Learn English – the difference between “pallet” and “skid”

synonymsterminology

I usually call this device a pallet, but I have heard it referred to as a skid:

A wooden pallet

Is there a difference between the two words (such as one is the name of the actual wooden device, the other is the combined name for the wooden "slab" and the contents stacked on top), or are they entirely synonymous?

Best Answer

From my experience in the American metal fabricating industry, I would say that the two terms are often used interchangeably, but not always.

A wooden platform for stacking and moving product with a forklift or pallet jack could be called a pallet or a skid. They are equivalent when speaking generally without reference to a specific sub-type: "How many pallets/skids will fit on that truck?"

A steel item of similar shape and purpose is almost always a skid or a metal skid. Those would typically be for in-plant use because of their expense and great durability.

A plastic item of this class would usually be called a pallet or recyclable pallet. Recyclable pallet can actually mean two different things: a plastic or wood platform that is supposed to be returned to a supplier to be used again, or a wooden pallet that was salvaged, repaired, and resold at a discounted rate.

The tool pallet jack is common, but skid jack is almost unheard of.

Pallet can be be made into a verb as palletize, but skid rarely becomes skidded.