What Is the Difference Between a Pallet and a Skid?

There's often confusion between a pallet and a skid. They do the same general job — moving goods from point A to point B — but they're built differently and used in different situations.

What's a Skid?

A skid is the earlier form of the pallet. It has a top deck supported by stringers but no bottom deck. That makes it easier to slide along a surface, which is where the name comes from.

What's a Pallet?

A pallet adds a bottom deck flush with the floor, giving it more stability and the ability to be stacked. There are two main types:

• Stringer pallets — built with parallel pieces of wood supporting the top deck, accessible from two sides.
• Block pallets — built with both parallel and perpendicular supports, accessible from all four sides.

Which Do You Need?

Skids work well for permanent placement or applications where the load won't be stacked. Pallets are better for shipping, racking, and stacking. TCP supplies both — call (330) 848-0313 to talk through what fits your operation.