The Journal
Notes from
the grading line.
Not a blog. A working record of the arguments we have with customers, auditors and each other: what a grade should mean, what a repair is worth, what a reused deck genuinely saves, and where our own numbers get uncomfortable.
- Articles
- 11 published
- Written by
- The yard, not an agency
- Cadence
- Monthly-ish
- Topics
- Grades, carbon, freight
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Archive
Everything else we've written down
- AnalysisRecycled versus new: the comparison nobody runs honestlyNew pallets are stronger, cleaner and more consistent. They are also wetter, more expensive and twelve times heavier on carbon. Here is the whole comparison, including the parts that do not flatter us.9 min
- EconomicsWhat your pallet dumpster actually costsThree invoices, one lost asset and a fire-load problem. We added up the real cost of throwing pallets away at a mid-sized Missouri distribution site.6 min
- MethodWhat zero landfill really means — and where it gets hardAny yard can claim it. The claim only means something if you can say what happens to the worst four percent of what arrives.6 min
- EconomicsThe economics of one boardA replacement deck board costs about two dollars fitted. The pallet it saves costs about eighteen. This is the entire business, expressed as arithmetic.5 min
- OpinionThe grade inflation problemThere is no enforced standard for pallet grades in the United States. The predictable result is that '#1' means whatever the seller needs it to mean this week.7 min
- ExportHow to read an ISPM-15 stampFour elements, one wheat sheaf, and a surprising number of consignments held at the border because somebody repaired a pallet with the wrong board.6 min
- ComparisonCollars versus plastic totes: a five-year cost comparisonTotes are cleaner, stack better and survive washdown. Collars cost a fifth as much, fold flat and end their life as mulch rather than microplastic.7 min
- LogisticsBackhaul arithmetic: the cheapest carbon in logisticsA trailer returning empty is a cost nobody invoices and the atmosphere absorbs. Filling it is the highest-leverage decision a pallet yard makes.5 min
- OperationsRunning a pool, not a purchase orderMost operations buy pallets reactively and dispose of them reactively. Treating the same wood as a managed pool typically removes a fifth of the cost and all of the surprises.8 min
- How-toHow to measure a rack bay before you order palletsSix measurements, one tape, ten minutes. Taking them in the right order prevents the most expensive mistake in warehouse packaging.6 min
We publish our constants
Every carbon figure on this site traces to a number you can read, argue with and substitute.
We publish our losses
When a grading lane drifts or a customer proves us wrong, that ends up here too.
We don't publish keywords
Nothing on this page was written to rank for anything. It was written because somebody asked.
Index
Every article, with what it argues
Eleven pieces, each one written because a customer, an auditor or a grader raised the question.
| Article | Filed as | Argues | Read |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anatomy of a six-life pallet | Field notes | Reuse · Grading · Carbon | 7 min |
| Recycled versus new: the comparison nobody runs honestly | Analysis | Procurement · Carbon · Grades | 9 min |
| What your pallet dumpster actually costs | Economics | Waste · Cost · Safety | 6 min |
| What zero landfill really means — and where it gets hard | Method | Sustainability · Operations | 6 min |
| The economics of one board | Economics | Repair · Cost · Carbon | 5 min |
| The grade inflation problem | Opinion | Grades · Industry | 7 min |
| How to read an ISPM-15 stamp | Export | Export · Compliance | 6 min |
| Collars versus plastic totes: a five-year cost comparison | Comparison | Packaging · Cost · Reuse | 7 min |
| Backhaul arithmetic: the cheapest carbon in logistics | Logistics | Freight · Carbon · Operations | 5 min |
| Running a pool, not a purchase order | Operations | Procurement · Programmes · Reporting | 8 min |
| How to measure a rack bay before you order pallets | How-to | Sizing · Racking · Safety | 6 min |
Editorial facts
- Articles
- 11
- Written by
- The yard, not an agency
- Cadence
- Monthly-ish
- Longest piece
- 9 minutes
- Corrections
- Published, not deleted
- Keyword-written
- None
What you will not find here
- Articles written to rank for a search term
- Averaged industry factors presented as ours
- Diversion percentages without a reuse percentage beside them
- Carbon claims with the freight left out
- Case studies with the inconvenient numbers removed
Where to start
- Buying pallets for the first time: the grade inflation problem
- Trying to cut pallet spend: what your dumpster costs
- Writing a sustainability report: zero landfill, in practice
- Shipping abroad: how to read an ISPM-15 stamp
- Curious about reuse: anatomy of a six-life pallet
Yard reference
Every number we publish, in one place
The same appendix appears at the foot of our reference pages so you never have to leave an article to check a figure. All of it is revised annually and matches the constants used by the Carbon Ledger.
