What each Mid-South industry ships on
Eight kinds of freight shape the pallet market around Memphis. Each kind rides on its own pallets, sheds its own pile and has its own details a request should include.
- 01Industries
- Eight
- 02Most common pallet
- 48 x 40
- 03Export need
- ISPM 15 heat-treated wood
- 04Heavy builds
- River, steel, equipment
BOX 01One metro, eight pallet habits
A medical distributor wants clean, dry, consistent pallets that a clean room-adjacent dock will accept. A river terminal wants a pallet that survives a forklift and a heavy bag. An air forwarder wants wood that carries the ISPM 15 mark. The same city holds all three, so each gets its own pallet.
| Industry | Leans on | Usually sheds |
|---|---|---|
| Distribution and fulfillment | Clean 48 x 40, high volume | Whole trailers of mixed pallets |
| Air cargo and forwarding | Heat-treated, Euro sizes | Consolidation leftovers |
| Medical supply | Grade A, dry | Stained or damp stock |
| Food and beverage | Clean, odor-free | Pallets that held wet goods |
| River port and heavy goods | Heavy, custom | Cracked stringers |
| HVAC and manufacturing | Steady supply, some heavy | Inbound component pallets |
| Intermodal and rail | Mixed stamps and sizes | Container pallets |
| Retail and small business | Whatever came in | Back-lot stacks |
BOX 02A request for each kind of dock
Each industry has its own freight and its own pile, so a request is easiest to read when it names that industry's usual item: the size, the grade and the count.
BOX 03A business that fits none of them
The eight industries are the largest freight groups in the Memphis market, not a complete list. A business that fits none of them can still send a request; read the closest industry for context, and describe the pallets in your own words.
BOX 04The workforce behind the docks
The Greater Memphis Chamber counts talent pools of more than 85,000 in logistics, 84,000 in health and 44,000 in manufacturing, in a region of more than 1.3 million people. Those three pools line up with the freight on this list: parcel and trailer docks, medical distribution, and plants. The Chamber also counts five Class 1 railroads and ranks the metro the third-busiest trucking corridor in the country, so rail and road freight reach each of the eight kinds of dock.
Last reviewed 12 November 2026. Sources:
Say what is on your dock, or what your next load needs.
Get a price