Used pallets for sale in Memphis, sorted by grade

BOX 01What a sorted used pallet is

A used pallet has shipped at least once. Sorting is the step that turns a mixed pile into something you can buy against: pallets of one size and one grade, with the broken ones taken out. A Memphis dock that buys sorted stock is paying for that step as much as for the wood.

The most common wood pallet in North America is 48 inches by 40 inches, and it accounts for 30 percent of all new wood pallets made in the United States (Wikipedia, reviewed 2026). That is why most used stock on the market is that size, and why the other sizes take a bit longer to find.

BOX 02Reading the three grades

Grade B pallets can carry repaired stringers or plugs longer than 1¼ inches and need deck board spacing of at least 4 inches, per Millwood's grading guide. The GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications, so a buyer and seller should confirm what each word means in the request.

BOX 03Stringer or block, and why the build matters

A stringer pallet has three or more parallel timbers under the deck, and forks enter from two sides. A block pallet sits on blocks, so forks and jacks enter from any side. Used stock of both builds is on the market, but a stock of one build cannot always stand in for the other. See pallet types and the block versus stringer guide.

Say which build your dock handles. A warehouse that runs pallet jacks from all sides needs block pallets or notched stringers; a dock with forklifts only is happy with stringers.

BOX 04What goes in the request

1. Choose buy and the product, pallets.
2. Give the size and grade, or say mixed and not sure.
3. Give the count and whether it repeats.
4. Say if the load goes overseas, because that changes the answer to heat treatment.
5. Add the delivery ZIP code and how to reach you.

BOX 05What used can and cannot promise

Used pallets come with wear, and the wear is the point: it is why they cost less than new. A used pallet may have a repaired board, an old stencil or a scuffed edge. It should not have a cracked stringer, a smell of damp or a nail sticking out where a hand or a package would meet it.

The useful thing to do is describe the use. A pallet that carries cartons to a store and will be thrown away is a different request from one that goes into a rack for a year.

BOX 06Counting what you need

If you buy by the trailer, work back from your outbound load. A dock shipping 20 trailers a week of 48 x 40 pallets, loaded 26 to a trailer, needs 520 pallets a week; loaded crosswise at 30 it needs 600. The trailer guide shows where the numbers come from. Add a margin for damage and say which count you mean.

BOX 07Questions to ask about a used lot

• How many pallets are in the lot, and how are they stacked?
• What sizes are present, and in what proportions?
• What share of the lot is repaired and what share is original?
• Have any been stored outdoors, and for how long?
• Is there any stain, odor or residue?

The answers tell you more than a grade letter does. If the person offering the lot cannot answer, that is information too.

BOX 08Used pallets and the calendar

Supply of used pallets follows freight, which follows the calendar. Spring and early summer are often brisk, the autumn build is heavy, and the weeks after the holidays bring returns. A buyer who needs a large lot in November should ask early.

FAQStraight answers