Stock specification
- Stock footprint
- 48" × 40" (1219 × 1016 mm)
- Deck height, GMA stringer
- 5½" (140 mm)
- Deck height, block pallet
- 5¾" (146 mm)
- Deck height, EPAL 1
- 144 mm
- Board thickness, nominal
- ⅝" (16 mm)
- Top deck boards, #1 grade
- 6–7
- Bottom deck boards, #1 grade
- 4–5
- Stringers per pallet
- 3, notched or solid
- Species
- Mixed hardwood, oak-dominant
- Mass, recycled 48×40
- 33–42 lb / 15–19 kg
- Mass, new 48×40
- 37–48 lb / 17–22 kg
- Mass, EPAL 1
- 22–25 kg / 49–55 lb
- Moisture ceiling at dispatch
- ≤ 19%
- Fasteners
- Helical-thread 2½"
Typical values for our 48×40 recycled stock. Exact board counts vary by grade and batch.
Order terms
- Metro delivery minimum
- 100 pallets
- Pickup minimum (selling to us)
- 50 pallets
- Drop-off minimum
- None, during yard hours
- Out-of-region freight
- Full trailer
- Quote validity
- 14 days
- Standing-order pricing
- Fixed for the quarter
- First order terms
- Prepaid or card
- Account terms
- Net 30, approved
- Buy-back payment
- Cheque or ACH, 10 business days
- Sample before contract
- 20 pallets, free
- Grade dispute remedy
- Same-day re-grade, replace or credit
- Reserved stock
- Up to 8 weeks against a confirmed order
Standing-order customers get fixed quarterly pricing.
The yard, in facts
- Address
- 9869 Meeks Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63132
- Founded
- 2009
- Zero landfill since
- March 2017
- Grading lanes
- Four, plus new and heat-treated
- Named defects on the wall
- Thirteen
- Covered storage
- Two roofed bays
- Dock doors
- Four at 48 in, plus drive-on
- Weighbridge
- On site, certified
- Trailers owned
- Nine, plus two flatbeds
- Trailer staging spaces
- Twelve
- Pallets handled last year
- 412,000
- Hardwood kept in circulation
- 4,780 tons
- Decks repaired weekly
- ≈ 3,000
- Intake leaving as pallets
- 94%
- Mean further lives per deck
- 4.7
Counted at the weighbridge and the grading line.
Grades, side by side
| Grade | Top / bottom boards | Repairs allowed | Static | Dynamic | Racked | Price index |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A / Premium | 7 / 5 | None visible | 4,600 lb | 2,800 lb | 1,800 lb | 42–52 |
| #1 Grade | 6–7 / 4–5 | Full-length companions | 4,000 lb | 2,500 lb | 1,500 lb | 30–40 |
| #2 Grade | 5–6 / 3–4 | Plugs and companions | 3,200 lb | 1,800 lb | Not advised | 20–28 |
| Core / Mixed | As arrived | Unsorted | Unrated | Unrated | No | 12–20 |
| New hardwood | 7 / 5 | n/a | 5,000+ lb | 3,000 lb | 2,200 lb | 100 |
| Heat-treated #1 | 6–7 / 4–5 | Companions, re-treated | 4,000 lb | 2,500 lb | 1,500 lb | 38–48 |
Footprints we stock or build
| Footprint | Metric | Known as | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48" × 40" | 1219 × 1016 mm | GMA / grocery standard | General distribution, grocery |
| 42" × 42" | 1067 × 1067 mm | Square 42 | Drums, paint, telecom |
| 48" × 48" | 1219 × 1219 mm | Drum pallet | 55-gallon drums |
| 40" × 48" | 1016 × 1219 mm | Rotated GMA | Military, construction |
| 48" × 42" | 1219 × 1067 mm | Chemical / produce | Chemicals, produce |
| 40" × 40" | 1016 × 1016 mm | Dairy square | Dairy, beverage |
| 36" × 36" | 914 × 914 mm | Beverage | DSD, retail display |
| 48" × 20" | 1219 × 508 mm | Retail half | Aisle-end displays |
| 1200 × 800 mm | 47.2" × 31.5" | EUR / EPAL 1 | European export |
| 1200 × 1000 mm | 47.2" × 39.4" | ISO / EPAL 2 | ISO export lanes |
Per-layer fit
| Equipment | Interior width | Pattern | Per layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | 100–102" | 48×40 straight | 26 pallets |
| 53 ft dry van | 100–102" | 48×40 pinwheel | 28 pallets |
| 48 ft dry van | 98–100" | 48×40 straight | 24 pallets |
| 20 ft container | 92.5" | 1200×800 EUR | 11 pallets |
| 40 ft container | 92.5" | 1200×800 EUR | 24 pallets |
| 40 ft HC container | 92.5" | 1200×1000 ISO | 20 pallets |
Carbon model constants
