Bulletin 036 · retired pallets
A truckload of plastic pallets is sized by stacks, not by pallets. A 53 ft dry van fits about 30 stacks of 48 x 40 pallets in a turned pattern, per one supplier, and nestable styles pack far denser.
Say the stack count and the style, then the pallet count.
Five questions and a photo. We say what we think happens next once the pallets have been seen.
Nestable pallets nest into each other, so empty pallets take up much less room. Nelson’s 18 lb nestable lists about 60 per stack and 1,800 per truck. Rehrig’s standard-duty nestable lists 1,260 per 53 ft trailer. A rackable at 540 per trailer does not nest.
The form asks how full the trailer is. A quarter is a few stacks. Half is a real load. Full is a trailer. If you do not know, say not sure.
Weight matters as well as volume. Plastic pallets run from about 3 lb when light to 300 lb when heavy, per Wikipedia, so say the weight if you know it.
Flat dock access and a clear approach. Say if there is a ramp, a gate or a tight yard.
A truckload is described by the count, the footprint and the stack height, not by weight alone. Say how the pallets are stacked, whether they nest, and how many of each kind are in the trailer.
Say whether the pallets are strapped, shrink-wrapped or loose, and whether the trailer can be loaded from the dock or must be loaded from a yard. A trailer loaded by hand takes longer than one loaded by lift truck.
A trailer with several footprints or several resins is described in lines. Do not average. Two lines of 200 pallets say more than one line of 400.
Mark where trucks can turn, where pallets will be staged and whether a lift gate or forklift is needed. A prepared dock shortens the visit.
| Model | Style | Per trailer |
|---|---|---|
| Nelson 48 x 40 x 4.8 | Nestable, stackable, rackable | 1,800 |
| Rehrig 40 x 48 standard-duty | Nestable | 1,260 |
| Rehrig 40 x 48 heavy-duty | Nestable | 1,200 |
| PHS EXP 100 | Nestable | 2,340 |
| Rehrig 40 x 48 | Rackable | 540 |
Between a few hundred and a couple of thousand, depending on style. The table shows examples.
Yes. Say the quarter or half.
That depends on the load. Ask.
Say the kind you have: a 53-foot van, a smaller truck or a container. We do not assume one.
Nestable pallets take less room when empty. The footprint pages show which sizes are commonly nestable.
Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: Rehrig Pacific, 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet; PHS Plastic, nestable pallets; Rehrig Pacific, 40 x 48 rackable pallet; Nelson Company, common plastic pallet sizes.