Used plastic pallets for dairy
Dairy product plants run cold and clean, so they buy used plastic pallets that wash well and hold up in cold rooms. Ask the maker how a pallet behaves when it is frozen.
- Footprints
- 48 x 40 in, 56 x 44 in
- Grade
- Like new
- Cold
- Freezing can embrittle some materials
- Cleaning
- Maker's guidance first
Cold rooms and cracks
Freezing can make some pallet materials brittle and reduce performance. A pallet that is sound at the dock is therefore a question once it goes into a dairy cold room. Capacities are issued by the manufacturer from calculation and lab or field tests, and they assume an evenly distributed load. A dairy buyer asks the maker about cold use, and not only the seller.
What a dairy buyer checks
| Check | Why |
|---|---|
| Resin and cold behaviour | Some materials turn brittle when frozen |
| Flat deck | Cases and stacked product slide on a bow |
| Washability | Residue holds odour |
| Cracks | Cold makes a hairline worse |
| Repairs | A weld is a weak point in cold |
Jobs and leading states
National totals from the market data, with the three states that have the most jobs in each line.
| Line | US jobs, 2025 | Establishments | Top three states by jobs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dairy product manufacturing | 168,222 | 2,809 | Wisconsin 28,840, California 18,374, New York 11,603 |
Where dairy sits
Dairy product manufacturing is concentrated: the leading states by jobs are listed in the table below, and the rest of the country follows the milk. A plant near a farm belt buys differently from a distribution centre in a city.
- Cold rooms: ask the maker
- Wash-down: closed deck with a lip may hold water
- Open deck: drains but collects residue in ribs
Cold and wet, every day
Dairy plants run cold and wet, so decks must drain and hold their shape. Ask the maker how the resin behaves in a cold room and whether the rating changes with temperature. Check for hairline cracks at the corners, which cold can turn into breaks, and for any weld, which can hold moisture. Like new is the usual starting grade.
Condensation and drainage
Cold rooms produce condensation, and a pallet with a closed deck can hold a film of water. Ask whether an open or closed deck suits the room, and whether the ribs under the deck can drain. A pallet that stays wet can grow a film, and the film is the opposite of what a dairy plant needs.
Photographs worth taking
- One wide shot of each stack with a tape or a person for scale.
- The four corners of a sample pallet, close enough to show gouges.
- The underside, including the runners and the bottom of each fork pocket.
- Any plate, label, moulded number or mark, shot square on and in raking light.
- Repairs and cracks, with a coin or a ruler beside them to show size.
Comparing two lots fairly
- Use the same footprint for both, measured in the same units.
- Compare grade by wear, not by the seller's letter.
- Count makers present in each, since fewer makers means a more uniform lot.
- Compare the share of repaired pieces, and where the repairs sit.
- Set freight, timing and handling beside the wear, rather than in place of it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat, clean, odour-free
- 2Corners: no hairline cracks
- 3Runners: free of residue
- 4Fork pockets: free of residue
- Cold use noted on the request
Words used on this page
- Open deck
- Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Closed deck
- Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
- Welding repair
- Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
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
- 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
- Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb. en.wikipedia.org
- The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. blog.containerexchanger.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
Do plastic pallets crack in cold rooms?
Freezing can make some materials brittle. Ask the maker.
Which grade for dairy?
Like new is the usual start.
Open or closed deck?
Open drains and is lighter; closed keeps small items from falling through.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.