The wooden pallet is so ubiquitous that we barely notice it. Yet this simple platform of boards and stringers is arguably one of the most important inventions in modern logistics — and its history is more fascinating than you might expect.
Before pallets, goods were handled individually — stacked by hand, loaded piece by piece, and carried on workers' backs. A single rail car could take days to unload. The early 20th century saw the development of forklifts and skids (platforms without bottom deck boards), but the modern pallet didn't emerge until the 1930s.
World War II was the catalyst. The US military needed to move enormous quantities of supplies across oceans efficiently. The military adopted the 48×48 pallet as a standard, and the combination of pallets, forklifts, and standardized shipping transformed military logistics. What once took days could now be accomplished in hours.
After the war, the pallet revolution spread to civilian commerce. The grocery industry led the way, and in 1958, the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) standardized the 48×40 pallet that remains the most common size in North America today.
The 1970s and 80s saw the rise of the pallet recycling industry. As pallet volumes grew, so did the waste problem. Entrepreneurs recognized that used pallets had value, and the first pallet recycling companies began collecting, repairing, and reselling used pallets.
Today, pallets move more goods than any other shipping platform. An estimated 80% of all US commerce is transported on pallets at some point in the supply chain. The global pallet market is valued at over $80 billion and continues to grow.
The next chapter in the pallet story is being written by companies like ours — focused on sustainability, circular economy principles, and the belief that the most environmentally responsible pallet is the one that already exists.