Hardwood (pallet lumber)
Also called: hardwood lumber, broadleaf wood
Hardwood is lumber from broadleaf (deciduous) trees such as oak, maple, ash and yellow poplar. Most eastern US pallets are built from mixed hardwood cut stock, which is dense, strong and holds nails well.
In depth: Hardwood vs softwood pallets: strength, weight and cost
"Hardwood" is a botanical group, not a measure of hardness. It covers broadleaf trees, and some hardwoods (basswood, aspen, cottonwood) are softer than many softwoods. In the US pallet industry, hardwood usually means low-grade eastern hardwood: cants left after sawmills cut higher-value grade lumber, resawn into pallet cut stock.
Density classes (Uniform Standard / PDS species classes)
| Class | Group | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | High-density eastern hardwoods | Hard maple, ash, beech, birch, hickory, elm |
| 21 | Eastern oaks | Red oak, white oak |
| 3 | Medium-density eastern hardwoods | Soft maple, sweetgum, sycamore, tupelo |
| 29 | Yellow poplar | |
| 7 | Low-density eastern hardwoods | Aspen, basswood, cottonwood |
Why it matters
Dense hardwoods allow thinner parts for the same strength, which is why hardwood pallets often use 5/8 in deckboards and 1-1/4 to 1-3/8 in stringers where softwood designs use 3/4 in and 1-1/2 in. They are heavier, especially green: PDS sheets show about 4.4 lb per board foot for green mixed hardwood versus about 3.2 for green SPF. Helically threaded nails are generally recommended for medium- and high-density hardwoods.
On a spec sheet
List the species class, grade and percentage of each class in the lumber mix, plus moisture content, for example "HD Eastern Hardwoods Standard &BTR 50%". See hardwood vs softwood.
Related
- GlossarySoftwood (pallet lumber)Softwood is lumber from coniferous trees such as pine, spruce and fir. Softwood pallets are lighter and more uniform than hardwood pallets, and they are the norm in Europe and much of the western and southern US.
- GlossaryMixed hardwood (pallet lumber)Mixed hardwood is pallet lumber made from several hardwood species that are not sorted by species, sold and specified as one mix. Spec sheets state it as percentages of density classes, such as 50% high, 25% medium and 25% low density.
- GlossaryOak (pallet lumber)Oak is a dense eastern US hardwood, grouped as species class 21 (red and white oak) in the Uniform Standard and PDS. It makes strong, stiff pallet parts but is heavy, especially when green.
- ComparisonsHardwood vs softwood pallets: strength, weight and costChoose hardwood (oak, mixed eastern hardwoods) for heavy loads, rough handling and many trips: it is dense, stiff and holds nails well but is heavier. Choose softwood (southern yellow pine, SPF) for lighter, more uniform, often kiln-dried pallets. Regional supply often decides.
- GuidesPallet wood species: hardwood vs softwood, and which to specifyMost North American pallets are made from mixed Eastern hardwoods (oak, maple, poplar and others) or softwoods such as Southern yellow pine and SPF. Density drives strength, stiffness, nail holding and weight. Specify a species class or group plus a grade rather than a single species.
More in Materials
- GlossaryBark (on pallet lumber)Bark is the outer layer of a tree trunk. ISPM 15 requires wood packaging to be made from debarked wood, allowing only small remnants: pieces under 3 cm wide of any length, or wider pieces with a surface area under 50 cm².
- GlossaryCant (pallet lumber)A cant is a log that has been sawn flat on two or four sides. In the pallet industry it usually means the low-grade center of a hardwood log, left after grade lumber is cut from the outside, which is resawn into pallet parts.
- GlossaryComposite block (pallet)A composite block is a pallet block made from wood chips, particles or fibers bonded with resin under heat and pressure. It does not split like solid wood and, as processed wood, is exempt from ISPM 15 on its own.
- GlossaryCorrugated fiberboard (pallets and slip sheets)Corrugated fiberboard is a board made of a fluted paper medium glued between flat paper liners. It is used for boxes, and in pallet work for corrugated paper pallets, slip sheets, tier sheets and pallet runners.
- GlossaryCut stock (pallet components)Cut stock is lumber already sawn to the finished thickness, width and length of pallet parts, such as 5/8 × 3-1/2 × 40 in deckboards, ready for nailing. It is also called pallet stock or shook.
- GlossaryDouglas-fir (pallet lumber)Douglas-fir is a dense, strong softwood from western North America, also grown in Europe. It is species class 11 (Douglas-fir–larch) in the Uniform Standard and PDS, and class 33 in the European species list.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 230 words.