If you are typing “free skids near me” into your search bar, you are probably looking for sturdy wood for a backyard bonfire, a farm project, or a quick DIY build. But did you know there is actually a technical difference between a “skid” and a “pallet”?

A traditional pallet has both top and bottom deck boards, making it incredibly stable for stacking in warehouses. A skid, on the other hand, has no bottom deck boards. It simply rests on its stringers (the long side pieces). Skids are the original shipping platform, heavily used during WWII, and are still highly popular today for heavy machinery because they are easier to drag across dirt or rough terrain.

Because skids don’t have bottom boards, they use less wood and are often considered single-use in the industrial world. This is great news for you! It means manufacturing plants and heavy equipment dealers are frequently looking to get rid of them quickly.

If you are hunting for free skids, skip the grocery stores and head towards the industrial parks. Look for places that sell tractors, heavy landscaping stone, or industrial machinery. Just remember to always ask the yard manager before loading them into your pickup truck!

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