Pallets for HVAC and manufacturing in the Mid-South

BOX 01Plants in the metro

Carrier's Collierville plant opened in 1967 and employs over 1,400 workers, with seasonal peaks of 1,900, per the Town of Collierville. The Bartlett Area Chamber counts more than 200 operating industries in Bartlett Corporate Park (chamber overview). Both are context.

BOX 02A plant is a steady customer

Where a store wants a handful of pallets, a plant wants a weekly supply of one size so its line does not stop. That points to a recurring buy, truckloads, and to a buyer who can say what grade and build the line needs. For equipment, a custom pallet may be right.

• Specify the weight the pallet carries.
• Say whether the pallet ships overseas, and so needs the stamp.
• Give the weekly count rather than a one-off number.

BOX 03What it sheds

Inbound parts arrive on the supplier's pallets, which a plant does not reuse. They pile up in sizes that do not match its own. A recurring pickup request fits. See Collierville and Bartlett.

BOX 04What a line needs from a pallet

A production line cares about consistency more than appearance. Pallets that are all the same size and thickness feed a conveyor or a robot without a jam; a stack with a few odd ones does not. So a plant's request is usually less about grade than about sameness.

Say whether the line is automated, what size the machines expect and how many pallets an hour it uses. Those three facts tell a buyer whether a mixed Grade B pile will do or whether a sorted one is needed.

BOX 05Equipment on skids

Large equipment ships on skids or crates, not on standard pallets. After installation, the skids are left at the plant. They are a one-time pile, and a mixed one. The honest request describes them as skids, gives measurements and says whether they are nailed or bolted.

BOX 06A weekly supply, specified

"Plant in 38017 using about 400 pallets a week, 48 x 40 stringers, Grade B, nailed not screwed, deliveries to dock 3 on weekday mornings." This is a request a supplier can price. It names the volume, the build, the grade, the fastener and the dock.

BOX 07Handling heavy components

Compressors, coils and motors ship on pallets built for weight, often with extra stringers or blocks. After unpacking, these pallets are good for a second use if they have not cracked. A plant that receives them can reuse some and sell the rest, if it keeps them dry.

FAQStraight answers