Used plastic pallets for chemical and drum shippers

The footprint is the drum

A 48 x 48 in plastic pallet holds four 55-gallon drums without overhang, so a drum shipper sizes the pallet to the drum and not the other way round. The 45 x 45 in footprint is the CP9 chemical standard for bags, boxes and drums and helps with container cubing. One 48 x 48 stackable pallet is rated 4,000 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static; one 45 x 45 example is 3,100 lb dynamic and 6,300 lb static. Those two figures show how far the same footprint can range.

History matters more here

Jobs and leading states

National totals from the market data, with the three states that have the most jobs in each line.

A chemical buyer's request

Say what the pallet carried, what it will carry and how much. The lot we describe is matched to the footprint of your container, and we flag any pallet whose history we cannot see. Where the cargo is hazardous, the receiving plant's own safety people decide, not us.

• Footprint: 48 x 48 or 45 x 45
• Grade: used and clean, or like new
• Use: write drums, bags or mixed
• History: tell us what the pallets must not have carried

History matters most

In chemical work the pallet's history is part of the specification. A stain or a smell says what the pallet carried before, and a fresh load can pick it up. Ask for a used-and-clean lot, say what the pallets must never have carried, and ask the maker how the resin handles your product. For hazardous cargo, the receiving plant's safety staff decide, and their answer can override any grade.

Spills, leaks and residue

A drum that leaked on a pallet may have left a residue that a rinse does not remove. Ask whether any pallet in the lot has an oil sheen, a chemical smell or a stain, and keep those apart from the rest. A buyer who stores or ships food, medicine or cosmetics should refuse them without a closer look at the maker's guidance on chemical resistance.

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.

Words used on this page

Runners

Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.

CP9

A chemical-industry pallet standard, 1140 x 1140 mm.

HDPE

High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.

Fork pocket

Opening in the pallet where the forks go.

PP

Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.

What the sources say

• 48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers. 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
• 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

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