and are uniquely identified via barcode or RFID.
- Automated storage systems place high demands on the dimensional accuracy and condition of pallets.
- Return logistics for empty pallets is a significant cost factor that is frequently underestimated.
- The choice between wooden, plastic, and one-way pallets depends on load capacity, hygiene requirements, degree of automation, and sustainability goals.
What are pallets?
Pallets are flat, rigid load carriers that serve as the base for stacking, storing, and transporting goods. They enable mechanized handling with forklifts, pallet trucks, or automated conveyor systems and are considered one of the most widely used resources in logistics. The best-known format is the Euro pallet (EUR pallet) with dimensions of 1,200 × 800 mm, standardized and certified by the European Pallet Association (EPAL). Additional formats exist, such as the industrial pallet (1,200 × 1,000 mm) or the half pallet (800 × 600 mm), which are used depending on the industry and application.
How do pallets work in practice?
In goods receipt, delivered items are typically received on pallets, identified, and put into storage. In the warehouse, the pallet frequently serves as the smallest independent storage unit: each pallet receives a unique identification — usually via barcode or RFID label — and is tracked in the warehouse management system (WMS) as a load carrier. In automated high-bay warehouses or pallet shuttle systems, stacker cranes handle putaway and retrieval entirely without manual intervention.
During dispatch, pallets are picked, secured (e.g., with stretch film or edge protectors), and made ready for onward transport. Return logistics — i.e., the return of empty pallets — is an often underestimated cost factor. Exchange systems such as the EPAL pallet exchange process aim to reduce this effort, but in practice they only work when all parties involved participate in a disciplined manner.
- Euro pallet (EUR): Standard format 1,200 × 800 mm, optimized for use in European supply chains.
- Industrial pallet: 1,200 × 1,000 mm, frequently used in production and export.
- One-way pallets: No return obligation, low acquisition cost, but more expensive in the long run and less sustainable.
- Plastic pallets: Hygienic, dimensionally stable, and suitable for clean rooms or food processing facilities, though more expensive than wooden pallets.
What matters when making a selection?
The choice of the right pallet type depends on several factors: load-bearing requirements, the storage system (e.g., narrow-aisle forklifts, automated high-bay warehouse), hygiene specifications, and whether an exchange system is to be used. For automated systems, dimensional accuracy is critical — damaged or non-standard pallets can block conveyor systems or trigger errors in the WMS. Many operators therefore introduce pallet inspection stations that check load carriers before they enter the automated system. Sustainability aspects are also playing an increasingly important role: wooden pallets are highly recyclable, while plastic pallets have a longer service life and can be melted down when broken. Which type is ecologically more advantageous depends heavily on the intensity of use and transport routes.
Related terms
- AKL
An Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a fully mechanized storage system for bins, trays, or cartons that automates the goods-to-person process using aisle-captive storage and retrieval machines or shuttles.
- Automatiklager
An automated warehouse is a fully or partially automated storage system in which the receipt, retrieval, transport and management of storage units are carried out without manual intervention, using conveyor technology, storage and retrieval machines, and a higher-level control software.
- Automatisches Kleinteilelager (AKL)
The Automated Small Parts Warehouse (AKL) is a fully automated storage system for totes, trays and small parts, in which storage and retrieval operations are performed without manual intervention by stacker cranes or shuttle systems.
- Barcode
A barcode is a machine-readable optical code that represents information as a pattern of bars and spaces or as a two-dimensional matrix. It enables the automatic identification of items, load carriers, and documents along the entire supply chain.
- Blocklager
A block storage system is a storage method in which load units — typically pallets — are stacked directly on the floor in rows and blocks without any racking structure.
- Bodenlagerung
Floor storage refers to the storage of goods directly on the floor, without the use of racking systems. Pallets, stacks, or marked floor positions serve as the basic structure for area organization.
- Chaotische Lagerhaltung
Chaotic storage is a warehousing principle in which items are not stored in fixed, pre-assigned locations, but are instead dynamically placed in any available, suitable slot in the warehouse. A warehouse management system handles the control and tracking of all storage locations.
- Charge
A batch is a uniquely identifiable quantity of products manufactured or processed under identical conditions. It forms the basis for traceability, quality control, and legally required recall processes throughout the entire supply chain.
- Corlette
Corlette refers to an industry-specific metal load carrier or carrier frame used in goods handling and warehouse logistics. As the term is not governed by a uniform standard, dimensions, load capacity and handling rules must be defined as binding specifications within each respective network.
- Corletten
Corletten is the plural of Corlette and refers to specialized, often industry-specific metal carriers or frames used as load carriers in the goods cycle. Since no uniform standard exists, individual specifications regarding dimensions, load capacity, and stackability are essential.
- Cross-Docking
Cross-docking is a logistics method in which goods are transferred directly from inbound to outbound transport at a transshipment point, without going through conventional put-away and storage.
- Cross-Docking
Cross-docking refers to a goods handling process in which items are transferred directly from inbound receiving to outbound shipping without interim storage. The goal is to reduce throughput times and avoid warehousing costs.
- Distributionslager
A distribution center is a type of warehouse that consolidates goods and prepares them for targeted delivery to customers, branches, or downstream locations.