What a seller's request needs
| Detail | Why |
|---|---|
| Size | A 48 x 40 and a 48 x 45 are not interchangeable |
| Grade | Sets what the stack is worth; see pallet grades |
| Count | Ten and ten thousand are different jobs |
| Where it sits | A dock, a lot, a trailer, a rack |
| How often | A pile once or every week |
Three kinds of seller
- One-off: a business cleared out a back lot or finished a project. See surplus pallets.
- Recurring: a dock produces empty pallets every week. See recurring dock surplus.
- Cores: used pallets that need repair or rebuilding. See pallet cores.
What is worth the most
A GMA 48 x 40 pallet accounts for about 30 percent of all new wood pallets produced in the United States, so it is the size most buyers want. Heat-treated and Grade A stock beat damp or repaired stock. The value guide explains the levers without naming a price.
Before you send
Walk the pile. Count roughly, check for broken stringers, and note whether the stack stayed dry. If it is mostly broken, treat it as a clear-out request and read broken pallets instead. If it is a mix of sizes, say so; mixed loads describes how that works.
Ask for a buyback
Tell us what you have: size, grade, count, ZIP.
Honest descriptions read best
A buyer reads dozens of descriptions and remembers the ones that match what turns up. Overstating a grade invites a rejected load. Understating it costs you money. The safest form is a number, a size, a grade, and one sentence on how the stack has been kept.
- Photograph the stack from two angles, with a tape or a person for scale.
- Photograph one pallet lifted out, so the stringers show.
- Photograph the worst pallet you would still call sellable.
- Note the count you actually counted, not the one you remember.
Pictures replace a lot of back-and-forth, and they let a reply start with specifics.
Seasons and timing
Pallet demand follows freight. Late summer and the weeks before the winter holidays are busy for many shippers, and January is quieter. A seller who describes a pile in a busy season may find more interest than one who waits for a lull. Salt Lake winters also affect a yard pile, so list wet or snow-covered stock sooner rather than later.
- Late summer: ramp-up for holiday freight.
- Early winter: snow starts to reduce yard stock.
- January: slower buying.
- Spring: thaw reveals what winter did.
When a pile is not worth listing
Some piles are best removed rather than sold: wet, rotted, oil-soaked or mostly broken stock. Calling it surplus misleads a buyer and wastes a reply. If you are unsure, send a photograph and ask which route fits. A frank answer saves a trip for everyone.
- Soaked or mouldy wood belongs in the clear-out route.
- Oil, paint or chemical contamination belongs in the clear-out route.
- Mostly broken boards belong in recycling.
- Sound stock in a known size belongs in sell.
What buyers worry about
A buyer of used pallets worries about three things: that the count is wrong, that the grade is better than the truth, and that something unwanted is hidden in the pile. A seller can answer each in advance. Give the counted number with a margin, describe the grade the way you would to a skeptic, and say what else is in the area.
- Count: a figure, with a margin such as plus or minus ten percent.
- Grade: the worst pallet you would call sellable.
- Hidden items: say if there is wrap, banding or trash.
Sources