Dock pallet programs
A dock program is a standing arrangement: your mixed empties go out on a rhythm, and sorted Grade A or B 48x40 comes back for outbound freight. One desk runs both sides so you are not working two vendors.
Who this is for
It fits 3PLs, distribution centers and plants that both shed pallets and need them. Docks in Landover, Capitol Heights, Springfield, Sterling, Manassas, Frederick and Stafford often do both at once: inbound freight leaves a pile of mixed empties, and outbound loads need a clean, consistent pallet.
It does not fit a one-time clear-out. For that, see pallet pickup.
How a program is set up
- Read the flowYou tell us what comes in, what grade it is, how fast it piles up, and what you need for outbound.
- Split the streamWe tell what is worth buying back from what should be sold as mixed, as cores or as pooled pallets for return.
- Set the rhythmWeekly, monthly or on call. We say what we can do once we have read the flow.
- Run itMixed empties go out, graded pallets come back. Pooled pallets are held for their owner.
What a flow report looks like
For a dock, the useful questions are plain ones. The table is what we want to know.
| Question | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| What size do you ship on? | 48x40 is common. Beverage and chemical docks often use 42x42 or 48x48. |
| What grade comes in? | Mostly A, or a mix of A, B and cores. It decides what can be bought back. |
| How many a week? | A steady flow can be planned. A spike needs a different plan. |
| Any pooled pallets? | Blue CHEP and red PECO belong to their owners and are separated at the dock. |
| Dock doors or yard? | Trailers load faster from a dock; a yard pickup is planned differently. |
What a program does not promise
No price, minimum or turnaround is stated here. We do not yet publish an offer sheet, so anything of that kind comes after we have read your flow and is confirmed in writing between us and you.
We also do not promise that every pallet you shed is a sale. Some of it is a clear-out, and we say that early.
The numbers a program needs
Two figures decide whether a program is worth planning: the number of pallets that leave the dock in a month and the share of them that are sorted. Northern Virginia’s industrial inventory was about 38.5 million square feet in the third quarter of 2026, according to Lee & Associates, and the large docks in that space turn over pallets every day. A tenant of any size can run a program if the flow is steady.
The arrangement has two legs. Mixed empties go out on a schedule, and graded 48x40 Grade A or B comes back for outbound loads. A tenant that never needs to buy back can still sell on a schedule.
Send the count
Questions
- Can you run a program for one dock?
- Yes. A single dock with a steady flow is the typical start. The count and rhythm are what we read.
- Do you take pooled pallets?
- No. Pooled pallets are the pooler’s. We flag them and tell you who collects them.
- How big does a dock need to be for a program?
- It depends on the flow, not the size. A steady stream of sorted pallets is enough.
Related
Sources
Last reviewed 2026-11-11.