Guide / Entry
Two-way or four-way?
A two-way pallet is lifted by the deck boards, so forks enter from two sides. A four-way pallet is lifted by the stringers and can be entered from all four sides; it is usually heavier, bigger and more durable.
What entry means
Entry is where the forks can go. A full-stringer pallet has solid timbers on two sides, so forks enter only from the other two. Notch the stringers and the pallet takes forks from all four sides. A block pallet has openings everywhere by design.
| Two-way | Four-way | |
|---|---|---|
| Lifted by | Deck boards | Stringers or blocks |
| Forks enter from | Two sides | All four sides |
| Weight and cost | Lighter, cheaper | Usually heavier and more durable |
| Fits | Straight-through docks | Tight docks, mixed handling, racking from either side |
When it matters
On a dock with a single approach and pallets always lifted from the same side, two-way does the job. In a tight yard, a trailer that has to be loaded from the side, or a warehouse that turns pallets to fit the rack, four-way saves time. The old GMA pallet of the 1960s was already a 48 by 40 inch platform with four-way entry, which is one reason the format spread.
Choosing in a metro dock
Fulfillment buildings near Will Rogers airport mostly run four-way 48x40s so any lift can enter. Plants shipping long units sometimes prefer two-way for the stronger edge. Say which you need in your buy request and, if you are selling, mention the notch pattern on sorted stock. See also block versus stringer.
Checking the entry
To tell which you have, look at the sides. If the stringers are solid boards with no notches, forks enter only two ways. If the stringers have notches cut for forks, they enter all four. Notched stringers weaken the pallet, so a loaded four-way needs a good deck.
Which one your equipment needs
Two-way pallets are cheaper and often stronger because their stringers are solid. They suit operations where pallet jacks and forklifts enter from the same side every time, such as a conveyor line. Four-way pallets suit mixed environments, where trucks and aisles dictate the direction from which tines must enter.
Pallet jacks are narrower than forklifts and do not always fit a notched four-way, so check the equipment on your dock. A hand jack on a two-way is easier than on a badly notched four-way.
Racking matters as well. Some systems require four-way entry to load from the aisle side, and others need a particular beam orientation. Ask the people who run the racks before you order. When you describe a pile for sale, say which entry type it has; buyers filter on that.
Cost and strength tradeoffs
A notch cut into a stringer removes wood where the pallet is under the most load. Manufacturers compensate with stronger lumber or an added support, but a four-way entry pallet is generally weaker than a solid-stringer two-way of the same weight class. For heavy loads on a two-way pallet, stringers carry the weight directly.
Where handling equipment is varied, the flexibility of four-way entry often justifies the strength penalty. Where flow is fixed, two-way saves money.
Questions, answered
What is a two-way versus four-way pallet?
Two-way pallets accept forks from two sides, four-way from all four.