Standards
Pick the grade in the form. If you are not sure which one you need, describe the application in the message.
Past repair
Broken pallet wood headed for a grinder, where it can become mulch, bedding or fuel.
The absence of a standard is the single biggest source of dispute in the used pallet trade. Two quotes for “Grade A 48×40” can differ noticeably and both be honest, because one supplier permits a companion stringer and the other does not.
The stricter definition allows no stringer repair in Grade A, because racked loads are exactly where repaired stringers get tested and a failure there is a dropped load, not an inconvenience. If your pallets go into racking, ask for that definition.
The four grades
All members original or replaced full-length. No stringer repairs of any kind. Uniform appearance, under 19% moisture, square to within a quarter inch.
Racked ≈ 2,100 lb
Use for Racking, automated systems, anything that has to come back.
Up to two replaced deck boards, or one stringer repaired with a full-length companion. Mixed colour acceptable. Structurally sound, cosmetically obviously used.
Racked ≈ 1,500 lb
Use for One-way outbound shipping, floor stacking, internal movement where appearance is irrelevant.
Built from recovered lumber, usually a five-board deck rather than seven, often cut down from a larger orphan footprint. Sound, light, visibly rebuilt.
Racked ≈ 1,200 lb
Use for Expendable outbound loads, light product, anything where the pallet will not come back.
Unsorted incoming pallets, traded between processors. Includes broken units destined for dismantling or grinding.
Racked Not rated
Use for Not a product you should be buying to ship on. If someone offers you 'cores' as usable pallets, walk away.
Side by side
| Criterion | Grade A (#1) | Grade B (#2) | Remanufactured |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top deck boards | 7, all full length | 7, up to 2 replaced | 5–7, recovered lumber |
| Board splits | None over ¼″ | None over 2″ | None structural |
| Stringer condition | No cracks, no repairs | One companion repair permitted | Recovered, docked to length |
| Stringer plugs | None | Permitted | Permitted |
| Squareness | ± ¼″ | ± ½″ | ± ½″ |
| Moisture | Under 19% | Under 19% | Under 19% |
| Appearance | Uniform, no heavy staining | Mixed acceptable | Visibly rebuilt |
| Protruding nails | None | None | None |
| Odour / residue | None | None | None |
| Static load | ≈ 6,000 lb | ≈ 4,500 lb | ≈ 3,500 lb |
| Dynamic load | ≈ 3,000 lb | ≈ 2,200 lb | ≈ 1,800 lb |
| Racked load | ≈ 2,100 lb | ≈ 1,500 lb | ≈ 1,200 lb |
Terms you will hear elsewhere
“A/B mix” — an unsorted blend, priced between the two. Fine if you know the ratio; a gamble if you do not. “Premium A” or “A+” — usually Grade A plus an appearance sort. “Economy” — almost always Grade B or below. “Recon” — remanufactured.
The one question to ask any supplier
“Does your Grade A permit a repaired stringer?” The answer tells you more about a supplier than any brochure. There is no wrong answer — plenty of good operations allow it — but a supplier who cannot answer immediately is not grading to a standard at all.
Questions
No. There are widely-used conventions and there are industry bodies that publish guidance, but there is no certifying authority and no legal definition. Grade A means what the seller says it means, which is why comparing quotes requires comparing definitions.
If it goes into a rack or goes through an automated system, Grade A. If it leaves your building once and never comes back, Grade B or remanufactured. The full decision logic is in Grade A vs Grade B.
Commonly, a deck board replaced full-length does not; a stringer repair does. A unit repaired to the deck only can return as Grade A provided every other criterion is met. See repair standards.
Unsorted incoming stock, bought by weight or by the trailer and sold between processors. Cores are raw material, not a product. If a supplier offers you cores as shippable pallets, that is the whole warning.
Check a delivery before it is unwrapped and used, photograph the units that do not match, and raise it with the supplier straight away. Agree what the grade means before you order, so there is something to check against.