Used pool-marked plastic pallets
Used pool-marked plastic pallets are pallets that carry a rental company's name, logo or RFID tag, and they may belong to the pool, not to whoever holds them. We do not sell them, and we say why.
- Owned by
- The pool operator, not the user
- For resale?
- No
- Example pool
- iGPS: all-plastic, RFID-tagged
- What we do
- Hold them back
Pooling in a paragraph
Pooling is renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying. The pallets are the pool's property, tagged to prove it. Fire listings and approvals exist for some pooled designs, but those are about the design, not about whether a holder can sell the pallet.
What has happened when pool pallets were sold
| Case | What happened |
|---|---|
| California AB 1760 (2022) | Lets recyclers take possession of stray proprietary pallets if the owner cannot be identified or fails to retrieve them in time, with a 35-day period before they can be declared abandoned |
| CHEP and two California recyclers | CHEP sued over CHEP-marked pallets they would not return; a Los Angeles court granted CHEP's motion to retrieve pallets in one case |
| Quebec, 2011 | A court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold |
| Los Angeles County, December 2011 | A Sheriff task force recovered over $250,000 of illegally obtained plastic pallets, including iGPS pallets, from a plastic recycler |
What this means if you hold some
If a lot you own contains pool-marked pallets, check ownership before you sell. If you are buying and a seller has pool-marked pallets, do not buy them. We hold back anything that carries a pool operator's mark, logo or tag.
- Look for names, logos and RFID tags
- Photograph the marks
- Contact the pool for retrieval
- Do not sell until ownership is clear
Rental pallets are not stock
Pallets in a rental pool belong to the pool operator, and the mark on them says so. A pooled pallet turning up in a lot is a sign something has gone wrong in the chain, not a bargain. If your lot includes any pooled pallet, tell the desk, and leave it out of the sale until the owner is identified. Selling a pallet that belongs to someone else can lead to a claim, and the desk will not take that risk on your behalf.
How pool owners recover pallets
Pool operators track pallets with serial marks and send collectors to recover strays. A pallet found in the wrong place may be reclaimed, sometimes with a fee. A buyer who ends up with one has no sale value to claim. Return it, or ask the operator what they want done, and record the exchange.
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: marks photographed
- 2Corners: corner logos noted
- 3Runners: runner marks noted
- 4Fork pockets: tags noted at the pockets
- Pool named, if known
Words used on this page
- RFID
- Radio tag moulded or fixed into a pallet so it can be tracked.
- Pooling
- Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
What the sources say
- In December 2011 a Los Angeles County Sheriff task force recovered over $250,000 of illegally obtained plastic pallets, including iGPS pallets, from a plastic recycler. eponline.com
- In 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold. palletenterprise.com
- iGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007. freightwaves.com
- Resin identification codes do not indicate whether a product is recyclable; ASTM D7611 governs the coding. en.wikipedia.org
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 I buy a CHEP or iGPS pallet?
We do not sell pool-marked pallets. They may belong to the pool.
Is every logo a pool mark?
No. A maker's raised logo is a maker's mark. An owner's name, logo or tag is the question.
What does "not ours to sell" mean?
It means we will not sell what is not ours to sell.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.