What to send for a custom pallet quote
Send the size (stringer length first), the load weight per pallet and the quantity. That is enough to start. Add how the pallets are handled and stored, and any customer or plant requirement, and the quote can be exact.
The three that start a quote
Size. Give it stringer length first: a 48 x 40 has 48-inch stringers and 40-inch deck boards. If you only know the product’s size, send that, and we will work out a footprint that doesn’t overhang or leave the load loose.
Load weight. The weight on one pallet, in pounds. If it varies, give the heaviest.
Quantity. How many, and whether it is a one-time order or a regular one, weekly or monthly.
What makes it exact
How the load sits. Spread across the deck, or on feet, rims, rails or a ring.
Handling. Forklift, pallet jack or both, and which sides they enter from. That settles two-way or four-way.
Storage. On the floor, stacked, or in racking; if racked, the beam spacing.
Construction, if you know it. Stringer, block or skid; number of stringers; deck boards. If you have an existing pallet you like, measure it and send the measurements, or a photo with a tape in it.
Lumber. Hardwood, pine, or no preference. Dried, if mold is a concern.
Requirements. If a customer, plant or carrier has a pallet requirement, send it. If any pallets will cross a border, say so: wood packaging in international trade falls under ISPM 15.
Delivery. The ZIP code the pallets go to and whether there is a dock.
Measuring an existing pallet
Measure the stringer length first, then the deck-board length. Count the top and bottom deck boards and measure one board’s width and thickness. Count the stringers and measure one’s height and width. Note any notches. That is most of a spec.
| No. | Member | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Top deck boards | Run across the stringers; count and width set the deck coverage. |
| 2 | Lead boards | The deck board on each outside edge, top and bottom. |
| 3 | Notched stringers | Cut-outs in the outside and centre stringers let forks enter from the sides: partial four-way entry. |
| 4 | Bottom deck boards | Placed clear of the notches so the forks can pass. |
What you get back
A written spec of the pallet, so you can see exactly what is priced, and the quote against it. If you order again, the same spec is used.
A sample request
“48 x 40, about 1,800 lb of boxed product spread evenly, forklift from the ends and pallet jacks on the floor, racked across the stringers on beams 42 inches apart, 400 a month, delivered to a dock in ZIP 43215.” That one sentence gives almost everything a quote needs. Lumber, deck and treatment can follow from it, or you can add them if you have a preference.
If you only have a product
Send the product’s length, width and height, its weight, how many go on a pallet and how they are arranged. We work out a footprint from that.
If you have a requirement document
Customers, assembly plants and distribution centers often publish pallet or packaging requirements. Send the document itself rather than a summary; the details in it, heights, deck coverage, marking, are easy to lose in retelling.
Things people forget
How long loaded pallets sit before they move. Whether pallets are stored outdoors. Whether they are double-stacked in trucks. Whether any will be exported. Each of these can change the build, and each is easy to add to a request.
After you send it
We reply with the written build and a quote against it. If a line is unclear, we ask rather than guess.
Photos that help
A photo of the load on its current pallet, one of the pallet from the side, and one of the end with a tape measure across it tell us a great deal. Add a photo of the forklift or jack that moves it if the handling is unusual.
Units and conventions
Give dimensions in inches, stringer length first, and weights in pounds per pallet. If your documents use millimetres or kilograms, send them as they are and say so.
How fast you need them
If there is a date by which pallets must be on your dock, say so with the request, along with whether partial deliveries help. We will tell you plainly what we can quote against that date. Standing orders benefit from a forecast: the expected monthly count over the next quarter or year, even if approximate.
Who receives them
Give a contact at the delivery address and the receiving hours, and say whether the truck needs a dock, a forklift on site or a liftgate.
When a drawing beats a description
If your product has an odd shape, a dimensioned sketch is worth more than a paragraph. Show the base outline, where the weight bears, any feet or bolt holes, and the overall height. A phone photograph of the product on its current pallet, with a tape measure in frame, answers most questions before they’re asked. Mark the side that faces the forks, and note anything fragile. Include separate purchasing and delivery contacts if they differ.
Nothing on this list is compulsory. A rough request gets a reply with questions; a complete one gets a firm quote sooner. Either is welcome, and drawings, sketches, spreadsheets or photos all work as attachments by email. Mention seasonal spikes, preferred delivery weekdays, gate codes, appointment systems and anything unusual about your yard.