02 Catalog line · 24x40 Half
24x40 Half plastic pallets
24x40 half plastic pallets are 24 by 40 in (610 x 1016 mm), half of a 48x40, and are used mainly for retail floor displays that roll from the truck to the sales floor. We quote nestable and stackable half pallets, new or used; send the display load, the retailer's spec, quantity and delivery ZIP.
- Dynamic load
- Display loads run light to medium; ask for the model's jack figure
- Static load
- Ask for the floor rating if two loaded halves stack in the backroom
- Racked load
- Rarely racked alone; most sit on the floor or on a full-size base
Half of a grocery pallet
Cut a 48x40 across its length and you get two 24x40 halves, each 24 x 40 in, or 610 x 1016 mm. Set side by side, two halves fill exactly one 48x40 floor position, so they move through a grocery distribution network in pairs and split apart at the store.
Read strictly by the US convention, the 24 in figure is the length, the runner direction. In practice half pallets are written both ways, 24x40 and 40x24, and some retailers ask for a 48x20 instead. Send the retailer's own drawing or spec rather than relying on the name.
| Item | Figure | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 24 x 40 in | 610 x 1016 mm |
| Halves per 48x40 position | 2 | 24 + 24 = 48 in |
| 53-ft van, 40 in sides across | about 52 | 2 across (80 in), 630 / 24 = 26.25, so 26 rows |
| 53-ft van, 24 in sides across | about 60 | 4 across (96 in), 630 / 40 = 15.75, so 15 rows |
| 20-ft container | about 18 | 2 across (80 in of 92.4), 231.6 / 24 = 9.65, so 9 rows |
| 40-ft container | about 38 | 2 across, 474 / 24 = 19.75, so 19 rows |
Retail display: what half pallets are for
Club stores, supercenters and grocery chains use half pallets for shipper displays: a manufacturer builds a printed display of product on the pallet at its plant, and the store rolls it onto the sales floor as delivered. A 24x40 fits an end cap, an aisle-front spot or a promotional island, places where a full 48x40 would block the aisle.
Plastic suits this job because the pallet is in front of shoppers. A molded deck has no splinters, nails or loose boards, it looks the same every time, and it can carry a skirt or a printed display tray. Many retail programs also want the pallet back, and a plastic half pallet survives the return trip.
| Spot | Why a half fits | Typical products |
|---|---|---|
| End cap | Matches the depth of a gondola end | Chips, soda multipacks, cereal |
| Front lobby or entrance | Leaves walking room past carts | Seasonal candy, charcoal, bottled water |
| Power aisle | Two halves can flank one another | Promotional bundles, paper towels |
| Produce or deli perimeter | Fits beside refrigerated cases | Bagged salad toppings, tortillas, dips |
| Pet and garden | Easy to restock by jack | Kibble bags, potting soil, birdseed |
| Beer and wine section | Narrow enough for a cooler door bay | Twelve-packs, boxed wine, mixers |
| Health and beauty | Fits between low fixtures | Shampoo, razors, cotton swabs |
| Back-to-school zone | Quick to swap after August | Notebooks, glue sticks, crayons |
Types molded as half pallets
Each model has its own load figures; read the sheet for the one the retailer approves. A display program often names the exact model, so ask the retailer before you substitute.
- Nestable half pallets with legs, which nest in a short stack for the return trip
- Stackable halves with a perimeter base, for heavier displays and backroom stacking
- Low-profile display pallets that keep the product close to shelf height
- Models with edge slots or tabs that lock a display tray or skirt in place
- Half pallets that can ride on a dolly or a full-size base for moving in pairs
Building displays and returning the empties
A display maker or co-packer stacks product on the half pallet, adds a corrugated tray, shelves or a printed header card, and stretch-wraps it. Two loaded halves then share one 48x40 position, banded together or set on a full-size base, until the store splits them. Snacks, bottled drinks, cereal, pet food, paper goods and seasonal candy all move this way.
Returnable programs collect empties at the store and send them back on the retailer's backhaul to whoever builds the displays. A nestable half takes a fraction of the space of a solid one on that return leg, which keeps the backhaul cheap.
Retail programs often fix the color and the model, so a store can tell a returnable display pallet from a disposable one. Ask the retailer before you change either.
Trailer and container arithmetic
A 53-foot van is about 630 in long and 100 in wide inside. With the 40 in sides across, two halves take 80 in and each row takes 24 in of length; 630 / 24 = 26.25, so 26 rows and about 52 positions. With the 24 in sides across, four take 96 in and each row takes 40 in; 630 / 40 = 15.75, so 15 rows and about 60. Displays often travel as pairs on 48x40 spots instead, which gives the same footprint as about 26 to 30 full pallets.
Containers are about 92.4 in wide, which takes two halves with the 40 in sides across or three with the 24 in sides across. Running two across with 24 in along the box gives about 18 in a 20-foot container (231.6 / 24 = 9 rows) and about 38 in a 40-foot one (474 / 24 = 19 rows).
Handling a half pallet
A standard pallet jack has forks about 48 in long, twice the 24 in length. Entering on the 40 in face, the forks run out the back; entering on the 24 in face, they span the pallet the long way but may stick out past it. Stores often use a short-fork jack or a display dolly for this reason.
Racking a single half pallet on standard beams rarely works, since the deck is too short to span a typical frame one way and too narrow to sit square the other. Half pallets are usually kept on the floor or on a full-size base.
Getting half pallets quoted
Send the retailer's display spec or drawing, the weight of the loaded display, whether the pallets return, the quantity and the delivery ZIP of the plant building the displays. We email back the models or used half pallets that meet it with a delivered price. Large display runs ship on a 53-foot van and smaller ones LTL.
Questions buyers ask
What is a half pallet?
A pallet half the size of a 48x40, usually 24 x 40 in. Two of them fill one standard floor position.
What are half pallets used for?
Mostly retail floor displays that a manufacturer builds at the plant and the store rolls onto the sales floor.
Is a 24x40 the same as a 48x20?
No. Both are called half pallets, but they split the 48x40 in different directions. Check the retailer's spec.
How many half pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer?
About 52 to 60 one high, depending on which way they face.
Can half pallets be returned and reused?
Yes, in returnable programs. Empties go back nested on the retailer's backhaul to the display builder, which is why nestable halves are common.