Pallets for grocery distribution around dc

Most wood pallets in North America are 48 by 40 inches. Grocery runs on that size, usually in stringer form, usually Grade A for outbound and Grade B for internal moves. Sorting empties by size and grade on receipt is the difference between a pile and a program; see dock programs.

• A steady supply of 48x40 on a schedule.
• Pickup of empties from the receiving dock, sorted or unsorted.
• A written record of what left the dock.
• No pooled pallets in the sell load; blue and red go back to their owner.

Send the count of empties per week, the mix of sizes and the grade as you see it. For a store group, give the number of locations. A pickup is the usual first step; a program follows once the flow is known.

The question we ask a grocery dock is not how many pallets it has but how steadily. A distribution center that receives forty trailers a day sheds a predictable number of empties on a predictable schedule, and that regularity is what makes a buy-back possible. The alternative is a weekly rush of unsorted stacks that needs a different plan every time.

Store groups with many locations are a special case. Each store has a small pile, and the value is in collecting them on one route, which is why the request should give the number of stores and the days each can be reached.

Trucks that deliver to stores often return with empty pallets, and the trip back is the cheapest freight in the system. A distributor that collects store empties on the backhaul and sorts them at the warehouse owns a valuable stream. Tell us whether yours does.

Prince George’s County lists Giant Food and Shoppers supermarkets among its largest employers, and Frederick County has an Aldi distribution center. Grocery freight moves on 48x40 pallets in large, steady volumes, and the pallets have to be clean, dry and free of loose nails.

• Cleanliness: spills and odor can fail a pallet.
• Consistency: the same size every week.
• Pooled pallets kept apart, because many grocery supply chains use them.
• Clear count and clear grade on each delivery.

Do grocery stores sell their pallets?

Many do, sorted by size and grade. A steady supply is the most valuable kind.

What grade do grocery docks buy?

Grade A for outbound and Grade B for internal moves, usually in 48x40.

What matters most to a grocery dock?

A steady flow, since a regular schedule makes a buy-back possible.