Pallets in Dearborn
Dearborn is Ford's town. The Rouge complex, completed in 1928 and 1.5 miles by 1 mile, builds the F-Series, and steel, engineering and logistics sit around it.
What is here
- Employers
- Ford employed 43,080 people in Dearborn per the city's 2022 financial report
- Plant
- Ford River Rouge complex, built 1928
- Steel
- Cleveland-Cliffs Dearborn Works
- Other
- Auto engineering, Hollingsworth logistics, workwear
- ZIPs
- 48120, 48121, 48123, 48124, 48126, 48128
The Rouge was built to take iron ore in at one end and put out finished vehicles at the other, and a century later it still anchors an industrial belt along the river. Around it are engineering offices and logistics yards that serve Ford and its suppliers.
Pallets by the numbers of people
With tens of thousands of Ford employees in the city, the pallet flow is mostly in the supplier and logistics layer rather than at the plant gate. A parts supplier near the Rouge receives raw material on one pallet and ships finished parts on another, so the same dock can see two or three types in a day.
What to expect on a Dearborn dock
- The 48 x 45 and 48 x 40, mixed, from automotive customers.
- Heavy pallets from the steel side, which tend to be oily and are often cores.
- Logistics yards with large stacks that turn over weekly.
Doing business here
Name the gate or the yard you will load from; Dearborn's industrial land is a patchwork of large controlled sites and small shops. A call-ahead on security rules saves a wasted trip. Pickup covers how to prepare a dock.
Questions from Dearborn shippers
Does Ford buy or sell pallets directly?
That is a matter between Ford and its suppliers. The people to ask are the companies that handle their own empties, the many suppliers, haulers and shops around the Rouge.
We handle oily steel pallets. Are they worth listing?
Some are. A pallet with a light film on the deck may be a sound Grade B after a look; a soaked one is a core. Describe both honestly and attach a photo of the worst.
Is there a best day for pickup near the Rouge?
Shift changes thicken traffic, so mid-morning and early afternoon are easier. Say your gate hours.
Why logistics yards matter
Hollingsworth-type logistics operations hold other companies' freight, and the pallets in their yards may belong to the customer rather than the yard. Before selling, ask who owns the stack. A buyer will ask the same question.
Employees by the tens of thousands
More than forty thousand Ford employees in one city makes for large supplier traffic, even if each firm is small.