Grade A / Grade B
| Grade | What you see | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | Whole boards, no plugs, flush nails | Visible, clean or automated loads |
| Grade B | Replaced deck boards, plates, plugs | Racks, warehouses, one-way trips |
| Grade C | Several repairs, deck boards may not be fully intact | Light, one-way or recycling |
| Combo | New decks on recycled stringers | Consistent production lines |
| Core | Unsorted, any condition | Repair, dismantle or grind |
The parts that decide it
- Deck board: the top and bottom boards. How many are cracked or replaced decides the grade.
- Stringer: the length-wise timber; a cracked one is the usual reason a pallet drops a grade.
- Plug: a short board, 6 to 24 inches long, nailed beside a cracked stringer. A plugged pallet is usually Grade B.
- Companion stringer: a full-length board fixed alongside a damaged stringer; stronger than a plug.
Millwood's guide adds that Grade B stock requires deck board spacing of at least 4 inches and may have repaired stringers or plugs larger than 1 and a quarter inches. The GMA organisation no longer governs pallet specifications, so grades are trade usage, not law.
Choosing a grade
If the pallet will be seen or will go on a line, choose Grade A. If it sits on a rack, Grade B is fine. If it is one-way, Grade C will do. If the load matters more than the wood, consider new or combo.
Is Grade B weaker than Grade A?
Not necessarily. A sound repair restores the board, and a rack cares about stringers more than appearance.
Do grades have a legal definition?
No. Trade bodies publish guides, and buyers and sellers use them as shorthand.
Ready? Point at the stack on Buy and send a count through the quote form.
A worked read of one stack
Walk a stack from the top. Start with the deck boards: count any that are shorter than their neighbours or nailed in a different pattern, because a replaced board shows as new wood against weathered wood. Then crouch and look at the stringers for a bolted-on companion board or a short plug. Finally check the bottom deck, where forks do the most damage.
- No replaced wood anywhere: call it Grade A.
- One or two visible repairs that are tight and flush: Grade B.
- New decks over grey stringers: combo.
- You cannot tell, or the stack is a heap: core, to be inspected.
Sending a grade in a request
Name the grade the way you would explain it to a stranger, and add a sentence on what the pallets do next. "Grade B, going into selective racking, fine with a plug" is a better description than a grade letter alone, because it tells the reader which repairs are acceptable. If you are selling, say how you graded them and who graded them.
Is Grade A always better than Grade B?
Only for appearance and handling by machine. A well-repaired Grade B carries the same load in a rack and costs less.
Who decides the grade?
Whoever sorted the stack. Grading is by eye, so ask how it was done and write down the worst pallet you would accept.
What is Grade C?
A pallet with several repairs or boards that may not be whole. It suits light, one-way or recycling use, not racking.
Can a combo be called Grade A?
A combo is its own category. New decks on used stringers look uniform, but the label is combo, not A.
Common mistakes when grading
- Calling a pallet Grade A because it looks clean, when a stringer is cracked underneath.
- Counting a replaced board as no repair at all.
- Grading the top of a stack and assuming the middle matches.
- Forgetting that damp wood changes colour and strength.
Walk a stack from top to bottom and sample the middle. Photograph anything you doubt, and put the photograph beside the grade in your request.
Photographing a stack for a grade
A grade is easier to agree on when both sides can see the same thing. Photograph the stack from the long side and the end in daylight. Lift one pallet out and photograph the underside. Photograph a close-up of the worst repair you see. Three or four pictures replace a long conversation.
Putting a grade in writing
If you sell or buy by grade often, write a one-paragraph definition and keep it with your order records. Include which repairs are allowed, how many per pallet, the thickness of replacement boards and whether nails must be flush. A written definition turns a disagreement about a stack into a measurement.
- Allowed repairs.
- Maximum repairs per pallet.
- Board thickness.
- Nail condition.