Pallet grades

The Grocery Manufacturers Association once governed pallet specifications, and no longer does. What remains are references from recyclers and pooling companies, such as the iGPS and Millwood guides, which agree on the broad lines and differ in the details. A Grade B at one yard may be a Grade A at another. That is why we say what we mean by each grade, and why we ask you to describe the repairs.

The reference points are simple. Grade B pallets require deckboard spacing of at least 4 inches and may have repaired stringers or plugs larger than 1¼ inches. A plug used to repair a broken board can be between 6 and 24 inches long. Grade A pallets have had no repairs.

• Replaced board. A new or sound board nailed where one broke.
• Plug. A short piece let into a broken board, 6 to 24 inches long.
• Plate. A metal plate fastened across a split.
• Companion stringer. A second stringer fastened beside a cracked one.

When you send a count, you do not need to grade it. Say how many look clean, how many have visible repairs and how many are broken. We do the rest. If you want to try it yourself, the Pile reader asks the questions in a sensible order.

Walk a sort yard and the stripes do the talking. Green ends are the stacks with no repairs, amber ends have plates, plugs or a companion stringer, orange ends are rough, violet ends were rebuilt from reclaimed and new lumber, and slate ends are raw cores waiting for a decision. A stack painted with more than one stripe is a mixed load that has been partly sorted.

The GMA organization that once defined these grades no longer governs pallet specifications, and no universally accepted standard for pallet dimensions exists. Dealers, recyclers and buyers use the names loosely. That is why this desk says in words what each grade looks like and asks you to describe your own pallets rather than name a grade.

Sort yards spray a stripe on the end of a stack so a grade reads from across the yard. This site uses its own stripe colors for Grade A, B, C, combo and core. Blue and red are kept out of the set, because on a pallet they mean pooled equipment that belongs to its owner.

• Selling a pile: start with mixed loads.
• Buying for a dock: start with Grade A and Grade B.
• Holding spare stock: see combo and core.

Because the names are loose, the clearest description of a pallet is its condition. Say whether the boards are original, whether any stringer has been replaced, whether plugs have been added, and whether the deckboards sit evenly. Say how clean and dry it is. Mention anything that was spilled on it.

If a customer asks for a grade by name, ask them what they mean by it. Two buyers can use the same word and expect different pallets.

A grade does not tell you the size, the treatment, the cleanliness or the moisture. A Grade A pallet can be damp. A Grade B pallet can be clean and tight. Treat a grade as a starting description, then inspect a few pallets from the pile yourself before you commit to a count.

• Grade A: customers who inspect, retail displays, food and beverage docks, and premium goods.
• Grade B: general domestic freight, one-way and returned, and most distribution work.
• Grade C: short light trips, or pallets headed for parts.
• Combo: repaired from mixed lumber, for flows where appearance does not matter.
• Core: raw material for recyclers who sort, repair and resell.
• Mixed loads: unsorted piles that have to be read before they can be placed.

A stack in a yard may be thirty pallets high and fifty long. A stripe on each end lets a loader find the right stack from a distance without walking its length. The stripes here follow that habit for the six groups above. They are a sorting convenience, not a certification, and they mean nothing off this site.

• Pull ten from different parts of the stack, not the top ten.
• Check each for cracked or missing boards and for raised nails.
• Look at the stringers or blocks for splits and replacements.
• Smell the wood; mustiness is a bad sign.
• Set aside any with blue or red paint.
• Write down how many failed, and send that count with your request.

Disputes arise when a seller calls a pallet Grade A and the receiver sees a plug. Settle them by photograph: one close picture of a few pallets, one wide picture of the stack. A shared picture ends the argument faster than two opinions.

What are the pallet grades?

A, B and C for used pallets, plus combo for remanufactured pallets, core for unsorted raw material and mixed load for more than one grade together.

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.