Questions we get asked about pallets
Straight answers to what people actually ask before they call, from what the grades mean to whether free pickup is really free. If your question is not here, phone it in — we would rather answer it than have you guess.
How much does a used pallet cost?
Price depends on the grade, the size, the quantity and how far it has to travel, so we quote rather than publish a list. Tell us what you need and where you are and you will have a number quickly. If a supplier gives you a single figure without asking those questions, it is a starting price rather than your price.
Why are there no prices on your website?
Because a published number would be wrong for most of the people reading it. The same pallet costs differently in a partial load to Palmyra and a truckload to Ashland. We would rather quote you honestly than advertise a figure we then have to walk back.
What is your minimum order?
There isn't one. Most suppliers in this trade want a truckload before they will move, and that is the gap we exist in: a single pallet or a full load, whichever matches what you can actually store. What occasionally decides a very small order is route fit rather than the count, and we will tell you plainly if something needs to wait for a run going your way.
Is pallet pickup really free?
Yes. Free collection is the standard arrangement, not a promotion, and it is how most of our pickups work. You should not have to pay a removal company to take away something that still has value. The one honest condition is that free collection works best when the pickup rides a route we are already running. A small load at the far edge of the service area may wait for a run going that way, or we may quote it as a job of its own — either way we will tell you which before anything is booked.
Do you buy used pallets?
For large consistent volumes, yes. If you are generating pallets in quantity, or clearing several hundred at once, there is real value in the load and we will talk about paying for it. For ordinary amounts of surplus or damaged pallets, free collection is the offer and it is usually the better deal for you, because you get the space back today rather than waiting on a negotiation over a small load.
What is the difference between Grade A and Grade B pallets?
Both are used pallets, sorted by condition. Grade A pallets have no plugged stringers, no missing deckboards and either no repairs or repairs made with full-length boards: clean, dry and square. Grade B pallets have been repaired, typically a replaced deckboard, a plugged stringer or a companion block. Both are structurally sound; Grade A is what you use when the load leaves your building and a customer sees it.
What does reconditioned mean?
It means a used pallet that has been repaired back to a serviceable standard rather than sold as it arrived. A broken deckboard is replaced, a cracked stringer is plugged or reinforced, and protruding nails are dealt with.
What is a core?
A core is a used pallet sold as it came off the truck, before sorting or repair. Cores come in mixed condition and mixed sizes and are bought in volume, usually by recyclers and repair operations rather than by shippers.
What size is a standard pallet?
In North America the standard is 48x40 inches, often called a GMA pallet. It is the most common footprint by a wide margin and the one we carry in the most depth. Plenty of other sizes exist, and we handle 42x42, 48x48, 44x44, 36x36 and 48x45 among others.
Do you sell new pallets as well as recycled?
Yes. We supply new pallets built to a specification when recycled stock will not do the job, including custom footprints, particular deck configurations and heavier construction for machinery, castings and repeat-trip loads. Grades do not apply to new pallets; they are built to spec rather than sorted to a condition.
Do you have heat-treated pallets?
Yes, we do. Heat-treated (ISPM-15) pallets are available.
How far do you deliver?
Across twelve Central Virginia counties: Albemarle, Louisa, Orange, Fluvanna, Greene, Nelson, Culpeper, Madison, Goochland, Hanover, Augusta and western Henrico.
How quickly can you deliver?
Runs are scheduled by route rather than on fixed days, which normally means delivery within the week. Closer to the yard, in Louisa, Fluvanna and Charlottesville, short notice is often workable. Further out, in Culpeper, Ashland or over the mountain in Augusta, delivery is planned into scheduled runs and we will give you a realistic date rather than an optimistic one.
Where can I get free pallets?
Retailers and warehouses sometimes give away pallets, though many now have supply agreements that prevent it, and what you find tends to be mixed in size and condition. Community groups and online marketplaces are the usual route for small numbers. If you need a reliable quantity of a consistent size, free is not a supply chain, and that is the point at which people call us.
What payment terms do you offer?
Terms are set per account and agreed when we quote. Tell us what suits your accounts payable and we will work with it where we can. New accounts are agreed case by case when we quote.
Do you handle totes, drums and crates too?
Yes. IBC totes, 55-gallon plastic and steel drums, wooden crates and cable reels, both supplied and collected. Availability changes week to week because it is recovered stock. We do not represent used totes as food-grade.
Still need an answer?
Call (540) 227-0121 or request a quote. You can also read more about our grades and sizes, free pickup and removal, or totes, drums and crates.