Buy pallets in Memphis by size, grade and build
You can buy pallets in Memphis four ways: used and sorted by grade, recycled or combo, new to a spec, and heat-treated for export. One request covers any of them.
- 01Used
- Grade A, Grade B, Grade C, mixed loads
- 02Rebuilt
- Recycled and combo pallets
- 03New
- Standard and custom builds
- 04Export
- Heat-treated, ISPM 15 mark
BOX 01Start with what the load needs
A buyer on a Memphis dock usually knows three things before anything else: the size the product ships on, how clean the pallet has to look, and whether the load leaves the country. Those three answers pick the page. A grocery line wants clean 48 x 40s that are Grade A. A plant shipping machine parts may take Grade B and save the difference. An exporter needs the heat-treated mark whatever the grade.
If you know the grade words, go straight to a page. If you do not, send the size and what the pallet carries and say you are not sure. The request form has a not-sure choice for exactly that.
BOX 02The ways to buy, side by side
| Kind | What it is | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Used, graded | Pallets that have shipped before, sorted into Grade A, B or C | Outbound retail and food loads, plants, DCs |
| Recycled | Used pallets repaired or refurbished for reuse | Buyers who want a sound pallet for less |
| Combo | Rebuilt from recycled and new lumber | Loads that need steadier pallets than used |
| New | All-new lumber built to a spec | Product that cannot ship on a pallet with history |
| Custom | An odd size or special build | Heavy goods and loads that do not fit a standard footprint |
| Heat-treated | Wood treated and marked under ISPM 15 | Exporters, forwarders, anything crossing a border |
| Truckloads | A trailer load, once or on a repeat | Plants and DCs with weekly outbound volume |
BOX 03What to put in the request
- The size: 48 x 40, 42 x 42, 48 x 48, 48 x 45, 48 x 42, a 1200 x 800 mm Euro pallet or a custom size.
- The grade or kind: A, B, C, combo, new or any sound pallet.
- The count, and whether it is one load or a weekly need.
- Whether the pallets must carry the ISPM 15 heat-treatment mark.
- The delivery ZIP code. Tennessee, Mississippi and Arkansas ZIP codes all work.
A buy request with those five lines can be answered without a back-and-forth. Leave out what you do not know; the form lets you.
BOX 04Three questions that decide what to buy
First, does the load cross a border? If it does, the wood needs the heat-treatment mark and you want heat-treated pallets. Second, does the load repeat? A weekly flow is a truckload question, not a one-off. Third, is the size standard? If not, custom pallets comes before anything else.
Most Memphis buyers answer no, no, yes, and land on used pallets in a grade: B for storage or one-way shipping, A where the pallet is seen by a customer. Say which when you write the request.
BOX 05What to leave out
A request does not need a story. It needs a size, a grade or a use, a count and a delivery ZIP code. Anything else, such as how you found us or what you need the pallets for in general, can wait.
BOX 06A note on timing
Buyers often ask for pallets just before they need them. Give the date you need.
If the need is regular, say so. A recurring need is easier to plan for than a series of one-off requests, and that is where truckloads comes in.
BOX 07What a buyer should expect to be asked
Anyone replying to a buy request will want to know the same few things you would want to know as a seller: the size, the grade, the treatment, the count, the place and the date. Having the answers ready makes the exchange short.
If you do not know an answer, say so. "Not sure about treatment, will check with my forwarder" is a good line; a guess is not.
BOX 08When a substitute is acceptable
Say whether a nearby size or grade would do. A buyer who can accept 48 x 40 or 48 x 42 gets a larger field of suppliers than one who insists on a single size. The same goes for grade: A or B is a wider ask than A alone. Flexibility, stated plainly, speeds a reply.
BOX 09A purchase request that reads well
"Need about 250 Grade A 48 x 40 stringer pallets a week for a food packing line in 38671; clean, dry, no odor; deliveries to a dock door; start in January." It states the grade, the size, the weekly volume, the use, the place and the start.
FAQStraight answers
How do I ask for a price?
Prices depend on the spec and the count. The request form is how you ask for what you need.
Which size should I order?
The one your product already ships on. If you do not know, pallet sizes list which industries use each footprint, and 48 x 40 is the most common in North America.