Pool-marked · the short answer

Can you sell CHEP pallets?

No. You cannot sell CHEP pallets you hold. They belong to CHEP. If you have them, record the marks and tell the owner.

Last reviewed November 12, 2026

A tally sheet: strokes in fives, counted by stack

Short answer: No. If it says CHEP, it is not yours to sell.

Why the answer is no

A pooled pallet is rented. The company that rents it keeps title to it for its whole life, through every dock it visits. A holder on the receiving end has the use of the pallet while the load is there, and nothing more. Selling it is selling something you do not own.

The exceptions people hope for

Hope	Why it does not work
"It has been here for years"	Time on your dock does not change who owns it
"The supplier never asked for it back"	Silence from a supplier is not a transfer
"I only want to sell a few"	A few is still not yours
"I can take the mark off"	That is exactly what this desk will not help with
"A recycler would take it"	A court granted CHEP's motion to retrieve pallets from a recycler in one reported case

A California statute, AB 1760, is sometimes quoted at this point. Trade press reports that it lets recyclers take possession of stray proprietary pallets after a 35-day period if the owner cannot be identified or does not retrieve them, and that when the clock starts, and what records must be kept, are in dispute. That is a rule for recyclers in one state. It is not a licence for a holder to sell. This page describes what trade articles and courts have said. It is not legal advice. Confirm with the owner of the pallets or with counsel before you act on a disputed lot.

What to do instead

Count the pallets and photograph the marks.
Keep them apart from the pallets you own.
Note the date they arrived and which delivery brought them.
Tell the owner. See CHEP return.
Send the rest of your pile to the sorter.

Can you sell CHEP pallets to a recycler?

A reported California case went the other way: a court granted CHEP's motion to retrieve pallets from recyclers. Do not assume a recycler is a safe route.

What about Orbis or iGPS?

Same answer. See iGPS and Orbis.

What if the pallets are mine and carry my own logo?

Then they are yours. See own-brand pallets.

Words you will meet

Closed loop: Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
Closed deck: Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
Picture frame: A raised rim around the deck edge that keeps cartons from sliding off.
Anti-slip: Textured deck or rubber grommets that reduce load slip.
Fork pocket: Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
Pooling: Renting pallets from a company that owns, tracks and collects them instead of buying.
Multi-trip pallet: A pallet designed to be returned and reused many times.
FM 4996: FM Approvals standard that rates a pallet as equal to wood in fire tests.
Injection moulding: Pallet made by forcing molten resin into a mould at high pressure.
Thermoforming: Heated plastic sheet formed over a mould; lighter pallets.
GMA pallet: The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
CP9: A chemical-industry pallet standard, 1140 x 1140 mm.
Euro pallet: 800 x 1200 mm footprint.
Virgin resin: New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.
Open deck: Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
Cruciform base: Bottom with a cross-shaped member as well as a perimeter, for strength and automated handling.

Who asks, and what they need

Pharmaceutical and healthcare shippers: Hygienic pallets that can be sanitised; documents on resin and colour; PP sometimes preferred for sterilisation.
Plants changing packaging or pallet size: Retire a whole stock of one footprint at once; want it sold or ground up, not landfilled.
Chemical and drum shippers: 48 x 48 and 45 x 45 pallets for drums and bags; chemical resistance.

What the sources say

California AB 1760 (2022) lets recyclers take possession of stray proprietary pallets if the owner cannot be identified or fails to retrieve them in time, with a 35-day period before they can be declared abandoned. (palletenterprise.com)
CHEP USA sued two California recyclers over CHEP-marked pallets they would not return; a Los Angeles court granted CHEP's motion to retrieve pallets in one case (article dated February 1, 2024). (palletenterprise.com)
In 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold. (palletenterprise.com)
Counties with the most private pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing jobs (NAICS 3254) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Lake County, Illinois (16,883), Marion County, Indiana (16,292), Montgomery County, Pennsylvania (11,878), Suffolk County, New York (10,760), Los Angeles County, California (8,300), San Diego County, California (8,028). (data.bls.gov)
Counties with the most private motor vehicle manufacturing jobs (NAICS 3361) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Wayne County, Michigan (24,188), Bexar County, Texas (6,165), Cook County, Illinois (5,473), Eaton County, Michigan (4,432), Oakland County, Michigan (735), Los Angeles County, California (643). (data.bls.gov)
Counties with the most private dairy product manufacturing jobs (NAICS 3115) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Sheboygan County, Wisconsin (3,238), Los Angeles County, California (3,204), Franklin County, Ohio (2,930), Tulare County, California (2,916), Dodge County, Wisconsin (2,659), Marathon County, Wisconsin (2,535). (data.bls.gov)
Counties with the most private fruit and vegetable preserving jobs (NAICS 3114) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Los Angeles County, California (3,695), Stanislaus County, California (3,669), Fresno County, California (3,355), Cook County, Illinois (2,861), Franklin County, Washington (2,520), Marion County, Oregon (2,273). (data.bls.gov)
Counties with the most private grocery and related product wholesale jobs (NAICS 4244) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Los Angeles County, California (36,194), Cook County, Illinois (23,404), Miami-Dade County, Florida (14,422), Harris County, Texas (14,172), Dallas County, Texas (12,337), Maricopa County, Arizona (9,996). (data.bls.gov)
Counties with the most private refrigerated warehousing jobs (NAICS 49312) in 2025, BLS QCEW, counties with disclosed data only: Los Angeles County, California (2,320), Middlesex County, New Jersey (1,661), San Bernardino County, California (1,565), Cook County, Illinois (1,552), Wayne County, Michigan (1,041), Maricopa County, Arizona (871). (data.bls.gov)
Pallet capacities are issued by the manufacturer from calculation and lab or field tests, and assume an evenly distributed load. (nelsoncompany.com)
iGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007. (freightwaves.com)
In December 2011 a Los Angeles County Sheriff task force recovered over $250,000 of illegally obtained plastic pallets, including iGPS pallets, from a plastic recycler. (eponline.com)
Rehrig Pacific says its reusable products are designed to be recyclable at end of life and run a buyback program. (rehrigpacific.com)
A 48 x 40 pallet fits 30 stacks in a turned pattern on a 53 ft dry van, per one supplier. (nelsoncompany.com)
Private employers in the US averaged 1,901,976 jobs across 23,345 establishments in warehousing and storage (NAICS 493) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (236,923), Texas (175,579), Pennsylvania (123,481), Florida (105,401), Ohio (98,354). (data.bls.gov)
Private employers in the US averaged 73,136 jobs across 1,811 establishments in refrigerated warehousing (NAICS 49312) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (9,969), Texas (6,638), New Jersey (5,388), Georgia (4,453), Pennsylvania (4,102). (data.bls.gov)

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