Buy pallets to the spec your load needs

01 Four choices, in the order they matter

Size comes first because it decides what fits the rack, the truck and the load. Build comes second because a block pallet and a stringer pallet of the same size behave differently under a forklift. Grade says how much repair the boards have had. Treatment says whether the wood carries the heat-treated mark that international shipping rules ask for.

1. Size: 48 x 40 is the North American default, 48 x 48 suits drums and totes, 42 x 42 turns up in telecommunications and paint, 48 x 45 in automotive.
2. Build: block, stringer, two-way or four-way entry.
3. Grade: A, B, C, new, combo, mixed load or core.
4. Treatment: heat treated (HT) to ISPM 15, or untreated for domestic loads.

02 Which buying page fits your load

Each of those pages ends with the same short request. The form behind it is shared, so you can start from any page and still say exactly what you need.

03 Why a spec beats a stack

A pile of pallets labelled only 'used' hides most of what decides whether it works on your line. A mix of 48 x 40 and 48 x 45 will not rack together. A grade C pallet with a missing deck board will not carry bagged resin evenly. A pooled pallet in the stack belongs to its owner and cannot be sold on. Writing the spec down once removes those three surprises before they reach your dock.

04 What this region asks for

Western Pennsylvania's plants ship dense goods, so requests here lean toward heavy-duty frames: 48 x 48 block pallets for drums and totes, reinforced 48 x 40 builds for metal parts, and heat-treated pallets for crates bound overseas. The Pittsburgh industrial market held 147.7 million square feet of space at 4.1% vacancy in March 2023 according to CBRE, and every one of those buildings has a dock that needs a repeatable pallet spec.

Source: CBRE, Pittsburgh industrial brief, March 2023.

05 Mistakes that cost a second request

• Writing 'standard' without a size. Standard means 48 x 40 to some docks and 48 x 42 to others.
• Leaving out the entry. A pallet that only takes forks from two sides will not suit a dock that approaches from the corner.
• Asking for HT after the order is built. Treatment is applied during manufacture, not afterwards.
• Forgetting the rack. A pallet that fits the floor can still be too deep for the beam.

06 Quantities and how often

Most buyers here fall into three rhythms. A shop or restaurant wants a few dozen once. A distribution dock wants a repeating pallet count every week. A plant wants a truckload of one spec on a schedule that follows its production line. Say which rhythm you are in, because a repeating spec is easier to plan around than a single order of the same size.