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Plastic Plastic Pallets 101 Shipping & Freight Sustainability Technical Center Wood
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automotive, export, fda, food-safe, ispm-15, lumber, nestable, pallet-experts, pallet-mold, pharmaceutical, plastic, plastic-pallets-101, rackable, shipping, stackable, sustainability, technical-center, used-pallets, wood, wood-pallets

Find the right plastic pallet

Select from the options below to zero in on your ideal pallet configuration.

Application use case

Export
One-Way
Multi-Trip
Warehouse
Bulk Bag
Pharma
FDA Blue

Condition

Size inches

42×42 43×43 45×45 48×32 48×40 48×45 48×48 56×44 Other…

Style structure and storage type

Nestable Stackable Rackable

Load Rating pounds (optional)

Dynamic

Weight supported in motion (forklift, pallet jack, conveyor).

Up to 1,5001,500 – 4,000Over 4,000
Static

Weight supported at rest (or bottom pallet when stacked 2–3 high).

Up to 3,5003,500 – 8,0008,000 – 18,000Over 18,000
Racking

Weight supported in unsupported rack (edge racking).

Up to 1,5001,500–2,800Over 2,800
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Request a Match

A few quick taps and we'll match it.

Tell us a little about the job, drop your details, and a Nelson rep takes it from there — matching the best available stock, new or used, from the closest warehouse.

A few quick questions

Plastic or wood pallet?
Wood Plastic
Load dims & weight (inches / lbs)
What's going on the pallet?
Siding / roofingRolls / reelsHigh-value equipmentIrregular / oversized itemsOther
Where is it going?
In-house / warehouseDomestic shippingExport overseasCold / freezer
Equipment used? (select all that apply)
Supported RackUnsupported RackForkliftPallet jackRiders / WalkiesConveyorPalletizer
How many?
Under 100100–500500–1,0001,000+
How often?
1 TimeRecurring
Anything else?

Where to send the match

No commitment — this starts a conversation, not an order.
Wood

Lumber Grading

Understanding the Different Types of Wood Grades

All lumber can be graded based on its quality characteristics.

Understanding the Different Types of Wood Grades
When it comes to industrial wood packaging, using higher grade lumber is often an aesthetic choice.

When grading lumber, graders are looking for defects such as knots. Lumber graders check the size and the frequency of defects within a certain linear length. Since there is a correlation between lumber grade and defects, higher grade lumber can have better performance characteristics than lower grade material. For transport packaging, lower grades are usually the more cost-effective option.

Hardwood vs Softwood Lumber for Pallets

When we’re talking lumber for manufacturing custom wood pallets, wooden shipping crates and other transport packaging products, we need to address hardwood and softwood separately. In part, because they each have different grading systems.

  • Hardwood
    The hardwood that is used in pallets and packaging is normally off grade (or non-graded) material. On grade hardwood is typically used in industries such as furniture and flooring. Upper grades of hardwood such as FAS and Selects are normally used for moldings. No. 1 Common and No. 2 Common hardwood is used for cabinets, furniture and flooring.

  • Softwood
    In regards to softwood lumber, grades are usually 1 through 4, with 1 being the best. Grade 1 Common softwood is characterized by clear wood with very small, tight knots. Pallets and packaging are typically made using Grades 2 through 4. The lower grades of softwood have larger and more frequent knots.

Selecting Lumber for Pallets and Packaging

Typically, when we select lumber the focus is on strength and the capacity to withstand your specific product load. Other considerations include current market prices for lumber and any necessary ISPM-15 treatments to satisfy export regulations. Knowing your application and consulting with a pallet and packaging professional is the best start in determining the proper grade of lumber.

Want advice on the right lumber and grade for your wooden pallets? Let’s connect. Tell us about your product and your current pallets or packaging.

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