Written by people who grade pallets
In short
Eight in-depth guides covering the things buyers actually get wrong: what grades permit and reject, how load ratings differ by a factor of three, what ISPM-15 requires and how containers get stranded, which species to specify, why a notched stringer is weaker than it looks, whether to own or rent, and what really happens to a pallet after it leaves your dock. Nothing is gated and nothing asks for an email first.
Question not covered here?
Send it. If the answer is useful to more than one person it usually ends up on this page, with your name nowhere near it.
- 01Pallet Grades ExplainedA, B, #1 and #2 — what each grade permits, what it rejects, and which one your application needs.Standard · 8 min
- 02ISPM-15 Export GuideHeat treatment, the IPPC wheat stamp, country requirements and the failure modes that strand containers.Compliance · 9 min
- 03Hardwood vs Softwood PalletsOak, maple, poplar, pine and spruce compared on strength, weight, cost and service life.Specification · 7 min
- 04Stringer vs Block PalletsTwo construction philosophies, two handling behaviours, and how to tell which one you actually need.Specification · 7 min
- 05Buying vs Renting PalletsOwned whitewood, pooled rental and one-way programmes compared on real total cost.Economics · 9 min
- 06Pallet Load CapacityStatic, dynamic and racked ratings, creep, overhang penalties and how to specify without guessing.Engineering · 10 min
- 07Wood Pallet Recycling GuideWhat actually happens to a returned pallet, stage by stage, and where the environmental value really sits.Sustainability · 10 min
- 08The Operating RecordTwelve months of measured yard data — intake, moisture, grading outcomes, recovery streams and lane economics.Data · 14 min
- 09Reference TablesLoad ratings, derating factors, fastener schedules, kiln cycles, container fit and our posted grading criteria.Engineering · 11 min
- 10Frequently Asked QuestionsForty-six questions we are asked most often, answered without marketing language.Reference · 12 min
Reference material
Pallet Glossary
Thirty-nine terms from bearer board to whitewood, defined by people who use them daily.
ToolThe Reclaim Meter
Your monthly volume translated into carbon, timber, trees and landfill space — with published constants.
ToolThe Board Atlas
Every footprint drawn to true scale in your browser, in inches or millimetres.
MethodCarbon Methodology
Every constant and conversion we use, published so your auditor can check rather than trust.
A reading order, depending on who you are
| If you are | Start with | Then | Then |
|---|---|---|---|
| New to buying pallets | Pallet Grades Explained | Pallet Load Capacity | Buying vs Renting |
| Sitting on a pile you want gone | Wood Pallet Recycling Guide | The Operating Record | Sell Us Your Pallets |
| Specifying for a new facility | Reference Tables | Stringer vs Block | Pallet Load Capacity |
| Exporting for the first time | ISPM-15 Export Guide | Reference Tables (kiln cycles) | Crates & Boxes |
| Chasing a damage problem | Pallet Load Capacity | The 30% rule on overhang | Stretch wrap and unit loads |
| Writing an ESG disclosure | The Operating Record | Carbon Methodology | Reading a Diversion Report Critically |
| Automating a warehouse | Reference Tables | Automated warehouses and the quarter-inch | Designing a pallet for a robot |
| Negotiating a supply agreement | Buying vs Renting | Why Q4 prices move before Q4 | January is the best month to renegotiate |
Our editorial policy, since nobody publishes one
- Nothing here is gated. No email wall, no download form, no "contact us for the full version".
- Every figure is either measured by us and labelled as such, or a published industry value we name.
- Where a range is given it is because the real answer varies within it. We do not narrow a range to look precise.
- We write about things that cost us money — grade right-sizing, when not to buy from us, when somebody closer is better.
- Nothing is ghost-written or guest-posted for links. Each piece is bylined by the bench or desk it came from.
- When a constant changes, we say so and say why. Two have been revised after customers challenged them.
- Corrections are made in place with a note, not quietly.
- If a competitor finds something here useful, that is fine. Attribution and a link is all we ask.