Mixed lot used plastic pallets
A mixed lot of used plastic pallets has several makers, colours and sometimes sizes in it, sold by the truckload and sorted by footprint. Tell the grade of a plastic pallet by walking it, and expect a mixed lot to hold more than one.
- Mark
- M, in paint pen
- Sold by
- The truckload
- Sorted by
- Footprint
- Not for
- Automation needing one rating
What is in a mixed lot
A mixed lot is the pile left when a pool, a dock or a plant is cleared: three blacks, a blue, a grey, a green, some with a weld and some without, all the same footprint if it was sorted by size. It is priced low per pallet on the open market, and that is its reason to exist.
The tradeoff is uniformity. Different makers have different ratings, different entries and different heights, even at the same footprint.
How to tell the grade inside a mixed lot
| Look at | If you see | Put it in |
|---|---|---|
| Deck | Flat and unbroken | Like new or used and clean |
| Deck | A weld seam | Repaired |
| Corners | Gouges without chips | Used and clean |
| Runners | Splits or flattened edges | Reject from the lot |
| Marks | An owner's name, logo or tag | Hold back, not for sale |
Buying a mixed lot well
Ask for the share of each maker, the count of welds and swaps, and the range of heights. If your lines need uniform pallets, ask for a sort. If you only need footprint and count, a mixed lot is the economical shape of a purchase.
- Fit: yards, floor-level shipping, buyers who care about footprint and count
- Not fit: conveyors tuned to one height, racking
- Ask: share by maker, welds, range of heights
Sorting a mixed lot
A mixed lot is only as useful as its sort. Ask whether it has been sorted by footprint, whether makers are separated, and how many pallets fall outside the main footprint. A lot sold by the truckload with several footprints needs a count for each. Mixed lots suit buyers who care about count, such as plants that feed pallets to a recycler or ship low-value goods once.
Who buys a mixed lot, and why
The buyers who prefer mixed lots tend to value count and footprint over matching looks: shippers sending goods one way, plants staging materials, and resellers who sort for their own customers. If you are one of them, say how many footprints you can take and how many makers. If you run machinery, avoid mixed lots, because even small differences in runner geometry can jam a conveyor.
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: sample from the middle of the lot, not just the top
- 2Corners: sample of corners across makers
- 3Runners: runner sample by maker
- 4Fork pockets: pocket sample by maker
- Makers and colours counted
- Marks counted
Words used on this page
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Welding repair
- Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Pooling
- Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
What the sources say
- Static capacity is the highest of the three ratings; racking is often the lowest; dynamic is always lower than static. nelsoncompany.com
- HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com
- Resin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding. en.wikipedia.org
- 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
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 do I tell the grade of plastic pallets?
Walk each one: deck, corners, runners, fork pockets, then marks. The mixed lots page shows where each finding sorts.
Are mixed lots always the cheapest?
This site states no prices.
Can a mixed lot be uniform in size?
Yes, a mixed lot is sorted by footprint, so size is uniform while makers are not.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.