Technically, no. A skid has a top deck and runners but no bottom deck; a pallet has both. In everyday shipping and on bills of lading, though, "skid" and "pallet" are used interchangeably, and carriers treat and price them the same way.
That bottom deck is the entire difference - but it decides whether a load can go into racking, be stacked, or be moved with a pallet jack without trouble. Here is how to tell the two apart, what "skid" usually means when a supplier or carrier says it, and when a true skid is the better choice.
Key takeaways
- Skid: top deck + runners, no bottom deck. Pallet: top deck + stringers or blocks + bottom deck.
- Industry standards define a skid as a pallet without bottom deck boards - so every skid is a type of pallet, but not every pallet is a skid.
- True skids are a small niche: about 3% of US wood pallet production.
- Carriers don't distinguish: a skid and a pallet are the same handling unit on a BOL.
- Use a skid for heavy machinery and permanent equipment bases; use a pallet for racking, stacking and general freight.
Is a skid a pallet?
Yes - a skid is a type of pallet, just a simpler one. The US wood pallet standard (ANSI/NWPCA) defines a skid as a pallet that lacks bottom deck boards. ISO 445 describes it the same way: a load-handling platform with a single deck, set on runners or bearers.
So the technical answer runs one way: every skid is a pallet, but a pallet with a bottom deck is not a skid.
In everyday use, the words blur. In many US warehouses and shipping offices, "put it on a skid" simply means a standard 48 × 40 pallet, and plenty of shippers write "skids" on a bill of lading when every unit on the truck has a full bottom deck. If a supplier quotes you "skids," ask whether they mean a true deckless skid or just their word for pallets - the answer changes what you can do with the load at your dock.
What is the difference between a skid and a pallet?
A skid has no bottom deck; a pallet does. That one missing layer makes a skid lighter and simpler, but also less stable, not stackable under load, and unsuitable for beam racking without extra support. For freight and distribution, the pallet is the default.
Skid | Pallet | |
|---|---|---|
Bottom deck | No - open underside | Yes - bottom deck boards |
Stability | Lower; top deck can flex under load | Higher; rigid box-like frame |
Stackable | Not safely when loaded | Yes |
Rack-friendly | Only with skid channels or decking | Yes |
Forklift / pallet jack | Forklift; a pallet jack only if the runners leave enough fork clearance | Forklift from all entry sides; pallet jack from open ends (on GMA stringer pallets, bottom boards limit jack entry) |
Best for | Heavy machinery, permanent equipment bases, loads that are never racked | Freight, racking, retail, stacking |
Cost | Somewhat less - no bottom deck to build | Standard |
Share of US production | ~3% | Stringer ~76%, block ~21% |
How carriers treat it | Same handling unit as a pallet | Same handling unit as a skid |
Production shares: Virginia Tech survey of US pallet production (2016 data).
What exactly is a skid?
A skid is the older design: a top deck fastened to parallel runners, with nothing underneath. Because the runners sit directly on the floor, a skid has a lower profile and a solid, continuous footprint along each runner.
Skids were in use well before the 20th century - goods sat on simple runner platforms that could be levered, rolled or winched into place. The modern double-deck pallet, designed for forklift entry, was patented in 1939, and it spread with the forklift through the 1940s. That's why skids survive mainly where the pallet's advantages don't matter.
Skids are still the better choice in a few cases:
Heavy machinery and equipment. A single sturdy base with heavy runners is easy to bolt equipment to and handles concentrated point loads.
Permanent or semi-permanent bases. Generators, HVAC units, compressors and industrial tooling often ship on a skid and stay on it after installation.
Loads that will never be racked or stacked. If the unit goes floor-to-truck-to-floor, the bottom deck adds cost without adding value.
If a machinery skid is headed overseas, it counts as solid wood packaging and needs ISPM-15 treatment and marking like any export pallet - see our ISPM-15 heat-treated pallet guide.
What is a skid pallet?
"Skid pallet" is just another name for a skid: a single-face pallet with a top deck and no bottom deck. You'll see the term in supplier catalogs and quick-answer boxes; it describes the same deckless design, not a separate product category.
What makes it a pallet?
