Send a lot

Sort your pile of plastic pallets

Pick the size, style, grade, branding and count, add the ZIP, and the sorter says which bin the lot most likely lands in, with the reason in one line.

Intake slip
Drawn stack of 40 48 x 40 plastic pallets
40 pallets · 48 x 40 in

Whole and usable, so it reads as a reuse lot.

Add the ZIP to finish the slip.

What a buyer will want to see

  • Photos of 48 x 40 on every deck
  • A photo of one pallet from above and one from the side
  • The model or rating mark, so the nestable claim can be checked

The ruling is a first read. It states no price, minimum or turnaround; the desk answers those after it has seen the lot.

How to use the sorter

  1. Say what is on the pallets

    Choose any name, logo or tag first. A pool mark changes the ruling more than anything else.

  2. Give the shape of the lot

    Footprint, style and grade, then the count. Count in pallets if they do not nest, or in stacks and the number per stack if they do.

  3. Read the ruling

    The rail lights SOLD, RETURN or SCRAP. The line under it says why, and what a buyer will want to see.

  4. Send this lot

    The button opens the request form with every answer already in it. Add a name, a way to reach you and the supply, and send.

What the ruling means

RulingWhen the sorter shows itWhat to do next
SOLDNo pool mark, and the deck is whole or repaired.Send the lot with photos. Read lot value for what a buyer looks at.
RETURNiGPS, CHEP, Orbis or any other name or tag.Photograph the marks and read pool-marked pallets.
SCRAPCracked, chipped, burnt or crushed decks.Read damaged pallets; scrap is sold by weight.

What the sorter does not do

  • It states no price, minimum or turnaround. A price depends on the lot, and the desk answers on your own.
  • It cannot see the pallets. A photo can change a ruling, and the desk reads the photo against your answers.
  • It does not help with marks. If a mark is worn, choose not sure and say so in the message.
Is the ruling final?

No. It is a first read from your answers. The desk reads the photos and rules on the lot.

Do I have to use the sorter?

No. The contact page has the same form without it.

Words you will meet

Nest ratio
How many empty pallets fit in the height of one.
Welding repair
Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
Static load
Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
Dynamic load
Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
Racking load
Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
Open deck
Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
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.
Lip
Raised edge on the deck, or an optional soft lip, that keeps the load in place.
Anti-slip
Textured deck or rubber grommets that reduce load slip.
Stackable
Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
Closed loop
Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
Creep
Slow bending of plastic under a heavy load held for a long time.
PP
Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
Virgin resin
New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.
Recycled-content pallet
A pallet moulded partly or wholly from post-industrial or post-consumer resin.

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.
Automotive plants and suppliers
48 x 45 pallets that match bulk containers; closed-loop reuse; heavy dynamic and static loads.
Chemical and drum shippers
48 x 48 and 45 x 45 pallets for drums and bags; chemical resistance.

What the sources say

  • That nestable has a 2.50 in nest increment and 1,260 units per 53 ft trailer. (rehrigpacific.com)
  • About 500 million pallets are made each year as of 2020, with about 2 billion in use in the US. (en.wikipedia.org)
  • iGPS announced FM approval in 2008 for its all-plastic RFID-tagged pooled pallet, which had UL 2335 certification from 2007. (freightwaves.com)
  • Nestable pallets can cut empty-pallet storage space by up to 75 percent. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
  • 43 x 43 in pallets are designed for bulk bags; 45 x 45 in is the CP9 chemical standard. (nelsoncompany.com)
  • In 2011 a Quebec court ruled that CHEP's identified blue pallets belong to CHEP and cannot be sold. (palletenterprise.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)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 1,775,008 jobs across 42,763 establishments in food manufacturing (NAICS 311) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (166,660), Texas (112,088), Illinois (98,300), Pennsylvania (82,538), Wisconsin (81,993). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 556,647 jobs across 4,689 establishments in meat and poultry processing (NAICS 3116) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: Texas (44,780), Georgia (42,030), North Carolina (35,715), Arkansas (34,773), Iowa (33,386). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 168,222 jobs across 2,809 establishments in dairy product manufacturing (NAICS 3115) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: Wisconsin (28,840), California (18,374), New York (11,603), Ohio (8,963), Texas (7,529). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 173,844 jobs across 2,936 establishments in fruit and vegetable preserving (NAICS 3114) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (27,518), Wisconsin (11,014), Washington (10,988), Ohio (10,327), Texas (9,194). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 316,938 jobs across 16,316 establishments in beverage manufacturing (NAICS 3121) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (63,604), Texas (24,154), New York (13,802), Pennsylvania (13,207), Florida (12,661). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 350,886 jobs across 7,786 establishments in pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing (NAICS 3254) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: California (42,575), New Jersey (30,062), North Carolina (26,998), New York (25,087), Illinois (24,257). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 892,426 jobs across 25,801 establishments in chemical manufacturing (NAICS 325) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: Texas (90,310), California (75,499), Ohio (49,328), Illinois (48,745), New Jersey (47,966). (data.bls.gov)
  • Private employers in the US averaged 288,633 jobs across 934 establishments in motor vehicle manufacturing (NAICS 3361) in 2025 (BLS QCEW). States with the most jobs: Michigan (44,870), Texas (28,069), California (27,690), Kentucky (23,308), Alabama (22,311). (data.bls.gov)

More questions sellers ask

Do plastic pallets get brittle in the cold?

Freezing can make some materials brittle. For freezer use start with unblended HDPE.

What do plastic pallets weigh?

Light ones weigh about 3 to 15 lb, heavy ones up to 300 lb. 48x40 examples run from about 18 lb (nestable rackable) to 49 lb (heavy one-piece).

What is the difference between static, dynamic and racking capacity?

Static is weight at rest, dynamic is weight while moving, racking is weight on unsupported rack beams. Ratings assume an evenly spread load.

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