Pallets for the plants and docks along the Grand River
Pallets matched to what West Michigan makes: the size, build and grade each plant along the Grand River ships on.
Pick the trade closest to yours. Each one shows the size, build and grade it usually ships on in this valley.
Stampers and parts suppliers in Wyoming and Kentwood ship stampings and subassemblies on the 48x45, the size listed for the auto industry. Many plants also run 48x40 next to it. Read the customer packaging sheet first; it names the size.
Molders in the metro ship cartons and totes that care about deck coverage more than anything else. If a drawing does not name a size, start from the 48x40 and say how the cartons sit.
Desks, cabinets and fixtures ship big and light. Their skids are built to a drawing rather than pulled off a stack, so the request is a cutting list.
Food docks in Wyoming, Byron Center and Walker care about moisture content and mould before they care about price. Clean, dry 48x40s are the default.
Device makers ship in smaller runs and often to buyers who write their own packaging rules. A load that crosses a border needs the ISPM 15 mark.
Packers around Sparta and Comstock Park need a large count of sound pallets from late summer through autumn, then a pile of broken ones cleared once the season ends.
Overseas wood packaging needs the ISPM 15 stamp, and the HT mark means the wood core reached 56 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.
A furniture shop starts every job with a list of parts and dimensions. These are the pallet sizes West Michigan docks ask for, set out the same way.
| Size, in | Millimetres | Where it is common | Page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 1,219 x 1,016 | Food and grocery; the GMA standard | Size page |
| 48 x 45 | 1,219 x 1,143 | Auto parts and stamping | Size page |
| 48 x 48 | 1,219 x 1,219 | Chemical loads | Size page |
| 42 x 42 | 1,067 x 1,067 | Beverage | Size page |
| 48 x 42 | 1,219 x 1,067 | Chemical and beverage | Size page |
| 800 x 1200 mm | 1,200 x 800 | Exporters; the Euro pallet | Size page |
Not sure? Start from the 48x40. It is the most common wood pallet size in North America, and the one to ask for when a load has no other instruction. For a build that fits none of these, use the cutting list tool.
A stringer pallet is three long boards (stringers) carrying a deck of boards on top and a few boards underneath. A block pallet stands on nine blocks instead, which opens all four sides to a fork. A plug or plate marks a repair. Scroll and the drawing closes up.
The next page goes through every build; plugs, plates and companion stringers explains the repairs that change a grade.
A grade is what you see when you walk the stack. Not every grade is worth selling, and not every load is worth a rebuild.
| Grade | What you see | Page |
|---|---|---|
| New | All-new lumber, never shipped on. Built to a spec sheet. | Grade page |
| Grade A | No repairs and none needed. Boards flush, nails set. | Grade page |
| Grade B | Repaired: a plug beside a broken board, a plate over a cracked stringer. Same load, less money. | Grade page |
| Grade C | Poor looks and several repairs; deck boards may not all be whole. | Grade page |
| Combo | Rebuilt from recycled and new lumber. Steadier than used. | Grade page |
| Core | A used pallet a dock no longer needs: sorted, repaired, taken apart or ground. | Grade page |
The Grand River runs from Lowell through Grand Rapids and Jenison to the lake at Grand Haven. The plants along it, and the towns beside it, ship very different things.
| Town | County | What its plants ship |
|---|---|---|
| Grand Rapids | Kent | Office furniture, health care, food and beverage, printing |
| Wyoming | Kent | Foodservice distribution, auto components, plastics, snack food |
| Kentwood | Kent | Distribution warehousing, light manufacturing, air cargo |
| Walker | Kent | Grocery headquarters and distribution, floor-care products |
| Sparta | Kent | Apple growing, fruit packing, juice |
| Zeeland | Ottawa | Office furniture, auto electronics, infant formula |
| Holland | Ottawa | Furniture, auto seating, lithium-ion batteries, pickles and sauces |
| Grand Haven | Ottawa | Port bulk cargo, manufacturing |
| Muskegon | Muskegon | Aerospace, foundries, rail-served industry |
Industries by town follow the regional lists from The Right Place and Lakeshore Advantage.
Name the size, the grade or new, the count and how often. A weekly dock and a one-time order are priced differently, so say which.
Surplus sound 48x40s, Grade A and B stock and cores have a market. Give the count, the size and the condition you see.
A broken stack in the back corner is still a request. Say how many, what mix, and how the pile sits at your dock.
Wood packaging that crosses a border has to follow ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging. The stamp shows the treatment: HT means the wood core reached at least 56 degrees Celsius for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Shipping to Canada is different from shipping overseas. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency says wood packaging from the continental United States is exempt from its policy D-98-08, pending a phased move to full ISPM 15 implementation. That can change, so check before each shipment: CFIA questions and answers, last reviewed 12 November 2026.
Read the HT stamp guide, the Canada guide or ask for heat-treated pallets.
One request covers buying, selling and clearing. The fit is plants, warehouses, packers and stores that move wood pallets every week. Liquidation lots, craft projects and pooled rental pallets are left out.