§1When to buy it
It suits one-way shipments to retail DCs that accept white-wood pallets, and any program where cost per trip matters more than a bright, uniform look.
Some receivers ask for the top grade by name: Walmart's WFS guide asks for GMA standard Grade A pallets, for example. Read the receiver's own document and match its words in your spec.
§2RFQ fields
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in stringer, partial 4-way |
|---|---|
| Grade definition | Write it out: no repaired stringers, no plugs or companion stringers, all deckboards original or like-for-like replacements, no more than N replaced boards |
| Board condition | No broken, cracked-through or missing boards; maximum board-end splits in inches |
| Stringer condition | No cracked or plated stringers; notches intact |
| Appearance | Clean, dry, free of stains, oil, chemical residue and labels from previous loads |
| Source | Supplier states whether cores are sorted from its own collection or bought in |
| Rated load | Supplier's rated dynamic load for the sorted grade |
| Volume and cadence | Pallets per month, delivery frequency, delivery ZIP |
§3Acceptance and reject criteria
| Accept a pallet when… | Reject a pallet when… |
|---|---|
| Meets every line of the written grade definition above. | Any pallet that would be #2 under your written definition (repaired stringer, plug, companion stringer). |
| Uniform enough in height that a stack of 15 to 20 stands straight. | Pooled or branded pallets mixed into a white-wood delivery. |
| No pallet carries another company's ownership mark (pooled-pallet colours or stencils that say "property of"). | Contamination: oil, chemical, food residue, odour or visible mould. |
| Loose or protruding fasteners. |
§4Inspecting deliveries
- Sample each delivery with an attribute sampling plan agreed in the contract (ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 general inspection level II is a common reference), and record the lot size, sample size and defects found.
- Count a pallet as defective on the first reject criterion it meets; don't add up minor faults into a reject unless the contract says so.
- Photograph every rejected pallet with the delivery's bill of lading number visible, and send the photos with the debit note within the contract's notice window.
§5What to watch in the contract
Recycled supply depends on how many cores flow back into the market. When cores are scarce, the share of #2 in a #1 load tends to rise; a written reject rate and credit clause protects you.
Agree what happens to rejected pallets: credit at the invoice price, plus pickup at the supplier's cost, is the usual ask.
Receiver rules that name this kind of pallet: Walmart WFS pallet requirements for sellers, Kroger inbound pallet requirements (Corporate Brands).
Grade words vary by supplier and region; confirm every field with your receivers and your own engineering.
For the engineering standards behind these fields, see palletstandards.com.