More and more businesses rely on pallets for safely moving, displaying, and storing goods. Out of those businesses, and despite the many alternatives, around 90% favor wood because these pallets are strong, customizable, repairable, and recyclable.
If you haven’t used a pallet before, selecting and buying pallets can be somewhat daunting. But we’re here to help guide you through some key areas that you need to know.
New or Used?
The first thing you will want to decide on is whether you will go with a new pallet or a used one. Since wood pallets are repairable, these will still be durable. They will also be cheaper than ones bought new.
Used pallets can be classified into three categories:
- Repaired/Recycled – pallets that have undergone repair
- Remanufactured – pallets that are crafted using old pallet parts to create an entirely new pallet
- Combination – pallets that are built using both old and new parts
Pallet Grade A or B?
If you do decide to go with used wood packaging, it’s important to know about the various pallet grades. Recycled pallets are divided into different pallet grades and within those pallet grades are further subclassifications. For business use, we suggest only going with either Grade A or B because the lower categories won’t be as structurally sound.
The Grade A pallets will look brand new and are highly dependable. Grade B pallets are still reliable as packaging material, but they won’t look as good as Grade A ones and won’t be fit to use for display on retail floors.
Standard or Customized?
Wood pallets have several standard sizes that will fit most types of products. The most common is the GMA Pallet, which measures 48” x 40.” Unique or oddly-shaped goods that won’t fit in standard wood packaging will need to have customized pallets built for them.
Hardwood or Softwood?
Pallets are built using lumber from either hardwood or softwood trees. Hardwood lumber is denser and harder, but it is also more expensive. Softwood weighs less so it can save you money on shipping costs, particularly if you do mass shipments.
You can benefit from using hardwood pallets if you will be shipping extremely heavy products, like steel, turbines, or industrial equipment. A lower-density wood like pine (which makes up about 80% of the pallet market) will work best for regular items.
Treated or Not?
If you only intend to ship domestically, buying pallets that are untreated are your best course. Pallets that will be shipped internationally will, however, need to conform to ISPM-15 standards, which calls for heat treating the wood.
Cost
Pallet costs will vary depending on the many different factors we mentioned above as well as geographic location and fluctuations in material prices. But just for reference, a standard 48” x 40” GMA pallet is usually priced between $11.25 to $12.50, according to Pallet Profile Weekly.
We’re your #1 pallet source!
Anderson Pallet and Crate has been in business since 1982. We have a comprehensive product line to suit all of your packaging needs, and we’re experts at figuring out the perfect packaging requirements for any kind of product. Give us a call today at (303) 660-0084 or drop us a message, and we’ll help you find what you need.
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