Used pallets, sorted and graded
A used pallet comes as Grade A, with no repairs, or Grade B, repaired with plugs, plates or new deck boards. Both carry freight; the difference is looks and history.
What a used pallet is
A used pallet has shipped before. It was collected, looked over and either put back into service as it was or repaired first. That is what makes it cheaper than a new pallet, and it is why it needs a grade: two used pallets of the same size can be very different objects.
| Grade | What you are buying | What to expect at the dock |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | A pallet with no repairs that needs none | Clean lines, matching boards and no hardware showing on the deck. The closest thing to new from the used stack. |
| Grade B | A repaired pallet | Plugs beside a cracked stringer, a nail plate over a split board or a swapped deck board. Deck board spacing of at least 4 inches. |
| Grade C | A rough pallet | Several repairs, poor looks, and deck boards that may not all be intact. Better for moves inside a plant. |
Sizes you will meet
Most used stock in Metro Detroit is a 48 x 40, the GMA pallet and the most common wood pallet size in North America. The 48 x 45 is the automotive size and turns up wherever parts suppliers ship. Other sizes exist, and a request for something unusual is worth making, but expect the common sizes to be easier to find in quantity.
Checking a pallet when it lands
Square it up
Set one on the floor. It should not rock. A stringer that has dropped or a board that has sprung shows right away.
Read the repairs
A plug longer than a foot or two beside a stringer is normal for Grade B. A plug on both outside stringers and a plate on every other board suggests a Grade C wearing a B label.
Look at the deck
For small parts and boxes, run a hand across the top boards. Gaps wider than the part want a different pallet or tighter Deck coverage.
Smell and feel
Damp wood and a musty smell mean mold risk. Wood under 20% moisture will not support mold, so keep the stack dry. Mold on pallets.
What to put in the request
- Size in inches, length first, and whether it must be four-way (types).
- The lowest grade you will accept. Grade B is fine for most outbound freight.
- A rough count and how often. One trailer once is a different job from a trailer a week.
- Heat treatment, if the load is headed abroad. Heat-treated pallets.
A standard GMA pallet weighs about 33 to 49 pounds empty, and standard ones support 2,000 to 2,800 pounds under dynamic loading. For loads near that, say so, or look at new and custom.
Inspecting a delivery
Open the load and pull ten pallets from different places in the stack, not just the top. Check each against the grade you asked for. If two or three fall short, the stack is probably mixed; if none do, it is probably sorted. Write what you found on the delivery slip.
Make the request
Buying used: say the size, the grade you can accept and about how many, and whether it is once or every week.