CHEP pallets: what the blue pallets are, how rental works, and what to do if you have one
CHEP pallets are the blue pallets rented through CHEP's pool. In North America they are 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wood block pallets CHEP rates at 2,800 lb (1,270 kg). CHEP owns every one and never sells them: if you receive some, keep them apart and request a collection.
If you work in a warehouse or receive grocery or consumer goods, you will see blue pallets marked CHEP. They are not ordinary pallets that happen to be painted. They are rental equipment owned by CHEP, a pallet pooling company that is part of Brambles, and they are meant to go back to CHEP after each trip.
What is a CHEP pallet?
A CHEP pallet is a pallet owned by CHEP and rented to manufacturers and growers through CHEP's pallet pooling system. In North America the standard CHEP pallet is a blue 48 × 40 in wood block pallet. CHEP also pools other pallets and containers worldwide, including 1200 × 800 and 1200 × 1000 mm pallets in Europe and 1165 × 1165 mm pallets in Australia.
CHEP 48 × 40 pallet specifications
From CHEP's published product page for the North American pooled wood block pallet:
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) |
| Height | 5.6 in (141 mm) |
| Construction | Block pallet with full perimeter base; no notched stringers |
| Entry | True 4-way (forklift and pallet jack from all sides) |
| Load (as stated by CHEP) | 2,800 lb (1,270 kg), uniformly distributed, normal operating conditions |
| Stacking (as stated by CHEP) | Up to 5 high, not exceeding 10,000 lb (4,536 kg) |
| Lumber | Mainly kiln-dried Southern yellow pine |
| Finish | Blue water-based paint |
| Empties per truckload | About 570, stacked 19 high |
Weight is not listed on that page; block pallets of this size commonly weigh in the 60–70 lb (27–32 kg) range. Check CHEP's current technical sheet if weight matters for your freight.
CHEP pallets are block pallets, unlike the notched-stringer GMA pallet most white-wood buyers use. The perimeter base rides conveyors in both directions and the pallet racks in either direction.
How CHEP rental works
- A manufacturer opens an account with CHEP.
- CHEP delivers inspected pallets from a service center. The manufacturer pays an issue fee.
- The manufacturer ships product on the pallets and reports each shipment to CHEP.
- After the retailer or distributor unloads, CHEP collects the empty pallets.
- CHEP inspects, repairs and reissues them.
Fees are negotiated and depend on lanes and volume. Industry estimates put the all-in cost roughly in the $5–15 range per pallet use (2026 US estimate). For the full model, including when pooling beats buying, see pallet pooling and pooled vs white-wood.
Some retailers require pooled pallets. Costco requires iGPS, PECO or CHEP USA block pallets for North American deliveries and does not accept CHEP stringer or CHEP Euro pallets. See Costco pallet requirements. Walmart lists CHEP among approved poolers for supplier shipments, while Walmart Fulfillment Services tells marketplace sellers not to ship on CHEP or PECO pallets. See Walmart pallet requirements.
Who owns CHEP pallets?
CHEP does. Every blue CHEP pallet is CHEP's property, whoever currently holds it. CHEP states that it "never sells or otherwise relinquishes ownership" of its pallets. The pallets are marked as CHEP property and painted blue so they can be identified.
That has practical consequences:
- You cannot buy CHEP pallets from CHEP or from anyone else. A seller of blue pallets does not own what it is selling.
- You cannot sell CHEP pallets you have on hand.
- You cannot reuse them for your own shipments without a CHEP account.
- You cannot break them up, burn them or use them for projects.
CHEP says that unauthorized buying, accepting, selling, trading, exchanging, reusing, refusing to allow retrieval, or destroying its pallets may result in civil liability and criminal penalties.
Do not take blue CHEP pallets for firewood, furniture or garden projects, even if they look abandoned behind a store. They belong to CHEP. See free pallets for pallets you can take.
What to do if you receive CHEP pallets
If blue pallets arrive at your business, for example under a delivery from a supplier:
- Separate them from your own pallets.
- Do not use, sell or give them away.
- Request a collection. Existing CHEP customers can use their CHEP account portal. Non-customers can use the pallet collection request form on CHEP's US website.
- Keep them stacked and dry until they are collected.
