A mixed load is an unsorted pile of several sizes and grades, typical of what a dock collects before anyone sorts it, and it can be cleared without being sorted first. The sorting is the slow part, so the best request describes the mix honestly and leaves it unsorted.
A dock that has received freight for a few weeks ends up with pallets from every supplier it deals with. Most are 48 by 40. Some are 42 by 42 from telecommunications and paint shippers, 48 by 48 from chemical and drum suppliers, 48 by 45 from automotive parts, or 48 by 42 from chemical and beverage loads. A few are heat-treated, and some are plastic or metal.
The condition is just as mixed. A pile might hold sound Grade A, repaired Grade B, Grade C with several repairs, and a layer of broken stock at the bottom where forklifts have driven over the stack.
| Piece of the pile | Usual treatment |
|---|---|
| Sound 48x40s | Graded and resold |
| Other standard sizes | Resold to shippers who use that footprint |
| Repairable pallets | Repaired with replaced boards or plugs |
| Broken or contaminated | Dismantled for boards or ground |
| Plastic and metal | Handled separately; mention them |
None of these end the conversation. They change the description, and a complete description makes the answer more accurate.
Broken pallets are cleared like any other pallet pile, but they are described differently: by how they are broken, not by grade. A pallet with a split deck board is a repair; one with a snapped stringer is usually the end of its life as a pallet.
| Break | Repairable? | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One or two cracked deck boards | Yes | Boards are replaced; the pallet becomes Grade B |
| Missing deck board | Yes | A replacement board is nailed on |
| Cracked stringer | Sometimes | A plug, a short board nailed beside the crack, can repair it |
| Snapped or rotted stringer | Rarely | The structural timber is gone; the pallet is dismantled for boards |
| Crushed or split blocks | Depends on the type | Block pallets can be repaired if the block is replaced |
A plug, used to repair a cracked board or stringer, can run from 6 to 24 inches long. Seeing plugs on a pallet marks it as repaired, which makes it Grade B at best.
Pallets break in handling. Forklift tines catch boards. Stacks are driven into. Pallets left outside through winter rains rot at the stringer ends. By the time they are noticed, the broken ones are at the bottom of the pile, under the sound ones.
Food and farm shippers see a surge after harvest peaks, when pallets move fast and handling is hurried. Construction fit-outs see it when equipment pallets are dragged across slabs.
Irreparable wood may be chipped for mulch, composite products or biomass. Boards that are still straight and sound are salvaged to repair other pallets. Pallet recycling goes through the full path.
Sizes, a rough share of each and the access to the stacks.
A mixed load is a normal request. State the mix honestly and the access to it.
No, but mention how many there are so they can be planned for.
Describe them by count, condition and access. They are cleared and the wood is reused or ground.
Often, yes: replacing deck boards or adding a plug beside a cracked stringer repairs many. A snapped stringer usually ends a pallet.
Sources, last reviewed 12 November 2026