| Factor | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| New hardwood pallet, embodied | 12.6 kg CO₂e | Cradle-to-gate, regional oak |
| Recycled deck, processed | 1.0 kg CO₂e | Repair, handling, yard energy |
| Net credit per reuse cycle | 11.6 kg CO₂e | Difference of the two above |
| Heat treatment, per deck | 0.9 kg CO₂e | Our chamber, measured |
| Average pallet mass | 15 kg / 33 lb | 12-month weighted mean |
| Road freight | 0.11 kg CO₂e / ton-mile | Own fleet fuel records |
| Landfill volume, broken deck | 0.12 yd³ | Uncompacted, measured |
| Mature tree sequestration | 21.8 kg CO₂e / yr | Illustration only |
| Break-even haul distance | ≈ 950 miles | Beyond this, reuse credit is cancelled |
ISPM-15 heat treatment
- Core temperature
- 56 °C minimum
- Hold time
- 30 continuous minutes
- Probe points
- Three per batch, deepest board
- Batch capacity
- ≈ 420 pallets
- Mark elements
- IPPC symbol, country, facility, HT
- Marks required on
- Two opposite sides, legible
- Bark
- Prohibited on every component
- Records retained
- 24 months
- Invalidated by
- Repair with untreated wood
- Dunnage & bracing
- In scope — must also be treated
Batch logs retained 24 months. A treated pallet repaired with untreated wood must be re-treated and re-marked.
Service rings from Meeks Blvd
| Ring | Distance | Example markets | Delivery window | Pickup window |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| One | 0–60 mi | St. Louis, St. Charles, Metro East | Next business day | 48 business hours |
| Two | 60–180 mi | Columbia, Springfield IL, Cape Girardeau | 2–4 business days | Within the week |
| Three | 180–300 mi | Kansas City, Memphis, Indianapolis | Weekly scheduled run | By arrangement |
| Beyond | 300+ mi | Quoted case by case | By arrangement | Full trailers only |
Species in our intake, and how they behave
| Species | Group | Density (lb/ft³) | Janka hardness | Behaviour in a pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White oak | Hardwood | 47 | 1,350 lbf | Our backbone: holds fasteners superbly, heavy, very durable |
| Red oak | Hardwood | 44 | 1,290 lbf | Slightly more porous than white; excellent deck boards |
| Hickory | Hardwood | 51 | 1,820 lbf | Hardest of our intake; superb stringers, splits if nailed dry |
| Maple | Hardwood | 44 | 1,450 lbf | Clean, pale, dimensionally stable; good for upcycled tops |
| Ash | Hardwood | 41 | 1,320 lbf | Tough and flexible; forgiving under impact |
| Poplar | Hardwood | 29 | 540 lbf | Light hardwood, weaker fastener grip, fine for one-way |
| Southern yellow pine | Softwood | 35 | 690 lbf | Common in new softwood builds; resinous, holds nails well |
| Spruce / fir | Softwood | 27 | 510 lbf | Lightest option; loosens soonest under repeated handling |
Moisture targets by application
| Application | Target moisture | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Food distribution | ≤ 19% | Mould risk, not strength; covered storage mandatory |
| Pharmaceutical / clean areas | ≤ 15% | Documented dryness, often new material |
| General warehouse and racking | ≤ 19% | Fastener grip and creep resistance |
| Cold chain | ≤ 15% at dispatch | Condensation cycling through the dew point |
| Export, heat-treated | ≤ 19% | Post-chamber typical; bark-free is the hard rule |
| Upcycled furniture stock | 8–12% | Conditioned indoors two weeks before machining |
| Field and agricultural use | No target | Weather governs; buy #2 and expect it |
Fasteners — two percent of the cost, most of the service life
| Fastener | Length | Shank | Withdrawal resistance | Where we use it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Helical-thread nail | 2½" | Twisted, thread-cutting | High, survives moisture cycling | Standard on every new build and repair |
| Annular-ring nail | 2¼"–2½" | Barbed rings | Highest | Lead boards and heavy racked specifications |