If you regularly receive CHEP pallets, ask CHEP about becoming a regular collection point.
How to recognize a CHEP pallet
| Feature | CHEP (North America) |
|---|---|
| Color | Blue paint on the sides of blocks and boards |
| Markings | "CHEP" and ownership stenciling |
| Construction | 48 × 40 in block pallet with perimeter base |
| ISPM 15 | HT-marked versions exist for export and Mexico–US traffic |
Not every blue pallet is CHEP. iGPS pallets are blue plastic, and some companies paint their own pallets. Read the markings. See pallet stamps and markings.
CHEP pallets outside North America
CHEP runs pallet pools in many countries, and the pallet differs by region. CHEP's European pallets are 1200 × 800 mm and 1200 × 1000 mm block pallets, and its Australian pallet is 1165 × 1165 mm. They are all blue and all remain CHEP property. A CHEP pallet from another region is not interchangeable with the North American 48 × 40 in pallet, and Costco specifically refuses CHEP Euro pallets for North American deliveries.
Using CHEP pallets as a customer
If you rent CHEP pallets, a few habits keep costs down:
- Report every shipment. CHEP's billing depends on where pallets go. Unreported transfers can leave pallets, and charges, on your account.
- Return or transfer idle stock. Pallets sitting unused at your site can still cost you money, depending on your contract.
- Keep blue pallets out of your recycling stream. Train receiving and yard staff to separate them.
- Do not repair CHEP pallets. Repairs are CHEP's job, and receivers such as Costco reject pooled pallets with unauthorized repairs.
- Plan HT needs. CHEP USA-HT pallets are used for Mexico–US crossings and for some export programs; order them separately.
- Check your customers. Pooling works when your receivers are in CHEP's recovery network. Ask CHEP before switching a lane.
CHEP pallets in racking and automation
Because CHEP's 48 × 40 in pallet has a perimeter base and full 4-way entry, it is widely used in selective racking and on conveyors. For racking, check your rack beam spacing and the pallet's rated load for your support condition against CHEP's current technical data rather than assuming one number applies everywhere.
Why the rules are so strict
A pooling business only works if the pallets come back. Every blue pallet that is burned, sold or kept by a non-customer is a pallet CHEP has to replace, and that cost is ultimately paid by the shippers who rent them. That is why CHEP marks and paints its pallets, runs recovery programs, and states publicly that unauthorized possession can lead to legal action.
CHEP vs PECO vs white-wood
| CHEP | PECO | White-wood GMA | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Color | Blue | Red | Natural wood |
| Ownership | CHEP | PECO | Whoever bought it |
| Construction | Block, perimeter base | Block | Stringer, notched |
| Entry | Full 4-way | Full 4-way | Partial 4-way |
| Can you buy it? | No | No | Yes |
| Payment | Rental fees | Rental fees | Purchase |
See PECO pallets.
If you need a pallet like CHEP's but to own
You cannot buy CHEP pallets, but you can buy a 48 × 40 in block pallet built to a similar design from any pallet shop. The 48 × 40 block template is a perimeter-base, full 4-way design you can adjust and send out for quotes. pallet.design is not affiliated with CHEP or Brambles.
Frequently asked questions
Why are CHEP pallets blue?
The blue paint identifies the pallets as CHEP property, so they can be recognized and recovered anywhere in the supply chain. CHEP pallets are also stenciled with CHEP branding.
Can I buy CHEP pallets?
No. CHEP owns its pallets and states that it never sells them or gives up ownership. Anyone offering blue CHEP pallets for sale does not own them. Businesses rent them from CHEP.
Can I keep or reuse CHEP pallets that were delivered to me?
No. CHEP says buying, selling, trading, reusing or destroying its pallets without authorization may result in civil liability or criminal penalties. Stack them separately and request a collection.
Does CHEP pay for returned pallets?
CHEP does not publish a buyback price. It runs a collection program to retrieve its pallets. Some recyclers work with CHEP under agreements, but you should not expect to sell blue pallets.
How much weight can a CHEP pallet hold?
CHEP states its North American 48 × 40 block pallet carries 2,800 lb (1,270 kg) with a uniformly distributed load in normal conditions, and can be stacked up to 5 high not exceeding 10,000 lb (4,536 kg).
