Industry / Stores and small business

Pallets for stores and small business

A store, shop or small business collects pallets in a back lot a few at a time. The pile is small and mixed, and the useful request is a plain count, a sizes list and a photo.

What the pile looks like

Retail deliveries arrive on whatever the supplier uses, so a store's stack is a sample of everyone's. Mostly 48x40s, with the odd oversize or 42x42. Some are fine, some are cracked, a few are plastic. Staff move them behind the building until someone asks about them.

The sensible approach is not to sort the whole pile. Pull out the sound 48x40s, call the rest mixed, and say so. The Dock Sorter gives a short reading of what to do next.

Which request fits

A few dozen of the same size and decent shape: sorted pallets.
A mix of everything: mixed loads.
Mostly broken: pallet pickup.
Buying a few for your own dock: used pallets.

How a back lot fills up

A store receives a delivery, unloads it onto the floor and sets the pallet aside. Over a few weeks the empties form a stack, and after a few months a second. Staff stop seeing it. When someone finally asks, the owner has no idea how many are there. The easiest fix is to count by stacks and estimate the height.

Do not overlook plastic pallets. They are lighter, wash clean and often carry the supplier's name. They are handled separately from wood and should be described separately.

What helps most

A clear photograph of the stack, taken from a distance, and a rough count are all you need. Add the town, the street and a note on when the lot is accessible. If trucks cannot enter the lot, say so and give the alley or loading-zone details.

Count the stacks, then the pallets in a typical stack.
Note the main size and any odd ones.
Say whether anyone is available to help load.

Then send a request.

Simple rules for a small dock

Keep the stack against a wall, off the ground, with the best pallets on top. Keep plastic apart from wood. Do not stack more than six feet high without bracing. Tell staff which pallets are waiting for pickup so no one throws them away. A tidy lot makes a better first impression and may be worth more.

Count once a month on the same day and write the number down. After three months you will know your real rhythm, which is the single most useful fact in a request.

Tell staff where waiting pallets go so none are thrown out.

Planning a seasonal clean-up

Many small businesses clear their back lots once a year, often after a busy season. A clean-up works best when staff agree a date, stack the pallets in one place and keep the lane clear. Photographs taken the day before make a request easier to answer.