2-Way & 4-Way Entry Pallets
Pallets can be defined as either:
- 2-way entry, or
- 4-way entry
This description refers to how the shipping pallet is accessed with a pallet truck or fork-lift.
Thinking of a pallet as a square or rectangle with 4 sides, 2-way entry pallets can be accessed from one of the two opposite sides.
It follows, therefore, that a 4-way entry pallet can be accessed on all sides.
Construction
The design and construction of each pallet determines how it can be accessed and hence whether it will be 2-way or 4-way.
A two-way pallet has solid bearers that prevent access from the sides of the pallet. A four-way pallet has bearers, or blocks, in each corner that enables access from either end or the sides of the pallet.
The sides of a four-way , through which the load of the pallet truck can pass without leaving the ground, are known as “free entry sides”, the other sides where the trucks wheels have to pass over the pallets bottom slats are termed “restricted entry sides”.. [More].
2-Way Entry Pallets
The diagram below explains this is graphically.