Pallets and their predecessor, the shop skid, definitely came into use in the early 20th Century, but pallet-like prototypes were probably in use hundreds of years earlier. This page is a work in process, but here are some pages from PackagingRevolution.net posted to this point in time that touch on the history of pallet use.
What Came First, The Pallet or the Forklift
Pallets During World War 2 – Quartermaster Corps
A History of Pallets During World War 2 – A Call to Action
Second Word War – Why Use Two When One Will Do
When Was the “Europallet” First Introduced?
The Pallet Pooling Opportunity – A Perspective from 1945
A Reference Guide for the Construction and Inspection of Wood Pallets – 1954
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