| Smooth-shank nail | 2"–2½" | Plain | Low, drops as wood dries | Not used — the reason old pallets loosen |
| Screw-shank nail | 2½" | Coarse helix | High | Block pallets and thick stringers |
| Staple | 1¾" | Crown wire | Low in hardwood | Not used here; acceptable in softwood one-way pallets |
Standards that actually govern a pallet
| Standard | Issued by | Covers | Why it matters to you |
|---|---|---|---|
| ISPM-15 | IPPC / FAO | Phytosanitary treatment of wood packaging | Mandatory for export; 56 °C core for 30 minutes, marked |
| ISO 6780 | ISO | Principal pallet footprints | Defines the six international sizes, including 1200×800 |
| ISO 8611 | ISO | Pallet test methods and performance | The basis of static, dynamic and racked load figures |
| ASTM D1185 | ASTM | Test methods for pallets and skids | North American equivalent test battery |
| GMA specification | Grocery Manufacturers Assoc. | 48×40 four-way notched stringer pallet | What 'GMA' means when stated properly |
| EPAL / UIC 435 | EPAL | Licensed European block pallet | Exchange-pool eligibility, marks and licensed repair |
| MH1 | ANSI / MHI | Pallet terminology and dimensions | The vocabulary used on our build sheets |
| NWPCA uniform standard | NWPCA | Recycled pallet grading practice | The nearest thing the recycled market has to a rulebook |
Handling and rack dimensions
| Dimension | Typical value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Fork length | 42"–48" | Must not protrude beyond the far side of a 48" pallet |
| Fork width | 4"–6" | Wider forks spread load across deck boards |
| Fork thickness | 1½"–2" | Determines minimum pallet entry height |
| Fork spread, GMA entry | 24"–27" centres | Between the stringers of a three-stringer pallet |
| Pallet-jack wheel path | 6½" clear | Why notched stringers do not admit jacks |
| Minimum entry height | 3½" | A crushed bottom deck blocks the forks entirely |
| Rack beam span, two pallets | ≥ 96" clear | For two 48×40 pallets, 40" face out |
| Flue space, back to back | ≥ 6" | Most fire codes; check your jurisdiction |
The life of one deck, stage by stage
| Stage | Typical duration | What happens | Carbon position |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timber to pallet | Weeks | Sawn, nailed, often shipped wet | 12.6 kg CO₂e embodied |
| First life | 2–4 years | Hardest service; lead board usually fails | Credit begins at reuse |
| First repair | 2 minutes | Lead board replaced with salvaged stock | +1.8 further lives on average |
| Second to fifth life | 6–12 years | Grading, companions, re-nailing, re-grading | 11.6 kg CO₂e avoided per cycle |
| Structural retirement | — | Stringers rotted or deck beyond rebuild | Stored carbon still retained |
| Repurposed | Decades | Collars, crates, table tops, cladding | Carbon stays in the material |
| Fiber | 1–3 years | Mulch or bedding, then soil | Released slowly |
| Thermal | Immediate | Boiler-grade chip | Released at once — last resort |
Total cost of a pallet programme, indexed
| Cost line | Spot buying | Managed programme | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet purchase price | Index 100 | 78–86 | Grade matched to the job, not to panic |
| Emergency purchases | 6–11% of spend | ≈ 0% | Reserved stock removes the Friday scramble |
| Disposal and haulage | Index 100 | 0–20 | Cores are bought, not binned |
| Internal labour on wood | Index 100 | 45–60 | Sorting at source, scheduled collection |
| Product damage from pallets | Index 100 | 60–80 | Fewer failures from under-specified decks |
| Admin and reconciliation | Index 100 | 30 | One netted invoice a month |
| Reporting effort | Index 100 | 10 | Diversion and CO₂e arrive automatically |
| Net first-year change | — | −18% to −34% | Observed across our managed accounts |
End-of-line fiber products
