Buy used plastic pallets by the load
To buy used plastic pallets here you pick a footprint, pick how much wear you can live with, and ask for a lot that matches. We write the lot down before anyone talks price: size, grade, deck, entry, marks.
- Ways to buy
- Pallet-load, truckload, mixed lot
- Start with
- Footprint, then grade
- Plastic and export
- Outside ISPM 15
- Not for sale
- Pool-marked pallets
How a purchase runs
A used pallet is bought on its wear, so a request here is a short description of the wear you accept. You say the size, the quantity band, the deck and entry you need and what the pallets will carry. We come back with a lot described the way an inspector writes a tally sheet.
- Pick the footprint. Most lots start at 48 x 40, the GMA size, and the other footprints each have a page of their own.
- Pick the grade: like new, used and clean, repaired, or a mixed lot. A grade here is a working definition, not a standard.
- Say what the pallets will carry. Food, pharma and racking each need papers or a rating that a used pallet may not have.
- Name the quantity band: a pallet-load or a truckload.
- We match a lot, describe its wear and tell you what it should not carry.
Ways to buy, side by side
The words in a search box, such as bulk, wholesale or truckload, mean different things to different sellers. This is how we use them.
| Page | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| By the pallet-load | A stack or a few stacks of one footprint and grade | A site topping up its own pool |
| By the truckload | Enough pallets to fill a trailer, counted by style | A plant or distribution centre changing over |
| Wholesale lots | Repeat lots of one footprint, graded the same way each time | Buyers who restock |
| Second hand and pre-owned | The plain-spoken version of used: what a prior owner left | Buyers who start from those words |
| Near me | How lots are matched to a ZIP rather than a yard | Buyers who want freight in mind |
What a good request carries
The request form is laid out as a tally sheet. A buyer who fills in the footprint, the use and the deck and entry gets a closer match on the first reply than one who writes only a quantity.
- Footprint, such as 48 x 40 or 43 x 43
- Grade you will accept and the wear you will not
- Open or closed deck, and 4-way or 2-way entry
- A rack rating, if the pallets go on racking
- Food or pharma use, so we say what papers to ask the maker for
- Where the lot ships, as a ZIP
What the buying pages have in common
Every page under buying asks the same few things in a different order: the footprint, the grade, the quantity and the ZIP. The pages differ in who is asking and how they want to buy, whether by the pallet-load, by the truckload, in a wholesale lot or after a search for something near them. Whichever page you land on, the request form at the bottom is the same one.
How a request moves
A request moves in four steps: you describe what you need, a person reads it, a lot is matched or declined, and a written reply follows. Nothing is promised in the first step. Everything promised is in the last one. That keeps the record straight.
Photographs worth taking
- One wide shot of each stack with a tape or a person for scale.
- The four corners of a sample pallet, close enough to show gouges.
- The underside, including the runners and the bottom of each fork pocket.
- Any plate, label, moulded number or mark, shot square on and in raking light.
- Repairs and cracks, with a coin or a ruler beside them to show size.
Comparing two lots fairly
- Use the same footprint for both, measured in the same units.
- Compare grade by wear, not by the seller's letter.
- Count makers present in each, since fewer makers means a more uniform lot.
- Compare the share of repaired pieces, and where the repairs sit.
- Set freight, timing and handling beside the wear, rather than in place of it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat, no cracks running to the edge, no pieces missing
- 2Corners: fork-strike gouges are normal, chipped corners are not
- 3Runners: scuffing is expected, deep gouges and splits are a reject
- 4Fork pockets: entry on the sides you need, no collapsed openings
- Deck plate: a rating printed on it, if racking is the job
- Colour and mark: any owner name, logo or tag noted before a lot is described
Words used on this page
- Pooling
- Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Closed deck
- Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
- 2-way entry
- Forks enter from two opposite sides only.
What the sources say
- HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com
- Only pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating. nelsoncompany.com
- That Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors. nelsoncompany.com
- The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. blog.containerexchanger.com
How a request works
- Pick the footprint, then the grade you can live with.
- Say what the pallets will carry and how many you need.
- Read the written lot description that comes back.
- Agree the lot before anything moves.
The four grades, in a line each
- Like new. A few trips only. Clean, no cracks, no missing parts, deck and runners flat.
- Used and clean. Many trips, scuffs and colour variation, but whole and usable for general-purpose or closed-loop work.
- Repaired. A cracked or chipped part welded or swapped. Some designs use snap-lock parts for repair.
- Mixed lot. Mixed makers, colours and sizes sold by the truckload, sorted by footprint.
Questions people ask
Do you sell by the single pallet?
The request form asks for a quantity and the lot is matched to it. The pages for each way of buying say what that looks like for a pallet-load and for a truckload.
Can I buy pool-marked pallets?
No. A pallet that carries a pool owner's mark may not be ours or yours to sell. The guide on pool-marked pallets explains why.
Is there a price list?
There is no price list on this site. A lot is described first, with its footprint, grade and wear, and a request starts that description.
Pages in this section
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.