Pallets in Monroe County
Monroe County is the southern edge of the metro, with furniture, steel, a Ford parts plant and Michigan's only Lake Erie port.
The county
Monroe County had 154,809 people at the 2020 census, with Monroe as the seat. It is home to La-Z-Boy's headquarters and a Ford parts plant, and the Port of Monroe is Michigan's only port on Lake Erie.
- Industries
- Furniture manufacturing, steel, auto parts, power generation, port
- County seat
- Monroe
- Core ZIPs
- 48161, 48162
Pallet profile
A smaller number of larger docks. Furniture needs clean flat stock, steel needs strong stock, and the port sees pallets from abroad. Distance is the main difference from the rest of the metro: a pickup here is a longer run, so full trailers make more sense than half loads. The trailer guide shows what a full one holds.
Pick a city
Monroe has its own page.
Questions about Monroe County
Why does a furniture maker matter to a pallet buyer?
Furniture components arrive on a steady supply of clean pallets.
Is the port a source?
Michigan's only Lake Erie port sees pallets from abroad, many with stamps.
Edge of the metro
Monroe County borders Ohio, and trucks heading south pass through it. A pickup here can sometimes be combined with a return trip from a southern delivery, which lowers the cost for both parties.
Questions about the south end
How far is Monroe from the rest of the metro?
It is the southernmost of the six counties and sits on the Ohio line, so a pickup there is a deliberate trip rather than a stop on the way.
What is the best use of a trip that far?
A full trailer, or a route that gathers several docks in one day. The trailer arithmetic is on the trailer guide.
Two employers stand out in the public record: La-Z-Boy, a furniture maker whose headquarters is in the city of Monroe, and Gerdau Macsteel, a steel bar mill. Both appear in a list of top employers from 2010, so the figures give the shape of the trade rather than its present size. Power generation by DTE and the lake port add heavier traffic, and a Ford parts plant rounds out the mix.
For the shipper, the county offers a spread of freight in a small area: bulky furniture, dense steel, bagged and boxed food, and whatever the port handles. Each calls for a different pallet, and a request that says which of them applies saves a round of questions.
Hauling distance
Because Monroe County is at the south edge of the area, anyone planning a pickup should combine it with a stop in Wayne County's downriver cities, such as Flat Rock or Woodhaven. Both are along the southbound route and add count to the trip.
Farmland and orchards
Beyond the industrial sites, Monroe County has farms and packing sheds that use pallets for produce and supplies. These stacks are small and weathered, and a buyer will want a photo.
Power and manufacturing
The Monroe Power Plant, with 805-foot stacks, and the Fermi nuclear station in Frenchtown Township both sit on Lake Erie. An auto parts plant of about 1,200 workers, La-Z-Boy's headquarters and Monroe Shocks & Struts' headquarters make the county a manufacturing one too.
On this page
- Monroe Pallets in Monroe: La-Z-Boy headquarters, Gerdau Macsteel, DTE power generation, the Lake Erie port and SYGMA foodservice distribution.