Used pallets in Jacksonville, sorted by grade
Used pallets in Jacksonville are sorted into Grade A, Grade B and Grade C, and the grade decides where a skid can go. Grade A has not been repaired, Grade B has been repaired with plugs, plates or replaced boards, and Grade C looks rough and may have several repairs.
Grades in a sentence each
| Grade | What it looks like | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Grade A | No repairs, nothing needed | Cold docks, bagged and carton freight that needs a clean deck |
| Grade B | Plugs, plates or replaced deck boards | Most domestic truck freight and many grocery docks |
| Grade C | Rough, several repairs, boards may be missing | Heavy or cheap loads where appearance does not count |
| Combo | Built from recycled and new lumber | Loads that need consistency at a lower cost than all-new |
Why Jacksonville buyers care about condition
Florida wood takes on water. Pallets that sit out in summer rain need air between the boards to get back under 20% moisture content, and wood below that line will not support mould. A buyer for a Westside cold dock should ask for dry stock and check boards for dark staining. A buyer for a flatbed to Savannah can accept a Grade B skid with a plug.
A plug is a short board nailed beside a broken one. It can run between 6 and 24 inches long. Grade B allows plugs, plates, and replaced deck boards, and its deckboard spacing is at least 4 inches (Millwood grading guide).
What weight the pallet carries
A 48x40x6 in wood pallet weighs roughly 33 to 48 lb empty and carries a static load of about 3 short tons or a dynamic load of about 1 short ton (PHS). Reinforced wood pallets can run 55 to 66 lb. A used skid with repairs sits inside those figures only when the repairs are sound.
Used is not the same as export
A used pallet is not automatically heat treated. A skid that is going into an international container needs the ISPM 15 mark, which is on the heat-treated page.
Sorting a used load in the field
A buyer unloading a trailer of used 48x40s can read the grade in seconds. Run a hand over the deck: nail heads sit flush on a sound pallet. Look at the board ends: fresh saw cuts mean a replaced board, so the pallet is a Grade B. Look at the stringer notches for splits. Then lift one corner. A dry pallet is light; a soaked one feels heavy and cold. Do that on ten pallets from the top of a trailer and ten from the bottom, because stock on the bottom of a stack is the first to stay damp.
What a request for used pallets should name
| Detail | Example |
|---|---|
| Size | 48x40, stringers along the 48-inch side |
| Grade | Grade B, plugs allowed, no stained boards |
| Entry | Four-way on all pallets |
| Count | 300 now, 150 a week after that |
| Delivery | Dock height trailer, Westside, ZIP named |
How used pallets age on a Florida dock
Wood loses strength with each trip. Nails work loose, deck boards split at the ends, and stringers crack at the notch. A skid that was Grade A in March can arrive back as a Grade B in June after a few loads and a summer of rain. That is the cycle behind the grading system: pallets move down the grades with use and come back up through repair.
For export, move to heat-treated pallets. For a steady supply of one grade, read bulk loads.
Questions
Does Grade B hold a loaded pallet jack?
Yes, when the repairs are sound. Look for plugs set flush, plates nailed through, and deck boards that are not split.
Can used pallets be mouldy?
Yes if they were stored wet. A buyer can reject stock with dark staining or soft boards.
Can used pallets be mixed with new?
Yes on a floor, but racking and automated lines usually want one build.
Keep reading
Sources, reviewed 12 November 2026: Pallet grading guide (Millwood); Pallet sizes (PHS); Mould control (Pallet Enterprise).