Pallets by industry
A pallet is picked for the freight on it. Nine industries across Metro Detroit ship in ways that call for different sizes, grades and entry.
Nine ways to ship on a pallet
Michigan ranks first in the nation for automotive manufacturing jobs, at six times the national average concentration, and the Detroit region produces 1.7 million vehicles a year. That is why this list starts with automotive. It does not stop there. Macomb County alone has more than 1,100 aerospace and defense companies, Romulus handles air cargo, and Eastern Market feeds the city.
| Industry | Pallet question it raises |
|---|---|
| Automotive suppliers | The 48 x 45 automotive size beside the 48 x 40, and what to do with the mix |
| Vehicle assembly | Inbound volume of every size and a dock that cannot stop for a pile |
| Defense and machining | Heavy parts, custom builds and export crating |
| Fulfillment and air cargo | Trailer-load mixed pickups, and graded stock back in |
| Food wholesale | Clean, dry stock, and broken pallets off the lot |
| Steel and metals | Load weight and the strength of the frame |
| Chemicals | The 48 x 48 and 48 x 42, and keeping contaminated wood out |
| Research and medical | Small recurring batches and clean stock |
| Furniture | Awkward shapes and a lot of outbound pallets |
If your industry is not here
Most freight fits one of these patterns closely enough. Describe the load, the size and the count, and the request will land in the right lane anyway.
Reading across the nine pages
Each page covers one kind of dock, and the differences line up with the pallets: heavy freight asks for block builds and honest load ratings, food asks for dry, clean wood, and cross-border freight asks about stamps. A company can fit more than one page, as a supplier that also runs a food cafeteria dock does. Read the one closest to the freight that fills the most trailers.
On this page
- Automotive suppliers Pallets for the supplier docks behind Detroit assembly: 48x45 and 48x40, block and four-way builds, Grade B stock and how to run a schedule.
- Vehicle assembly plants Pallets around Detroit assembly plants: Jefferson North, Mack, Warren Truck, Sterling Heights, Factory Zero and the Rouge. What they receive and clear.
- Defense and machining Pallets for Macomb County defense work, gears, transmissions and machining: heavy loads, block pallets and the plants around Warren and Shelby Township.
- Fulfillment and air cargo Pallets around Detroit Metro Airport and Romulus fulfillment: Amazon, Kroger, air cargo and the standard 48x40 on clean, even stock.
- Food wholesale and grocery Pallets for Detroit food wholesale: Eastern Market, Sysco in Canton, Lipari in Warren, Mastronardi in Livonia. Clean, dry stock and what to avoid.
- Steel and metals Pallets for the river steel trade: Port of Detroit, Zug Island, Dearborn Works and Monroe. Heavy loads, block builds and how to handle oily wood.
- Chemicals Pallets for chemical and refinery freight around Wyandotte and Southwest Detroit: 48x42 and 48x48 sizes, clean wood and spill-damaged stock.
- Research and medical Pallets for Ann Arbor labs, hospitals and automotive test centers: small counts, clean stock, Euro pallets and one-off pickups.
- Furniture Pallets for furniture and upholstery freight around Monroe and La-Z-Boy: bulky loads, clean stock and sizes that suit large cartons.
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