Combo pallets: what they look like

The visible sign is a mix: some boards that have weathered and some that are plainly new, on a frame that has been checked. The stripe on the stack is violet. Because the weak parts are replaced before the pallet leaves, the pallet that arrives is more uniform than a stack of Grade B pallets.

A combo pallet is not a Grade A, because it contains new lumber, and it is not new, because it contains recycled lumber. It is its own thing, and we call it that.

Docks that have been burned by a bad stack of used pallets and want fewer surprises. Plants that run automation and need a repeatable pallet. Shippers who want the sustainability of recycled lumber without the variability. See new and combo pallets.

If you have a pile of used pallets with good lumber in poor frames, a combo build is often where they end up. The lumber is reused, and the frame is rebuilt. Send the count and the condition. We say whether it is a sale, a recycling job or a clear-out.

No price here. Builds depend on the spec and the lumber.

Repair fixes a pallet in place. A combo build starts from sound parts: reclaimed stringers that passed inspection, new deckboards where old ones were weak, fasteners chosen for the job. The result is a pallet whose parts are known, which is why buyers who have been burned by variable stacks ask for combo.

It also gives a use for lumber that would otherwise be waste. A frame too damaged to ship can still provide boards, and boards too short for a deck can still make blocks. Recycled lumber, new lumber and a spec sheet: that is the whole recipe.

• Size. Most combo requests are 48x40; others are built to order.
• Load. Say what the pallet will carry and how it will be handled: forklift, pallet jack, rack.
• Treatment. Say whether it needs the HT stamp for export.
• Count and rhythm. One batch, or a recurring order.

Racking is unforgiving of variation. A pallet whose bottom boards sit a quarter inch lower than its neighbors can hang on a beam or tip a load. Because a combo build starts from inspected parts, the deckboards are chosen to a consistent thickness and the bottom boards are set to a known gap. That consistency is the real product.

Say whether the pallets go on beams, in drive-in lanes or on a conveyor. Each calls for something different, and a combo build may or may not suit it.

Whitewood pallets are new, unbranded and built cheaply for one trip. Combo pallets are rebuilt to last several. If your customers accept a one-way pallet, whitewood is simpler. If the pallet will circulate, combo is the better value.

Reusing lumber keeps usable wood out of the waste stream. A combo build draws on reclaimed parts, so its footprint is smaller than a new pallet’s. Whether that matters to you is your call; it is simply part of what the pallet is.

Combo suits closed loops, where pallets circulate between two sites you control, and short one-way trips where a few failures are tolerable. It is a poor fit for heavy racked loads and for customers who inspect every board.

What is a combo pallet?

A pallet remanufactured with a mix of recycled and new lumber for greater strength and consistency.

Is combo as good as new?

It is more consistent than used and cheaper than new. Whether it is good enough depends on the load; for most freight it is.

Do combo pallets carry the HT stamp?

They can, if built from or treated to the ISPM 15 standard. Ask for it when you request them.

Are combo pallets used?

They contain reclaimed lumber, but they are rebuilt, so they are remanufactured rather than used.