What sorted means
A mixed pile has every size and grade in it. A sorted stack has been looked over deck board by deck board and stringer by stringer. After that it carries a grade. Grade A has needed no repairs; Grade B has replaced deck boards, plates or plugs; Grade C shows poor appearance and several repairs, with deck boards that may not be fully intact.
Which dock takes which
| Dock | Usual pick | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| A 3PL shipping to retailers | Grade A | The pallet is seen by the customer |
| A warehouse with racking | Grade B | Sound stringers matter more than looks |
| A one-way trip | Grade B or C | The pallet is not coming back |
| Anywhere food is handled | Grade A, dry | No loose nails, no mold |
Typical 48 x 40 stock weighs 33 to 49 lb unloaded, and a standard wooden pallet carries about one short ton dynamically and three statically, per PHS. That is why a cracked stringer matters: the pallet has lost the part that carries the load.
Reading what you get
- Count the replaced boards; more than a few suggests Grade B or lower.
- Look at the stringers for plugs; a plug is a short board nailed beside a crack, 6 to 24 inches long.
- Check the stamp if the load leaves the country.
- Look for staining; wet wood grows mold when its moisture content stays above 20 percent.
Where this fits in the yard
Most pallets sold used in Salt Lake County started as freight pallets at a west-side dock, and some traveled up from Davis County. Salt Lake City has the detail. If you need exactly one grade every week, ask on the truckload orders.
Ask for a price
Name the size and grade and a count. Say if you need them dry.
Questions that separate good stock from poor
- Were the pallets sorted by size before grading?
- Have they stood in a yard, and for how long?
- Are repairs tight and flush or loose and protruding?
- Do the stringers ring sound when tapped, or sound dull and soft?
A realistic expectation
Used stock is graded by eye, and two people can place the same pallet one grade apart. That is normal. The way to cope with it is to write down the worst pallet you would accept, in plain words, and ask whether a stack can meet it.
Where cleanliness matters, say it. Where appearance matters, say that too. If neither matters, say "any sound pallet" and the answer widens.
Inspecting a delivery
When a truck arrives, spend a minute on the first stack before anyone unloads the rest. Pull a pallet from the middle, flip it, and run a hand along the deck boards for raised nails. Check for dampness at the bottom boards, which is where meltwater collects, and smell the wood for the sourness of mould. If the sample passes, unload; if not, photograph it before anything else is touched.
- Pull a sample from the middle of a stack.
- Check nails, stringers and bottom boards.
- Smell for mould and look for stains.
- Count against the bill before the driver leaves.
- Photograph any pallet you reject.
Stock that returns
A dock that buys sorted used pallets and clears its empties is running a loop. Pallets leave on outbound freight, arrive somewhere else, and may come back as surplus in a few weeks. Understanding that loop lets you ask for the right grade now and describe the right surplus later.
Terms of a trial order
A buyer who has never ordered from a supplier can start small. Ask for a single pallet or a single stack as a trial, check it against the description, and then place a larger order. The trial teaches both sides what the words mean. Many problems come from different understandings of "Grade B" rather than from bad stock.
- Write the grade definition you use.
- Write the count you expect.
- Ask for a photo of the stack before it leaves.