What you are looking at
This stack shows a paler, newer board among the older ones: a replaced deck board. Further down are short boards beside the stringers: plugs. Millwood's guide says Grade B stock may have repaired stringers or plugs greater than 1 and a quarter inches and needs deck board spacing of at least 4 inches.
The repairs, one by one
- Replaced deck board: a cracked board cut out and a new one nailed on.
- Plate: a metal plate that holds a split together.
- Plug: a short board, 6 to 24 inches long, nailed beside a cracked stringer.
- Companion stringer: a full-length board fixed alongside a damaged stringer, a stronger repair than a plug.
Where B beats A
A rack does not care about appearance; it cares about stringers. A sound Grade B pallet, loaded to its dynamic rating of 2,000 to 2,800 lb, sits fine on a beam. A warehouse that wants thousands of pallets per quarter finds Grade B far easier to buy in volume.
Where it does not work
Skip it for sensitive goods or retail-facing loads. Skip it for an automated conveyor if the repaired boards stick out. And skip it when a plug sits under the load path of a very heavy item.
Asking for it
Say Grade B and give the size and count. If you can tolerate Grade C, say so; the grade guide shows the difference at pallet grades. For a single clean outbound load use Grade A instead.
The practical middle
For most warehouse racking and one-way trips, a Grade B pallet does everything a Grade A does at a gentler cost. The repair it carries, a replaced deck board or a plug beside a stringer, restores the strength the original board had.
What to check
- Plugs should sit tight against the stringer, not rattle.
- Replacement boards should be the same thickness as their neighbours.
- Nails should be flush; a raised head can catch a wrap or a hand.
- No more than a few repairs per pallet, or it drifts toward Grade C.
If your customer inspects inbound pallets, tell the supplier. A shipper whose customer rejects a repaired pallet should buy Grade A instead, whatever the stack costs.