Australian Standard Pallets

Australia Standard Pallets are square hardwood pallets which are standard in Australia and non-standard anywhere else in the world.

They are 1,165 by 1,165 millimetres in size and fit perfectly in the RACE of the Australian railways. They are ill-suited for the standard 20 feet and 40 feet ISO shipping containers used around the globe. Australian Standard Pallets are usually manufactured in Hardwood, but 1165 x 1165 pallets can also be manufactured using lighter timber suitable for use as disposable pallets using 16 millimetre boards. In the past few years, Loscam have commenced manufacturing its hire pallets in structural grade pine, this has proven to be beneficial in regards tare weight reduction for transport plus the obvious reduction in personal injuries for the staff that may need to move empty pallets by hand. The flexibility of the quality pine wood used has also reduced breakages of the pallets while still maintaining core strength and safe working loads of the product. Both Palletmasters and Pink Pallets have followed suit with great success.

Well-known and utilised Australian Pallet manufacturers include Chep, which is an Australian company that is found all over the globe, utilising the local standard sizes of pallets; Loscam, which is a subsidiary of the giant General Electric Corporation from the United States; Pink Pallets and Palletmasters, which are privately-owned businesses based in South East Queensland. Chep and Loscam primarily hire out pallets - the client is charged per pallet per day. Pink Pallets and Palletmasters are manufacturers of standard and non standard pallets for industry and Pink Pallets also recycle used pallets for the environmentally conscious user. Pink Pallets and Palletmasters sell their products rather than hiring them.