Are used plastic pallets worth it?
Used plastic pallets are worth it when the footprint is right, the wear is described and the job does not need papers the pallet lacks. They are not worth it as a gamble on an unmeasured pile.
- Worth it for
- General shipping, loops, export
- Not worth it for
- Unmeasured piles, unrated racking
- Life
- Often 100 trips or more
- Check
- Footprint, wear, marks, rating
A buyer's test
- Does the footprint match the equipment? If not, stop.
- Is the wear described in words you can check?
- Does the job need a rating the pallet shows?
- Is any owner mark on it?
- Is the lot big enough to matter, small enough to inspect?
Where it pays
| Job | Why used works | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| General warehouse shipping | The pallet only has to carry and move | Mixed makers in one lot |
| Closed loop | Pallets come back to a known site | A uniform lot of one maker |
| Export | No ISPM 15 treatment, one-way fine | Destination footprint |
| Topping up a pool | Same footprint, same grade | Matching ratings |
| Short-term programs | No reason to buy new for a limited run | Quantity band |
Where it does not
It does not pay to buy a pile that nobody has measured, to put a repaired pallet on racking, or to assume a food-contact claim a seller will not put in writing. Those are the three ways a used buy goes bad, and each is avoided by asking for the description first.
- Unmeasured piles
- Repaired pallets on racking
- Unwritten food-contact claims
Is it worth it for you
Used pallets are worth it where the job tolerates wear and the buyer can verify the lot. They are not worth it where the pallet is the weak link in a rated system, such as automated racking, or where the paperwork is part of the sale, such as food and pharmaceutical contact. Count the checks you will need to make and decide whether you have the time to make them.
A simple test
Write the job on one line, such as pallets for floor storage of boxed goods, three high, indoors. If the line can be written without rating, food contact or automation, a used lot is likely to serve. If the line needs any of the three, price in the extra checks and papers, or buy new. This one-line test keeps the decision honest and gives the desk the material for a good reply.
What to write down about a lot
- Footprint in both units, with the readings you took rather than the label.
- Number of stacks, pallets per stack and any odd stacks left over.
- Makers and model numbers seen on plates or moulded into the ribs.
- Count of repaired, mismatched or cracked pieces, and where each sits.
- Marks, colours and any smell, with a note on who confirmed each.
When something looks wrong
- Stop unloading and photograph the fault before anything moves.
- Count how many pallets show the same fault, to see if it is a lot problem or a one-off.
- Tell the desk or the seller in writing the same day, with the photographs attached.
- Hold the affected stacks apart until you hear back.
- Keep one sample pallet unused, so the maker or an inspector can examine it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat
- 2Corners: surface gouges only
- 3Runners: whole runners
- 4Fork pockets: open pockets
- Papers requested if the job needs them
Words used on this page
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- One-way pallet
- A cheaper pallet shipped with the load and not expected back.
- Closed loop
- Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
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
- Only pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating. nelsoncompany.com
- For products touching the pallet directly, stricter federal requirements may call for non-blended virgin HDPE; recycled pallets often meet general FDA needs. nelsoncompany.com
- That used pallet is listed as pharma and food safe but not approved for direct food contact, in colours that vary. 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
Are used plastic pallets worth buying?
Yes, for general shipping, closed loops and export, if the footprint is right and the wear is described.
Do used pallets last?
Plastic pallets are often described as lasting 100 trips or more, and a used one has some left.
What is the main risk?
An unmeasured, undescribed lot. Ask for the description first.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.