New pallets, built to the spec your load needs

BOX 01What a spec needs

A new pallet is not pulled from a stack; it is made to a description. A request that gives the following can be quoted without guessing:

• Size: length and width in inches, such as 48 x 40.
• Build: stringer or block, and whether forks must enter from two sides or four.
• Deck boards: how many on top and bottom, and the spacing between them.
• Fasteners: nails or screws, and the type, if the load is heavy.
• Treatment: none, or heat treatment with the ISPM 15 mark.
• Load: weight per pallet, so the build can be matched.

BOX 02Why buyers go new

Export loads and food lines are the usual reasons. A new pallet has no history of damp storage or past cargo, and a spec fixes every unit to the same dimensions, which matters on automated lines. A GMA-size pallet weighs about 33 to 49 pounds unloaded, according to Mecalux, and a new build to a heavier spec can weigh more.

About 30 percent of new wood pallets produced in the United States are 48 x 40, so that size is the easy one to find. Others are possible but take a spec.

BOX 03Used, combo or new

If the pallet only has to be flat and safe, Grade B or combo may be enough and cost less. If the pallet stays with the customer, or the load is heavy, new earns its price. For odd sizes see custom pallets, and for a repeat order see truckloads.

BOX 04A spec sheet for a new pallet

A new pallet is made to a specification, so the request is a specification: size, build, entry, deck board count and thickness, and whether the wood is treated. If you have a drawing or a sample, say so.

• Size in inches, length first.
• Stringer or block, two-way or four-way.
• Load per pallet in pounds, and whether it is static or moves on forks.
• Treatment: none or ISPM 15 heat treatment.

A buyer reads these four lines and knows what to quote; a request without them has to be asked again.

FAQStraight answers