A variable pitch cross-belt system, the system comprising: a plurality of interlocking palettes (200, 1410) having a chamber that houses: one or more drive rollers (210D,210E), a belt that surrounds the drive rollers, and one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) that engage a bottom of the belt that surrounds the drive rollers; the sidewalls of each palette (200, 1410) including an alignment and interlocking pattern (210A, 210B) for mating with adjacent palettes (200, 1410) to form a conveyor belt; the belt of the palette (200, 1410) moving in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the conveyor belt; the system further comprising: one or more diverter components below the conveyor belt, wherein the diverter components include: a series of rollers (330, 410, 510) that lift to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (220, 1410) by contact so that the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes transfer motion to the belt of the palettes (200, 1410) and divert items on the palettes (200, 1410) to one or more loading areas; and a controller to trigger one or more rollers in the series of rollers (330, 410, 510) to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (200, 1410); characterized in that the alignment and interlocking pattern (210A, 210B) includes a series of peaks that are positioned to mesh with a series of troughs on each adjacent palette. a plurality of interlocking palettes (200, 1410) having a chamber that houses: one or more drive rollers (210D,210E), a belt that surrounds the drive rollers, and one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) that engage a bottom of the belt that surrounds the drive rollers; the sidewalls of each palette (200, 1410) including an alignment and interlocking pattern (210A, 210B) for mating with adjacent palettes (200, 1410) to form a conveyor belt; the belt of the palette (200, 1410) moving in a direction perpendicular to the direction of the conveyor belt; the system further comprising: one or more diverter components below the conveyor belt, wherein the diverter components include: a series of rollers (330, 410, 510) that lift to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (220, 1410) by contact so that the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes transfer motion to the belt of the palettes (200, 1410) and divert items on the palettes (200, 1410) to one or more loading areas; and a controller to trigger one or more rollers in the series of rollers (330, 410, 510) to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (200, 1410); characterized in that the alignment and interlocking pattern (210A, 210B) includes a series of peaks that are positioned to mesh with a series of troughs on each adjacent palette. one or more diverter components below the conveyor belt, wherein the diverter components include: a series of rollers (330, 410, 510) that lift to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (220, 1410) by contact so that the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes transfer motion to the belt of the palettes (200, 1410) and divert items on the palettes (200, 1410) to one or more loading areas; and a controller to trigger one or more rollers in the series of rollers (330, 410, 510) to engage the one or more idler rollers (230A, 230B, 220D, 220E) of the palettes (200, 1410); characterized in that the alignment and interlocking pattern (210A, 210B) includes a series of peaks that are positioned to mesh with a series of troughs on each adjacent palette.