Recurring pickup for docks that shed pallets every week
Recurring pallet pickup is for docks that shed pallets every week: distribution centers, 3PLs and plants where inbound freight leaves a pile that keeps coming back. Give the weekly count, the size mix and the dock hours and the request is read as a standing clear.
- 01Who
- DCs, 3PLs, plants
- 02Shape
- A weekly or regular pile
- 03Needs
- Weekly count, size mix, dock hours
- 04Form choice
- Recycle
BOX 01A pile that comes back
A building that takes in loads all week sheds pallets all week. The pile grows by the dock, then someone runs out of room. The metro has plenty of this: DeSoto County is home to over 150 fulfillment centers, and the Chamber counts more than 3,600 supply-chain and logistics companies in the metro (Daily Memphian, 2022).
A recurring request describes the flow, not a single pile. How many pallets, what sizes, what grades, what weekday the dock has the most.
BOX 02What to put in a standing request
- Weekly count, even if it varies: say the range.
- Size mix: all 48 x 40, or a spread of sizes.
- Condition mix: how much is sound, repaired or broken.
- Dock hours and access: when a truck can load, and any appointment system.
- ZIP code and the building type.
Whether a schedule is possible is settled between the dock and whoever takes the pallets. Nothing here promises a day or a frequency.
BOX 03Selling and clearing at once
A dock that sheds Grade A pallets every week is also a seller. If your inbound pile is mostly clean 48 x 40s, the standing request can ask that sound ones be bought and the rest cleared. Distribution and fulfillment describes what those piles look like, and truckloads covers the buy side of the same dock.
BOX 04What a standing request looks like
A standing request says what is cleared and how often: for example, a few trailers of mixed pallets a month, 48 x 40, with the cores in a separate stack.
That information helps a buyer decide whether the pile is worth planning for. A one-off pile is a favor; a repeating pile is a supply. Be honest about the rhythm. If it is seasonal, say which season. If it follows a customer order, say what triggers it.
BOX 05Documenting the rhythm
To describe a rhythm, count the pile on the same day of the week for a month. Write down the numbers. Four counts are enough to show whether the pile is steady or lumpy.
BOX 06Freight that comes in rhythm
Docks near the airport follow its volume: Memphis International handled 6,547,752,099 pounds of cargo in 2025, down from 8,278,089,669 pounds in 2024 (Wikipedia). A pile that forms every night has a flow, not a date.
FAQStraight answers
What volume should a recurring request give?
The weekly count you have, with the size and the grade.