Add a bottom deck and you have a pallet. That deck does three things a skid can't:
What the bottom deck adds | Why it matters |
|---|---|
Racking | The bottom deck bridges the rack beams, so the unit sits securely without extra supports |
Stacking | A flat, rigid bottom spreads the weight of one loaded unit across the load beneath it |
Rigidity | Top and bottom decks nailed to the same stringers or blocks form a stiffer frame that survives repeated forklift handling |
That's why virtually all freight, retail and pooled logistics runs on pallets, not skids. For how pallet construction affects rated loads, see our pallet weight and load capacity guide; for the full range of designs and materials, see types of pallets.
How big is a skid?
Most skids are 48 × 40 inches - the same footprint as the standard GMA pallet - because "skid" usually just means "pallet" in practice. True machinery skids are often custom-built to the equipment's footprint.
Size (in) | Common use |
|---|---|
48 × 40 | The standard - same as the GMA pallet |
48 × 48 | Drums and chemical loads |
42 × 42 | Square footprint, easy rotation |
36 × 36 | Beverage and compact loads |
Custom | Machinery skids built to the equipment footprint |
Height. There is no standard skid height. A skid is lower than a pallet built with the same runners because it has no bottom deck boards; the actual height depends on the size of the runners or stringers used. Heavy machinery skids often use taller, heavier runners than a typical pallet stringer, so measure the unit rather than assuming.
For every common footprint and where it's used, see standard pallet sizes; for the most common one and how it's graded, see our guide to the 48 × 40 GMA pallet.
Why people say "skid" when they mean "pallet"
In most US warehouses, "skid" and "pallet" are spoken interchangeably - "put it on a skid" almost always means a standard 48 × 40 pallet. The terms diverge only when someone specifically needs a deckless base.
The same holds on shipping paperwork. On a bill of lading, "pallet," "skid" and "platform" are all the same type of handling unit, and LTL carriers don't charge differently for them. The freight class comes from the shipment's density, dimensions and handling characteristics under the NMFC, not from what you call the base. Whether your BOL has a column labeled "skids" or "pallets" doesn't matter for the rate - accurate dimensions and weight do.
Which should you use?
Default to a pallet. It's rack-compatible, stackable, and what every downstream dock, 3PL and retailer expects.
Reach for a skid only when you're mounting heavy equipment to a permanent base, shipping something that will never be racked or stacked, or want the lowest-profile base possible. And don't put a skid straight onto beam racking: under the ANSI MH16.1 rack standard (RMI), a unit without a bottom deck needs skid channels, pallet supports or wire decking to sit on the beams safely.
For everything else - freight, distribution, storage - a pallet wins. Repackify connects you with vetted suppliers of used and new pallets in standard and custom sizes: buy pallets.
New to pallets? Start with what is a pallet.
Frequently asked questions
Is a skid the same as a pallet?
Not exactly. A skid has a top deck on runners with no bottom deck; a pallet has both top and bottom decks. Industry standards treat a skid as a type of pallet, and in everyday shipping the two words are used interchangeably.
What is the difference between a skid and a pallet?
The bottom deck. A skid doesn't have one; a pallet does. The bottom deck makes a pallet stackable, suitable for beam racking and more rigid, which is why pallets are the default for freight.
Are skids and pallets the same thing?
In conversation and on shipping paperwork, usually yes - most people saying "skid" mean a standard pallet. Technically, a skid is a narrower term: a pallet without bottom deck boards.
Is a skid cheaper than a pallet?
Usually somewhat, because it uses less lumber and labor - there's no bottom deck. The savings are modest, and for general freight a pallet's rack and stack compatibility almost always outweighs them.
What is the standard skid size?
48 × 40 inches - the same footprint as the standard GMA pallet, since "skid" and "pallet" are used interchangeably in most contexts. Machinery skids are often custom-sized to the equipment.
Can you stack skids?
Not safely when loaded. Without a bottom deck, a skid has no rigid, flat base to spread its weight over the load below. Use pallets for stacking.
Why is it called a skid?
It is named for the parallel runners it sits on. The design predates the forklift: skids were used long before the double-deck pallet was patented in 1939.
Do LTL carriers charge differently for skids and pallets?
No. On a bill of lading a skid and a pallet are the same type of handling unit. Your rate depends on freight class, weight and dimensions, not on which word you use.
Bottom line
The difference is the bottom deck: skids don't have one, pallets do. Technically a skid is a kind of pallet; in practice, most people saying "skid" mean a standard 48 × 40 pallet, and carriers treat both the same. Pallets are the default for anything that gets racked, stacked or shipped; true skids are for heavy, permanent or never-racked loads. When in doubt, you want a pallet.