Sources and references
Related
- GuidesPallet pooling: how CHEP, PECO and iGPS rental worksPallet pooling is renting pallets instead of buying them. A pooler such as CHEP (blue), PECO (red) or iGPS (plastic) owns standard 48 × 40 in pallets, issues them to shippers, collects them from receivers, then inspects, repairs and reissues them. You pay fees per use, not a purchase price.
- GuidesPECO pallets: the red rental pallets, specs, and how to return themPECO pallets are the red pallets rented through PECO Pallet's pooling network in the US, Canada and Mexico. They are 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wood block pallets that PECO rates at 2,800 lb (1,270 kg). PECO owns them and does not sell them: if you find red PECO pallets, report them to PECO for pickup.
- ComparisonsPooled vs white wood pallets: rent or buy?Choose pooled pallets (rented from CHEP, PECO or iGPS) when you ship full pallets to retail and grocery DCs in the pool and want consistent pallets without managing returns. Choose white wood (pallets you buy) for one-way shipping, custom sizes, small volumes or customers outside the pools.
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- GuidesCostco pallet requirements: pooled block pallets and purpose-built exceptionsCostco requires iGPS, PECO or CHEP block pallets throughout North America and refuses GMA/Grade A stringer, CHEP stringer, CHEP Euro and corrugated pallets. Purpose-built pallets need advance approval per item; Costco's published supplement requires them to be designed with PDS.
- GuidesWhere to get free pallets, and which ones to leave aloneFree pallets usually come from small local businesses that receive freight and do not return pallets. Always ask first. Never take blue CHEP, red PECO or iGPS pallets, which are rented property. For projects, choose clean HT-stamped pallets and avoid MB-stamped or stained ones.
- GuidesPallet stamps and markings: HT, MB, DB, KD and what they meanMost wood pallet stamps are the ISPM 15 mark: IPPC wheat symbol, country code, facility number and treatment code. HT means heat-treated, DH dielectric heating, MB methyl bromide, SF sulfuryl fluoride. DB (debarked) and KD (kiln-dried) are older or separate marks. For reuse, pick HT and avoid MB.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
More in Buying and lifecycle
- GuidesHow much does a pallet cost? New, used, plastic and custom pricesIn the US in 2026, a new 48 × 40 in wood stringer pallet typically costs about $10–25, a used Grade A about $6–14 and a Grade B about $3–8. Heat treatment adds about $1–3. Plastic pallets run roughly $40–200 and metal $150–600 or more. These are estimates that move with lumber, resin and freight markets; get quotes.
- GuidesHow to reduce pallet costs without more damageThe biggest pallet savings come from buying the right pallet, not the cheapest: remove lumber the load does not need, match grade and treatment to the use, quote one spec with several local shops, and cut losses through recovery, repair or pooling. Check a cheaper pallet does not raise damage.
- GuidesPallet grades: Grade A, Grade B, remanufactured and combo palletsUsed pallets are sold by grade. Grade A (#1) pallets are clean and sound with few or no repairs; Grade B (#2) pallets are sound but repaired, often with companion stringers. Remanufactured and combo pallets are rebuilt from used and new parts. Definitions vary by vendor, so write yours down.
- GuidesPallet recycling: how used pallets are repaired, rebuilt and groundUsed wood pallets are widely recycled in the US. Recyclers collect them, sort by size and grade, repair the good ones for resale, dismantle damaged ones for parts to build remanufactured pallets, and grind the rest into mulch, animal bedding or biomass fuel. Businesses usually get free pickup or payment for full loads.
- GuidesWho buys pallets? How to sell used pallets and what they are worthPallet recyclers are the main buyers of used pallets. In 2026 they typically pay about $4–8 for a Grade A 48 × 40 in pallet, $2–5 for Grade B and under $2 for damaged ones, usually by the trailer load. End users pay more. Never sell blue CHEP, red PECO or iGPS pallets: they are rented property.
- GuidesPallet repair: methods, standards and when a pallet is not worth fixingPallets are repaired by replacing broken deckboards, reinforcing cracked stringers with a companion stringer, plug or metal plate, and replacing damaged blocks, following ISO 18613 and the Uniform Standard. Repaired pallets are weaker than new, need re-treatment for export, and some retailers refuse them.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 1,335 words.