Grade C pallets: what they look like

A Grade C has been repaired more than once. It may have a companion stringer, replaced boards and a plate or two, and one or more deck boards may be missing or broken. It looks used hard. The stripe on the stack is orange.

The difference from a B is degree, not kind. A B has a repair or two and holds together. A C has been patched until it is on the edge of being a core. Where that edge sits depends on who is grading.

• One-way shipments where the pallet is not coming back.
• Internal moves inside a plant, where nobody outside sees it.
• Dunnage, supports and staging for loads that are not racked.
• Feedstock for repair: a C with a good frame can become a B.

Racking, automation and any customer who rejects pallets on sight. Missing boards cause tipping loads. If a customer will see it, ask for a B.

If your pile is mostly C, the honest call is usually a clear-out or a sale in volume, not a sale at the price of a better grade. Send the count and the repairs you see. We read it and say which it is. See mixed loads for piles that have more than one grade in them.

Owners of Grade C stock often ask whether to repair, sell or scrap. The answer depends on the frame. If the stringers are sound and only the boards are missing, a repairer can turn the pile into Grade B and the value rises. If the stringers are cracked through, the pile is lumber, and the choice is between dismantling for reusable boards and grinding.

We say which it is after seeing a photo or a count. A fair question to ask any buyer is what share of your pile they expect to sell on as pallets and what share goes to lumber or mulch.

• A pallet with three replaced boards on one face, a plate across a stringer and a missing bottom board at one end.
• A pallet whose top deck has gaps wider than the cartons it carries.
• A frame with a companion stringer on both sides, which tells you it has been repaired twice.
• A pallet with raised nails and a split block, sound enough for a one-way trip but not for a rack.

Some docks do want Grade C: shippers of heavy but cheap goods, one-way export of low-value freight, internal staging. We try to place it with them before we call it a clear-out.

Grade C pallets are rougher than B: more repairs, uneven boards, sometimes mismatched. They carry light, short-haul freight, and they are a one-way pallet more often than a returned one. A Grade C pallet is usually a pallet that will be broken down for parts or recycled when its trip ends.

• Will the load be racked? If so, skip them.
• Does the customer inspect the pallet? If so, skip them.
• Is the load light and the trip short? Then they may do.

What is a Grade C pallet?

A used pallet with poor appearance, usually several repairs, and deck boards that may not be fully intact.

Can Grade C be repaired into Grade B?

Sometimes. A sound frame with broken boards can be repaired. A cracked frame cannot.