Two-way entry, drawn exploded

Two sides, one direction

On a plain stringer pallet the stringers block the long sides, so forks go into the short ends. Anyone loading or unloading has to line the pallet up. On a one-direction conveyor or a drive-in rack that is no problem; at a cross-dock with traffic from every side, it is.

What you gain

• A simpler frame, which means a cheaper build
• Fewer parts to repair
• A stable base for loads that never turn
• Plenty of supply in 48x40

What you give up

A two-way pallet cannot be taken from the side by a lift truck. A dock where the usual approach is from the side will turn every pallet by hand, or damage the stringer trying not to. If a worker keeps spinning pallets on the floor, the dock needs four-way stock.

Sources describe these terms a little differently, so check with the lift driver how the forks actually fit before ordering a few hundred.

Compare it with four-way entry and decide on one of the two before asking for a price.

How to tell by eye

Look at the long sides of the pallet. If the stringers show as a solid board all the way along, with no notch, the pallet is two-way. If the bottom deck boards also run flush with the stringer ends and there is no gap under the top deck on the long sides, forks cannot go in there.

A common buying mistake

Someone orders four-way stock for a dock that never turns a pallet, and pays for entry nobody uses. The reverse is worse: two-way stock into a dock that lifts from every side, and a driver who rams the stringer. Ask your lift drivers how they approach a pallet, then decide.

• One direction of travel: two-way is enough
• Cross-docking with pallet jacks: lean to four-way
• Mixed docks: buy four-way for the busy doors only
• Racks: check how the rack beams meet the pallet

Short summary

Two-way means fewer openings, a simpler pallet and a dock that lifts from one direction. The choice saves money when no one needs the other two sides.

Two-way in a drive-through rack

Drive-through racking holds pallets on rails, with the pallet's long sides resting on the rails. A two-way pallet in that rack must be oriented so the rails run under the stringers. A driver who turns it the wrong way can drop a load.

That is the strongest argument for knowing exactly what your racks expect.

An example of a two-way dock

A packaging line runs pallets on a conveyor in one direction. A forklift places each pallet on the conveyor from the end. Two-way entry is all the line ever uses, and four-way would be a cost without a benefit.

The case for the simple pallet

A two-way pallet is the cheapest stringer design. A forklift enters from the two long sides, and for many one-way shipments that is all that is needed.

Choose it when the load is light to medium, when a forklift does all the handling and when the pallet will not be reused many times. It is a poor fit for pallet jack work from the short sides.

Check the notches

A pallet marked two-way should have no notches in its stringers. If it does, it is a partial four-way design and may be priced as one.

Sources: PHS Inc., "What is the standard pallet size"; Wikipedia, "Pallet" (read 10 November 2026).

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