Heat-treated pallets for Jacksonville export loads
Most destinations require the wood pallets in an export container out of Jacksonville to be heat treated and stamped under ISPM 15. Treatment takes the wood core to at least 56 °C for at least 30 minutes, and the mark shows it was done.
When the load needs the mark
ISPM 15 regulates wood packaging material in international trade. A pallet crossing a border in a container needs it wherever the destination applies the standard, as most do. A pallet on a truck between Jacksonville and Atlanta does not. Wood must also be debarked before treatment, and the bark that remains has to be under 3 cm wide, or if wider, under 50 square cm in surface area.
Where the container goes
JAXPORT owns cargo terminals at Blount Island, Dames Point and Talleyrand on the St. Johns River, and handled 1,388,841 TEUs in fiscal year 2025 (Florida Auditor). Most containers stuffed in Jacksonville carry pallets, which is why export coordinators ask for HT stock by name.
| Pallet | 20 ft box | 40 ft box | Double-stacked 40 ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 in | 9 | 20 | 40 |
| 800 x 1200 mm Euro | 11 | 23 | 46 |
| 42 x 42 in | 10 | 22 | 44 |
Counts come from the container planner, which assumes maximum inside dimensions and no overhang. Pallets should pack tightly in the box so the load does not ship air.
Heat treatment and mould
Heat treatment does not make wood immune to mould. Heat-treated pallets loaded into trailers while still hot are susceptible to it, and a dry core under 20% moisture content is what keeps mould away. See do heat-treated pallets get mould.
What to include in the request
- The stamp codes you need, HT and DB, and the size and count.
- Whether the receiving country adds rules of its own: Canada, for instance, has a different approach for wood from the continental US.
- The terminal or forwarder the box moves through, if known.
A shipping week, step by step
A coordinator at a Northside exporter books containers with a carrier, decides the cut-off, and orders pallets to arrive before the box is delivered for stuffing. The pallets must already be stamped, because a loader cannot add the mark. If the order is late, wood goes on the box without it and the shipment risks being held at origin or at the far port. The practical rule is simple: order the mark with the pallet, not after.
Questions an importer abroad may ask
- Does every piece of wood carry the stamp, including dunnage and blocking?
- Is the producer number legible?
- Was the wood debarked before treatment?
- Is the wood dry enough to avoid mould on arrival?
Dunnage and blocking count as wood packaging material too. A heat-treated pallet under a load braced with untreated lumber is still a non-compliant shipment.
HT, MB and what the stamp says
Two treatment codes are common. HT is heat treatment and MB is methyl bromide fumigation. The same standard allows both, but many buyers ask for HT by name. The stamp guide walks through each mark with a tap-to-read drawing.
Questions
Does Jacksonville Pallet stamp pallets itself?
No. The mark comes from a treatment facility under the national programme. Knowing what it shows is how the right pallet gets requested.
Do pallets on a truck to Orlando need the mark?
No, ISPM 15 covers international trade.
Which is more common, HT or MB?
HT is what buyers usually name.
Keep reading
Sources, reviewed 12 November 2026: ISPM 15 (Wikipedia); JAXPORT terminals; Canadian wood packaging rules (CFIA).