Second hand plastic pallets, sorted by wear
Second hand plastic pallets are pallets another owner has already run, sorted here by wear. The first thing to know is what the previous owner left on them: marks, repairs and a rating, or none of those.
- Same thing as
- Used, pre-owned
- Sorted by
- Footprint, then wear
- Check first
- Marks and repairs
- Not for sale
- Pool-marked pallets
Second hand, read the way an inspector reads it
Second hand tells you a pallet has had a first life but not what it did in it. A pallet from a food plant, a chemical plant and a retailer's dock can look the same on the outside, with a scuffed deck and gouged corners. What differs is the paper trail, and most second hand pallets have none.
So we describe what can be seen: deck, corners, runners and fork pockets. We name what cannot be seen as unknown, and we tell you what that means for use.
What the first owner leaves behind
| Sign on the pallet | What it usually means | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| Weld bead across a leg or deck | A cracked part repaired | Grade the lot as repaired and say what it should not carry |
| A part in a different colour | A swapped part, perhaps from a snap-lock design | Declare the swap |
| Raised logo or part number | Maker's mark, which is fine | Note the maker for uniform lots |
| A name, logo or RFID tag of a pool | The pallet may belong to the pool | Hold it back, do not sell it |
| Stained or odorous deck | Spills or food contact in the past | Note it, and do not describe it as clean |
Second hand and the rating question
Pallet capacities are issued by the maker from calculation and tests, and they assume an evenly spread load. A second hand pallet is not retested here. Where the deck plate or the maker's page gives a rating, we pass it on. Where it does not, we say the rating is unknown and make no racking or stacking promise.
- Rating shown: passed on with the lot
- Rating missing: stated as unknown
- Repaired: not described for racking
- Marked: held back
Second hand and hygiene
A second-hand pallet has been somewhere else, and the first question is where. A pallet from a dry warehouse and one from a wash-down room have different histories, even if both look clean. Ask what the pallets carried, whether they were washed, and whether any stain or smell remains. For food, pharmaceutical and chemical buyers, a clean deck is the start of the conversation, and the maker's papers are the end of it.
Odour and storage history
Smell is a fast test. Lift a pallet to your face: a chemical, fish or smoke smell tells you where it has been. Pallets stored near strong-smelling goods can hold the smell for months. If your goods are sensitive, reject any pallet with a smell, however clean it appears.
On the receiving dock
- Count stacks before pallets, then count the pallets in two stacks to confirm the tally.
- Lay a tape across the deck and along the runners of three pallets from different stacks.
- Look for pooled marks, bar codes and moulded owner names before anything is put away.
- Sign for the count and note any shortfall on the delivery receipt in the driver's presence.
- Photograph the stacks from both ends while the trailer doors are still open.
Paperwork to keep
- The written lot description and the date it was sent.
- Your own count, signed and dated by whoever received the load.
- Photographs of stacks, plates and any marks, stored with the order number.
- The maker's papers for resin, colour or rating, where the job needs them.
- A line naming who agreed to which exceptions, so a later dispute has a record.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck stains and odour noted
- 2Corner gouges and chips noted
- 3Runner gouges and splits noted
- 4Fork pocket wear noted
- Welds and swapped parts counted
- Pool marks and tags counted
Words used on this page
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Welding repair
- Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
- RFID
- Radio tag moulded or fixed into a pallet so it can be tracked.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
What the sources say
- Pallet capacities are issued by the manufacturer from calculation and lab or field tests, and assume an evenly distributed load. nelsoncompany.com
- Rehrig Pacific's rackable pallet has a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair and options for FDA-approved colours, RFID and up to 15 percent black recycled content. rehrigpacific.com
- iGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007. freightwaves.com
- HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.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
Is second hand the same as used?
Here, yes. We use second hand, pre-owned and used for the same sorting by wear.
Can second hand pallets be food safe?
Some can touch packaged food. For direct contact, ask the maker for resin and colourant documents. We do not claim approval.
What do I do about a pool mark?
Do not buy or sell it without checking ownership. The pool-marked pallets guide explains why.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.