Used nestable plastic pallets
Used nestable plastic pallets have legs that fit into each other when empty, so a stack of them takes far less room than the same number of ordinary pallets. We grade them by wear and state the nest numbers a stack has.
- Space saved when empty
- Up to 75 percent
- Nest increment, example
- 2.50 in
- Per 53 ft trailer, example
- 1,260
- Racking
- Generally not rated
How nesting works
Nestable pallets have tapered legs that drop into the pallet below. The nest increment is how much height each extra nested pallet adds to a stack, and the nest ratio is how many empty pallets fit in the height of one. A standard-duty 48 x 40 example has a 2.50 in increment and lists 1,260 per 53 ft trailer. Empty-pallet storage space can fall by up to 75 percent.
Nestable is a wide range
| Model type | Static | Dynamic | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Light export nestable | 2,204 lb and up | 1,102 lb and up | One supplier's range starts here |
| Standard-duty nestable | 10,000 lb | 3,000 lb | No rack rating listed |
| Heavy-duty nestable | 10,000 lb | 3,500 lb | 2.55 in increment |
| Heavy stacker, EXP 116 | 15,000 lb | Not listed | 40 per stack, 1,260 per truckload |
| Light EXP 100 | Not listed | Not listed | 78 per stack, 2,340 per truckload |
Used nestable lots
A used nestable lot is attractive to closed-loop buyers who return empties between sites, since the empties take little room. The wear to look at is the legs: cracked or chipped leg tips stop a pallet nesting properly and put weight on the next one down. Nested stacks hide the deck wear, so we pull and inspect a sample from within the stack.
- Legs: cracked tips, chipped cones
- Decks: flat, with nest-compression marks only
- Count: per stack and per truck
- Marks: owner names are common on closed-loop pallets
Nest counts and trailers
Nesting saves trailer space on the way in and storage space when pallets are idle. Ask for the nest increment, the stack count a person can handle safely, and whether the lot is one model. Models that look alike may not nest together, and a mixed stack tends to jam or lean. Ask for a sample stack to be nested before the lot is counted.
Nesting in practice
When nested, the lower pallet's legs fit into the upper one's cavities, and the gain in space is large but the stack is less stable than a flat one. Nested stacks should be moved by a forklift with the right tine length and kept to a height a person can manage. Keep nestable and rigid pallets in separate stacks to avoid jams, and wipe the cavities if grit builds up.
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: flat after being nested
- 2Corners: leg tips whole
- 3Runners: runners whole where the style has them
- 4Fork pockets: pockets open
- Nest increment measured
- Stack height and count recorded
Words used on this page
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- Compression moulding
- Moulding by pressing resin in a closed mould; one of six processes in use.
- Pooling
- Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
- Nest ratio
- How many empty pallets fit in the height of one.
- Nest increment
- How much height each extra nested pallet adds to a stack.
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
- Nestable pallets can cut empty-pallet storage space by up to 75 percent. blog.containerexchanger.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
- 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
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
Can nestable pallets go on racking?
Standard-duty nestables carry no rack rating in the examples. Check the model.
What is the nest ratio?
How many empty pallets fit in the height of one.
Are nestables always cheap and light?
No. The range runs from light export pallets to heavy-duty stackers.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.