A bench for glass plates, comprising: - a base - conveyor means carried by the base and configured to support a plurality of glass plates (L1-L6) and to move the plates in a longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench, and - drive means (26, 30), controlled by an electronic controller, for driving said conveyor means, wherein: - said conveyor means comprise a plurality of belt conveyors parallel to each other, extending in the longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench and each comprising a belt and two end pulleys (25, 27) engaged by the belt and rotatably supported by the base, said belt conveyors being configured to support and transport the glass plates in the longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench, - said drive means comprise common motor means for said belt conveyors and a transmission system operatively interposed between said motor means and said belt conveyors, said bench being characterized in that: - said transmission system includes a plurality of electrically operated clutches respectively associated with the belt conveyors and selectively operable by said electronic controller to control the movement of the respective belt conveyors, such that each belt conveyor can be activated by said common motor means independently of the other belt conveyors, by activation of the respective clutch, - wherein said bench is an optimization bench, in which said electronic controller is configured to transport each plate by activating selectively only the belt conveyors on which each plate is supported, coordinating the movements of the plates on the bench, in such a way as to distribute the plates in positions suitable to obtain an optimal occupation of the area available on the bench. - a base - conveyor means carried by the base and configured to support a plurality of glass plates (L1-L6) and to move the plates in a longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench, and - drive means (26, 30), controlled by an electronic controller, for driving said conveyor means, - said conveyor means comprise a plurality of belt conveyors parallel to each other, extending in the longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench and each comprising a belt and two end pulleys (25, 27) engaged by the belt and rotatably supported by the base, said belt conveyors being configured to support and transport the glass plates in the longitudinal direction (X-X) of the bench, - said drive means comprise common motor means for said belt conveyors and a transmission system operatively interposed between said motor means and said belt conveyors, - said transmission system includes a plurality of electrically operated clutches respectively associated with the belt conveyors and selectively operable by said electronic controller to control the movement of the respective belt conveyors, such that each belt conveyor can be activated by said common motor means independently of the other belt conveyors, by activation of the respective clutch, - wherein said bench is an optimization bench, in which said electronic controller is configured to transport each plate by activating selectively only the belt conveyors on which each plate is supported, coordinating the movements of the plates on the bench, in such a way as to distribute the plates in positions suitable to obtain an optimal occupation of the area available on the bench.