Difference Between Pallets and Skids

Custom wood pallets and skids are essential platforms in logistics, manufacturing, warehousing, and industrial operations. They provide stable bases for handling, storing, and transporting goods, but they serve slightly different purposes due to their structural differences.Key Differences Between Pallets and SkidsWood pallets feature a top deck (for loading goods) and a bottom deck (for added stability and forklift entry from all sides in many designs). They typically include supporting elements like stringers (parallel runners) or blocks, allowing four-way entry (forklifts can access from any side) in block-style pallets or partial entry in stringer-style ones.Wood skids, in contrast, have only a top deck supported by runners or stringers, with no bottom deck boards. They rest directly on their stringers, making them simpler, lighter, and often more cost-effective. Skids usually allow two-way entry and are easier to slide or nest when empty.

Both can be customized to exact specifications — dimensions, load capacity, wood type, reinforcement, and treatments — making them ideal for non-standard needs.

What Custom Wood Pallets Are Good For

Custom wood pallets excel in dynamic applications requiring frequent movement, stacking, and compatibility with automated systems or forklifts. Their design supports heavier, more evenly distributed loads and better stability during transit.

Common uses include:

Shipping and transportation — Especially in supply chains, distribution centers, and international export (often heat-treated to meet ISPM-15 standards for phytosanitary compliance).
Warehousing and storage — They stack efficiently, maximize vertical space, and integrate with racking systems.
Grocery and retail chains — Tailored sizes handle varied product shapes, sizes, and weights for transport and in-store display.
Manufacturing and assembly lines — They move components or finished goods efficiently.
Specialized industries — Such as food-grade (using kiln-dried or treated lumber), automotive parts, chemicals (e.g., CP pallets), or fragile items requiring extra reinforcement to prevent damage.

Customization allows optimization for specific load weights, odd shapes, or environmental factors, reducing product damage, improving efficiency, and lowering long-term costs despite a higher initial price.

What Custom Wood Skids Are Good For

Custom wood skids are preferred for static or heavy-duty applications where simplicity, cost savings, and extreme durability matter more than multi-directional access. Their lack of a bottom deck reduces material use and weight, while providing a robust foundation.

Common uses include:

Heavy machinery and equipment bases — Serving as permanent or semi-permanent platforms for engines, drivetrains, boilers, robotics, metal stamping equipment, or industrial tools.
Long-term storage — Elevating heavy items off the ground to prevent moisture damage or corrosion, ideal for warehouses or outdoor settings.
Custom crating foundations — Acting as the base for larger wooden crates or enclosures protecting oversized or valuable items during shipping.
Agriculture and landscaping — Supporting bulk materials like soil, mulch, or stones; keeping products off damp ground.
Transport of large, bulky, or irregularly shaped items — Such as steel coils, copper rolls, HVAC units, appliances, or construction materials, where stability trumps frequent repositioning.

Skids offer advantages in space-saving storage (they nest or interlock when empty) and lower production costs due to fewer components.

How Custom Wood Pallets and Skids Are Constructed

Construction begins with design, often using specialized Pallet Design System (PDS) software. This tool analyzes load requirements, dimensions, weight distribution, and usage to optimize material use, strength, and cost while minimizing waste.

Key materials:

Lumber — Primarily softwood (e.g., pine) for cost-effectiveness or hardwood for higher strength and durability. Recycled, new, kiln-dried, or heat-treated options address sustainability, mold prevention, or export rules.
Fasteners — Nails, staples, or screws (pneumatically driven for precision).
Optional additions — Plywood or OSB for deck surfaces in some designs.

Main components:

Deck boards — Top (and bottom for pallets) planks form the loading surface. Spacing, width, thickness, and number vary for load support and ventilation.
Stringers or runners — Parallel beams (usually 3–5) run the length in stringer designs, providing primary support. Notched for partial four-way entry.
Blocks — In block-style pallets, solid wood, plywood, or composite blocks replace or supplement stringers for true four-way entry and greater stability.
Lead boards/edge protection — Thicker or hardwood pieces on edges resist forklift impacts.

Assembly process:

Lumber is selected, cut to size using saws, and planed for smooth fits.
Components are positioned per the design blueprint.
Fasteners secure deck boards to stringers/blocks via automated nailing machines for consistent placement and countersink depth.
Quality checks ensure structural integrity, with custom reinforcements added for heavy or uneven loads.
Treatments (e.g., heat treatment or kiln-drying) apply as needed.

Custom builds allow endless variations — oversized dimensions, reinforced areas, specific entry points, or eco-friendly sourcing — ensuring the final product matches exact operational needs while balancing strength, weight, and cost.

In summary, custom wood pallets for storage suit high-mobility, standardized logistics, while skids favor heavy, stationary, or specialized support roles. Both remain dominant in material handling due to wood's strength, renewability, repairability, and adaptability.