GradesNewNever shipped on
New pallets
A new pallet is built from all-new lumber and has never carried a load. It is usually built to a spec sheet, with the size, deck boards and fasteners written down, instead of being pulled from a sorted stack.
Why a pallet is called new
New means no previous owner and no previous trip. A used Grade A can look nearly identical but has been shipped on before. The distinction matters for buyers with a rule against used wood, such as some food lines and some export customers.
What a buyer decides
| Choice | Options | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 48 x 40 or another footprint | Racks and conveyors set it |
| Entry | Two-way or four-way | Decides the forks that can lift it |
| Treatment | Untreated or heat-treated | Export needs the ISPM 15 stamp |
| Frame | Stringer or block | Block takes forks on every side |
New versus the other grades
A new pallet costs more than a used one, and a combo usually sits between the two. The right choice depends on the load. A one-way export may call for new or heat-treated stock. A dock that circulates the same pallets for months can use Grade B.
See new pallets for the buying side, and what decides what pallets cost for the reasons without numbers.
A note on the word
A seller who calls a pallet new should mean it. If the pallet has been on a truck, it is not new, however clean it looks.
What new does not guarantee
New wood is not automatically dry. Freshly sawn lumber carries a lot of water, and a pallet built from it can shrink, warp and grow mould when stored sealed. Ask whether the lumber was dried, and check moisture before pallets go into food or cold rooms. New also does not mean stamped: a pallet for export still needs the treatment mark to be applied by a certified facility.
When new is worth it
New pallets make sense where a buyer cannot accept any doubt: food contact, high-value freight, a first-time customer who inspects packaging, or an export that must meet the destination country's rules. For everyday internal moves, a good used pallet usually does the same job.
Reading a supplier's offer
When an offer for new pallets arrives, check that it states the footprint, the lumber, the board count, the fastener type, the treatment and the quantity. Anything left unsaid becomes an assumption that may not match your needs.
One request, either side of the desk.
Sources, last reviewed November 2026: