Used plastic pallets by the truckload
A truckload of used plastic pallets is a lot big enough to fill a trailer, and the count depends on the style: nestable pallets pack far tighter than rackable ones. We describe the lot by footprint, grade and style first and give the count that style supports.
- Nestable, standard duty
- 1,260 per 53 ft trailer (maker example)
- Rackable 48 x 40
- 540 per 53 ft trailer (maker example)
- Nestable, stackable, rackable
- About 1,800 per truck (maker example)
- Used 6-runner listing
- About 450 per truckload (seller example)
Why the count changes
One truckload of nestable pallets and one of rackable pallets are different piles. Nestable pallets fit into one another when empty and can cut empty-pallet storage space by up to 75 percent. A standard-duty nestable 48 x 40 lists 1,260 per 53 ft trailer; a rackable 48 x 40 that does not nest lists 540.
A used listing from one seller offers a six-runner 48 x 40 HDPE pallet by the truckload at about 450, by the stack at about 15, or singly. These are examples of how makers and sellers state their loads. They are not a promise about any lot here, because the lot you are matched with is counted when it is described.
Examples from makers and sellers
| Pallet | Stated load | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Standard-duty nestable, 48 x 40 | 1,260 per 53 ft trailer | Rehrig Pacific |
| Rackable, 48 x 40 | 540 per 53 ft trailer | Rehrig Pacific |
| Nestable, stackable, rackable, 48 x 40 x 4.8 in | About 60 per stack, 1,800 per truck | Nelson Company |
| Nestable EXP 100, 48 x 40 x 5.2 in | 78 per stack, 2,340 per truckload | PHS Plastic |
| Used six-runner HDPE, 48 x 40 x 6.3 in | About 450 per truckload | Nelson Company listing |
| 48 x 40 on a 53 ft dry van, turned pattern | 30 stacks | One supplier |
What to settle before a truckload moves
With a lot this size the question is less "how many" than "how uniform". A mixed lot can be a truckload of the right footprint in four makers and three colours. A uniform lot is one maker, one footprint and one rating, and that is what automation and racking need.
- One footprint or several, and the share of each
- Uniform or mixed makers and colours
- Rating needed, and whether the deck plate carries it
- Deck style and entry
- Receiving: dock height or lift gate, and the ZIP
Planning a truckload
A truckload is set by the trailer, and the trailer sets how many stacks of a given footprint fit. Footprints that are not multiples of the trailer width leave wasted floor, so an order that mixes footprints may use the trailer less well than one footprint alone. Say which dock will receive the load, whether it has a ramp or a leveller, and whether the truck can reach it. These facts decide how a lot should be loaded as much as the pallet count does.
Pickup or delivery
A truckload can be delivered or picked up. A pickup puts the freight and the timing in your hands and lets you inspect the lot at the dock. A delivery puts them in the seller's. Say which you prefer, and whether your dock can take a full trailer, because that decides how the lot should be built.
Yard storage and weather
- Rain does little harm to plastic, but standing water in the ribs adds weight and breeds odours.
- Freezing weather makes some resins brittle, so avoid dropping or hard-forking cold pallets.
- Hot sun softens decks under load, which is how a stack ends up bowed.
- Wind can topple tall unstrapped stacks, so strap them or keep them short.
- Mud and grit on runners wear floors and conveyors, so brush them off before indoor use.
Labelling stacks
- Put a card on each stack with footprint, grade and the date it was sorted.
- Use one colour of tape for repaired pallets and another for held ones.
- Keep labels at fork-truck eye level, not on the lowest pallet.
- Update the card when a pallet is removed, so the count stays true.
- Retire old cards instead of writing over them.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: stack height measured, decks flat in the stack
- 2Corners: stacked corners show the gouge pattern of the whole lot
- 3Runners: a sample pulled from the middle of the lot, not just the top
- 4Fork pockets: stacks can be lifted from the side you will use
- Count by style noted: nested, stacked or loose
- Pool marks searched for across the whole lot
Words used on this page
- Stackable
- Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
- Rackable
- Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Static load
- Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
What the sources say
- 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
- Rehrig Pacific offers the standard-duty nestable with recycled content of up to 90 percent in black, and describes it as 100 percent recyclable. rehrigpacific.com
- Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet weighs 26.5 lb with a static rating of 10,000 lb and dynamic 3,000 lb. rehrigpacific.com
- Rehrig Pacific's heavy-duty nestable can be made with post-consumer or post-industrial recycled material, up to 30 percent in black and up to 10 percent in colour, and is RFID compatible. rehrigpacific.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
How many used plastic pallets fit on a truck?
It depends on style. Nestable examples list 1,260 to 2,340 per truckload, a rackable 48 x 40 lists 540, and a used six-runner listing offers about 450.
Can a truckload be mixed grades?
Yes, and then it is sold as a mixed lot, sorted by footprint. The mixed lots page says what that means.
Does a bigger static rating mean fewer per stack?
In one maker's examples, yes: a nestable with a 15,000 lb static rating lists 40 per stack against 78 for a lighter one.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.