Pallet inspection: an incoming inspection checklist for new and used pallets

A pallet that fails in a customer's warehouse costs far more than the pallet: damaged product, a refused load, a chargeback, or an injury. Incoming inspection is how you catch bad pallets while they are still the supplier's problem. It only works if you inspect against a written spec and record what you find.

#What you need before you inspect

1. A spec. A drawing or spec sheet with dimensions, board counts, thicknesses, species, grade, fasteners, moisture target and treatment. For used pallets, a written grade definition. See how to read a pallet spec sheet.
2. Tools. Tape measure, calipers or a thickness gauge, a wood moisture meter, a straightedge, a camera, and an inspection form.
3. A sampling plan. How many pallets per delivery, which ones, and what number of failures rejects the load.
4. A place to inspect. Flat floor, good light, space to flip pallets over.

#Pallet inspection checklist

Use this as a template and adjust to your spec.

#1. Identification and paperwork

• Correct pallet part number or description on the delivery paperwork
• Quantity matches
• Heat-treatment certificate or letter received, if required
• No pooled (CHEP, PECO, iGPS) or "property of" pallets mixed in, unless expected

#2. Dimensions

Tolerances are from the 2012 edition of the Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets. Use the edition and values in your contract.

#3. Construction

• Correct number of top and bottom deckboards and stringers or blocks
• Lead boards of the specified width, positioned flush with the ends
• Deck gaps within spec (for example Walmart: 4 in maximum)
• Notches and chamfers present and to size
• Correct fastener type, length and count per joint (spot-check by pulling one nail if needed)

#4. Damage and defects

Reject or grade down pallets with:

• Broken, cracked or split deckboards, especially lead boards
• Missing boards or missing wood on lead-board edges
• Cracked or broken stringers, split or missing blocks
• Raised nails or shiners (points or shanks exposed); Walmart rejects raised nails over 1/8 in (3 mm)
• Loose or unsecured boards
• Splinters and sharp edges
• Excess wane, knots or decay beyond the lumber grade in your spec (see pallet lumber grades)
• Bark on the pallet, if ISPM 15 applies

#5. Moisture, mold and cleanliness

• Moisture at or below the spec (for example 19%), read on stringers or blocks, not only deckboards
• No visible mold, musty odor or wet patches (see pallet mold)
• No stains, oil, chemical residue or odors
• No debris, shrink-wrap scraps, labels or old placards
• No insect holes, frass or live insects

#6. Markings

• ISPM 15 mark present, legible and with the required treatment code (HT), on the required number of sides
• No MB mark if your spec prohibits it
• For repaired or remanufactured export pallets: new mark, old marks obliterated
• Customer branding, part number or date code as specified

See pallet stamps and markings.

#7. For used pallets: grade

• Meets the written grade (for example Grade A: no companion stringers, plates or doubled boards)
• Allowed repairs only
• Consistent appearance, if specified

See pallet grades and pallet repair.

#Sampling: how many pallets to check

There is no single industry sampling rule for pallets. Common approaches:

Take samples from different stacks and from inside the stacks, not just the top pallet. Record the result for every pallet you check.

#What to do with failures

1. Tag and segregate failed pallets.
2. Photograph defects with a scale (tape measure) in the shot.
3. Decide the lot: accept, reject the whole delivery, or sort at the supplier's cost, per your agreement.
4. Notify the supplier with the photos and measurements.
5. Track defect rates by supplier over time.

Retailers work the same way at their receiving docks. Costco, for example, visually assesses pallets at every delivery and holds the supplier responsible for refused deliveries and re-palletizing costs. See Costco pallet requirements and Walmart pallet requirements.

#Inspecting used pallets

Used pallets need extra checks because their history is unknown:

• Contamination. Stains, residues and odors matter more than cosmetic wear. Reject any pallet that smells of solvents, fuel or chemicals.
• Repairs. Count companion stringers, plates and doubled boards against your grade definition. See pallet grades.
• Mixed sizes. Recycled loads sometimes include 48 × 42 or 48 × 45 in pallets mixed in with 48 × 40 in. Measure a few.
• Pooled pallets. Blue, red or iGPS pallets should not be in a purchased load. Set them aside for the pooler.
• Old export marks. A repaired pallet with an old HT mark is not ISPM 15-compliant.

#Inspecting new custom pallets: first article

For a new design or a new supplier, inspect the first pallets in detail before approving production:

1. Measure every component against the drawing: board count, thickness, width, length, positions and gaps.
2. Check notch size and position, chamfers and any special features.
3. Pull a nail or two to confirm type and length; check the nail count per joint.
4. Measure moisture on several components.
5. Weigh the pallet and compare with the spec.
6. Load-test if the design is new and critical, or ask the supplier for PDS analysis or test data.
7. Record the results and keep one approved sample pallet as a reference.

#Automation-specific checks

Pallets for conveyors, AS/RS and robotic palletizers need tighter checks: flatness, bottom-board orientation and gaps, overall height, protruding nails and splinters that can snag chains or rollers. Agree tighter tolerances with the supplier and inspect a larger sample. See pallets for automation.

#Inspecting pallets before loading

A shorter check at the loading dock catches pallets damaged in storage:

• Lead boards intact, no missing boards
• No protruding nails
• Dry, no mold or odor
• Right pallet for the customer (size, grade, pooled or white-wood, HT if export)

#Writing inspection into the contract

Inspection works best when the pallet supplier agrees to it in advance. Put these in the purchase agreement or RFQ:

• The spec and drawing revision
• Tolerances and the standard they come from
• Moisture target and how it is measured
• Grade definition for used pallets
• Sampling plan and reject criteria
• Remedies: replacement, credit, sort costs

The spec sheet from the designer lists dimensions, board counts, fasteners and notes on one page, which makes a practical inspection reference. Start from the GMA 48 × 40 template or your own design.