Used pallets for sale

Most used pallets for sale are stringer pallets: the deck is nailed to three or more parallel timbers. A block pallet sits on blocks, so a forklift or jack can enter from any side. Block pallets are heavier and usually cost more to buy. See block pallets and stringer pallets.

• Size, such as 48x40 or 42x42.
• Grade: A, B, or both. If B, say whether appearance matters.
• Count, and whether it is once or every week.
• Where the delivery goes and how it gets in: dock door, yard, loading zone.
• Whether food, pharma or consumer goods will ride on them. For those, read about mold and moisture.

The standard North American pallet is 48 by 40 inches. A standard wood GMA pallet weighs about 33 to 49 pounds unloaded, and the same pallet is typically 5.5 to 6 inches high. The GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications, so there is no universal standard; sellers grade by their own rules, which is why we say how we grade.

A used pallet has carried freight before. We say what grade it is, which tells you what repairs it has, and we do not claim more. Used stock can be dependable, but it varies from stack to stack, so for a dock where a failure is expensive, a combo or new pallet may be the better buy.

A used pallet is described by size, grade, build and treatment. Size is the footprint in inches. Grade tells you the repairs. Build tells you stringer or block, two-way or four-way. Treatment tells you whether it carries the heat-treatment stamp. If any of those is unknown, we say it is unknown.

We do not describe a pallet as “like new” unless it meets the club-grade description. We do not claim a stack is food-safe unless the seller has told us how it was stored. We tell you what we know, and we tell you when we do not.

Before a standing order, ask for a sample load. Receive it, put it on your racks, run it through your line, and see how it behaves. A sample costs little and prevents a month of rejected loads. We would rather you test than guess.

If a delivery arrives that does not match the description, tell us at once, with a photo. We would rather sort it out than argue. Describe the problem as precisely as you can: count, size, grade, condition.

A single order can include pallets from more than one origin. If your dock is picky about brand, color or stamp, say so up front, because sorting after delivery is slower than sorting before loading.

Grade A pallets have no repairs and are what a dock wants when a customer will look at them. Grade B pallets have been repaired, often with replaced boards or plugs on a stringer, and ship fine on most freight. The difference matters when a receiver inspects, when pallets are racked, and when appearance is part of the product.

Most of what we handle is 48x40. If you need 42x42, 48x48 or euro pallets, say so, because those sizes are a smaller share of what comes through the region.

A conveyor line, a rack, a floor stack and a trailer load are different jobs. Tell us which one yours is, and whether a customer or a receiving clerk will inspect the pallet. A plain description of the use gets a more useful answer than a grade name alone.

• Does a customer or a receiving clerk inspect the pallet, or is it hidden under a load?
• Will the pallet be racked, stacked three high or moved over a conveyor?
• Does it carry food, medicine or anything that must stay clean?
• Is a mix of Grade A and Grade B acceptable, or must every pallet match?

What we can supply depends on what has come in. A standing weekly flow is planned differently from a one-time order, so a request should say which it is.

A standard used 48x40 weighs in the range of 33 to 49 pounds empty. A reinforced one can reach 66 pounds. That matters to the person unloading by hand, to the liftgate on a small truck and to the total weight of a trailer load. Say if your crew moves pallets by hand.

A delivery note should say what was sent: size, grade by description, count and any treatment. If a note only says used, ask for more. A clear note settles later disputes about whether the pallets matched the order, and it helps your receiving clerk check a trailer in minutes.

When an order specifies a size and a grade, the lot has to be sorted to match, which is slower than loading from a mixed stack. That is why a request should name the size and the grade.

Check the first few pallets off the truck against your own description.

What is the difference between Grade A and Grade B pallets?

Grade A has had no repairs. Grade B has been repaired with replaced boards, plates, plugs or a companion stringer. Both ship; a B is not priced like an A.

Are used pallets safe for food?

Condition matters more than age. Dry, clean wood is the starting point; see our mold guide.

Do you sell blue pallets?

No. Blue CHEP and red PECO pallets are rented and belong to their owners.