| Fiber product | Screen size | Made from | Sold to |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape mulch, coarse | 1"–2" | Ground hardwood pallet stock | Landscapers, garden centres |
| Landscape mulch, fine | ⅜"–1" | Screened second pass | Retail bagging, municipal beds |
| Animal bedding | ⅛"–⅜" | Fine screen, metal-free | Livestock and poultry operations |
| Boiler-grade chip | Mixed | Material failing every screen above | Industrial thermal users |
| Recovered steel | n/a | Magnetically separated fasteners | Local scrap processor |
Conversions we use daily
| From | To | Multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | Millimetres | 25.4 exactly |
| Pounds | Kilograms | 0.4536 |
| Short tons | Metric tonnes | 0.9072 |
| Cubic yards | Cubic metres | 0.7646 |
| Ton-miles | Tonne-kilometres | 1.4594 |
| °F to °C | — | (°F − 32) × 5⁄9 |
| Board feet | Cubic metres | 0.00236 |
| lb/ft³ | kg/m³ | 16.018 |
The thirteen named defects on our grading wall
- 01Cracked stringer through a nail line
- 02Stringer break longer than one board width
- 03Soft rot or fungal staining
- 04Missing deck board
- 05Split lead board
- 06Plug or scab repair
- 07Protruding or missing fastener
- 08Board thinner than specification
- 09Mixed board widths on one deck
- 10Pallet will not sit flat on a jig
- 11Visible chemical residue or paint
- 12Moisture above threshold
- 13Bark present on any component
A pallet is only downgraded for a defect a grader can name out loud. If it is not on this list, it is not a reason to move a pallet between lanes.
Glossary — thirty terms worth knowing
- Core
- A used pallet bought for grading — the currency of the industry.
- Deck board
- Any board on the top or bottom face of a pallet.
- Lead board
- The outermost deck board at each end; absorbs every fork entry.
- Stringer
- The long member running the length of a stringer pallet; usually three.
- Stringer board
- On a block pallet, the board that ties the blocks together.
- Block
- One of the nine supports in a block pallet.
- Notch
- The cut-out in a stringer that creates four-way fork access.
- Chamfer
- A bevel on a lead board's lower edge to ease fork entry.
- Companion
- A full-length board nailed alongside a damaged stringer. A strong repair.
- Plug / scab
- A short piece fixed over a break. A weaker repair; #2 grade here.
- Re-nail
- Restoring the fastener pattern on a loose but intact pallet.
- Regrade
- Moving a pallet between grade lanes after inspection.
- Down-cut
- Re-cutting a larger deck into a smaller footprint.
- Static load
- Capacity at rest on a flat, continuous surface.
- Dynamic load
- Capacity while being lifted and moved.
- Racked load
- Capacity spanning beams with no deck support. Always the smallest figure.
- Unit load
- Pallet, product and wrap considered as one structure.
- Overhang
- Load or deck projecting beyond its support. The leading cause of rack failure.
- Flue space
- The gap between back-to-back rack bays; six inches minimum in most codes.
- GMA
- The Grocery Manufacturers Association 48×40 specification.
- EPAL
- The licensing body for the European 1200×800 block pallet.
- ISPM-15
- The international phytosanitary standard for wood packaging.
- HT
- Heat treatment: 56 °C at core for 30 minutes.
- IPPC mark
- The wheat-sheaf stamp evidencing phytosanitary treatment.
- Collar
- Four hinged timber sides that turn a pallet into a container.
- Top cap
- A lightweight cover protecting the uppermost layer of a stack.
- Dunnage
- Timber used to fill voids, brace loads and spread point loads.
- Fiber
- Ground wood: mulch, animal bedding or boiler-grade chip.
- Diversion rate
- Share of intake kept out of landfill. Ours is 100%.
- Reuse rate
- Share of intake that leaves as a pallet. Ours is 94%.
Still wondering?
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Yard9869 Meeks Blvd, St. Louis, MO 63132
HoursMon–Thu 7:00–5:00 · Fri 7:00–3:30 · Sat 8:00–12:00 CT