Two-way pallets: forks from two sides

01 How it differs

The terms describe fork access, not strength. Some trade glossaries put it as a pallet lifted by its deck boards. In plain terms: the forks go in the same way every time.

02 When it is enough

• A dock with a fixed approach.
• Light cartons that never get re-orientated.
• Stacks handled by pallet jacks pushed straight in.

03 When it is not

Tight aisles, pallets turned in a trailer, or a dock where trucks back in on the wrong side all want four-way entry. If you find yourself rotating pallets by hand, you want four-way.

04 On the request

Name the entry in words: 'two-way is fine' or 'must be four-way'. Silence leaves the choice to whoever fills the order.

05 Check before you order

1. Does every handling point enter from the same side?
2. Is the pallet staying in a rack where the entry side is fixed?
3. Is a pallet jack used, and does it need clearance in the deck boards?
4. Will the receiver turn it?

06 Two-way and the trailer

A 53-foot trailer takes 26 to 30 GMA pallets, depending on configuration and weight, and a pallet with its load usually stands between 4 and 5.2 feet tall. Because a two-way pallet enters from one pair of sides only, the loading order matters more than the count: Interlake Mecalux notes that stringer pallets are usually two-way and block pallets usually four-way, though some four-way stringer pallets exist. OSHA rule 29 CFR 1910.176 requires secure storage at safe heights.

07 Two-way in racks and on jacks

Two-way pallets are lifted from the deck boards, and the cheapest softwood stringer pallets, often expendable, lift from two sides. Interlake Mecalux cautions that selective racking can often hold both GMA and Euro pallets but may cut capacity, and that rack load capacity depends on the support configuration, so the manufacturer's specification governs.

08 Hand trucks and deck boards

Because PHS says two-way pallets are lifted from the deck boards, the gap between the top and bottom decks is the only opening, and a pallet jack must fit it. A GMA pallet is 5.5 to 6 inches tall, and that height sets the clearance every jack on the route has to meet. Check the opening height on any jack or hand truck before a pallet is bought in quantity.