Pallet receiving inspection checklist: how to check a delivered load

Inspect every pallet delivery against your written spec before you sign for it. Count the load, pull a sample from several stacks and check grade, the heat-treatment mark, moisture and contamination. Photograph what you find, and refuse off-spec pallets in writing while the truck is still there.

Before the truck arrives

Have these ready at the dock:

• The purchase order and your written pallet spec, with photos of what you approved.
• A tape measure and a handheld moisture meter.
• A phone or camera, and tags or a marker for rejected pallets.
• A printed copy of the checklist at the end of this guide.

The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets from Woodpack Global (formerly NWPCA) puts the responsibility to inspect pallets for damage before use on the pallet user. Receiving is the natural place to do it.

1. Check the paperwork and the count

Match the bill of lading or packing slip to your PO: size, grade, quantity and heat treatment. Then count. For empty pallets, count the stacks, then count pallets in a few stacks. If stack heights vary, count more of them.

Write any shortage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves, and get a photo of the note.

2. Pull a sample

Don't judge a load by the pallets on the outside. Pull pallets from several stacks, from the top, middle and bottom. If the first few fail, widen the sample before you decide on the whole load.

3. Check the grade

Grade names aren't standardized across the industry, so inspect against the definition on your PO, not the supplier's label. See pallet grades explained.

Stringers or blocks

• Splits and breaks. Look hardest at the notches. The Woodpack Global standard lists full-width splits in stringer notches, and broken stringers or stringer feet, as damage that calls for repair. A Virginia Tech study cites missing top deckboards and split stringer notches as the most common damage that sends pallets to recycling.
• Repairs. Recyclers fix cracked stringers with metal connector plates or companion pieces: full-length or half companion stringers, C-blocks and plugs. Check whether your grade allows them. A grade that calls for solid, unrepaired stringers should show none.
• Block pallets. Look for missing, split or twisted blocks. The standard treats a block twisted far enough to overhang the pallet's side or end as damage.

Deckboards

• Missing or broken boards.
• Long splits that can't be securely fastened.
• Board spacing and thickness that match your spec.

Fasteners

The Woodpack Global standard calls for nail heads to be flush or countersunk, and allows no protruding points (shiners) on the exposed faces of stringers or blocks or in the lead deckboard areas. Run a gloved hand along the top deck and the ends. Shiners can snag product and cut hands.

Size and squareness

Measure length and width on several pallets. A 48x40 should measure 48 inches along the stringers and 40 inches along the deckboards. Watch for mixed sizes in the load.

4. Check the heat-treatment mark

If you ordered heat-treated (HT) pallets, check the mark. Under ISPM 15, it must include:

• The IPPC symbol, to the left of the codes.
• A two-letter country code (US for pallets treated in the U.S.).
• A producer or treatment provider code assigned by the national plant protection organization.
• A treatment code: HT (heat treatment), MB (methyl bromide), DH (dielectric heating) or SF (sulfuryl fluoride).

The mark must be legible, inside a border, and not hand drawn, and it should preferably appear on at least two opposite sides. A "KD" (kiln dried) stamp on its own isn't the ISPM 15 mark.

Check repaired pallets closely. Under the American Lumber Standard Committee's rules, a repaired HT pallet must have its old mark obliterated (sanded off or covered with solid paint, for example) unless the facility has an agency-approved process showing every component was treated, and it can be re-marked only after heat treatment. So a painted-over or ground-off stamp means that pallet isn't certified, and an intact old stamp on a visibly repaired pallet isn't proof either. Ask your supplier for the heat-treatment certificate. See heat-treated pallets and ISPM 15.

5. Check moisture and mold

Heat treatment is a pest control measure. ISPM 15 is about stopping pests in wood packaging, and an HT mark doesn't mean the pallet is dry. The Woodpack Global standard sets no limit on moisture content, so if dry pallets matter to you, put a limit in your spec and measure it. The same standard points to ASTM D7438 for field calibration and use of handheld moisture meters.

For a reference point, a Virginia Tech study found that drying oak and yellow poplar pallets to 19–24% moisture content prevented mold growth. Reject pallets with visible mold or a musty smell if your spec excludes them, and store accepted pallets indoors and dry.

6. Check for contamination and pallets that aren't yours

• Stains and odors. Oil, chemical spills and strong smells are reasons to reject for food, pharma and consumer goods. In 2010, McNeil Consumer Healthcare told the FDA it traced the unusual odor behind a product recall to the chemical TBA, which it linked to wood pallets built from wood treated with TBP.
• Pests and debris. Look for insects, droppings, bark, loose trash and broken glass.
• Food rules. Under the FDA's Sanitary Transportation rule, pallets count as transportation equipment, which must be kept sanitary and stored so it doesn't harbor pests or become contaminated.
• Pooled pallets. Blue CHEP pallets and red PECO pallets belong to those companies. Both say their pallets may not be bought or sold. Set them aside instead of accepting them as part of your order.

7. Photograph everything

Photos are your record if there's a dispute. Take them before anything is moved:

• The trailer doors open, showing the load as it arrived.
• The bill of lading and any notes on it.
• Each rejected pallet, with a tag or marker showing why.
• Close-ups of the defect: the split, the shiner, the mold, the missing stamp.
• Moisture meter readings next to the pallet they came from.
• The final count of accepted and rejected pallets.

8. Refuse and document off-spec pallets

1. Separate rejected pallets from accepted ones right away.
2. Tag each rejected pallet with the reason.
3. Write the rejected count and reasons on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves.
4. Email the supplier the same day with the count, reasons and photos.
5. Agree in writing on what happens next: credit, replacement or pickup.

Settle this before the first order. Ask every supplier what they do with off-spec pallets. For example, Chesapeake Pallets (our sister company) lets you refuse off-spec pallets and pay nothing for them.

Printable checklist

Paperwork and count

• PO, spec and approved photos on hand
• Bill of lading matches PO (size, grade, quantity, HT)
• Stacks counted, sample stacks counted
• Shortages written on the delivery receipt

Grade (sample from several stacks: top, middle, bottom)

• Stringers or blocks: no splits, breaks or twisted blocks beyond spec
• Repairs (plates, companion stringers, plugs) allowed by the grade ordered
• Deckboards: none missing or broken, spacing per spec
• No shiners on exposed faces or lead deckboards
• Size and squareness measured on several pallets

Heat treatment (if ordered)

• ISPM 15 mark present: IPPC symbol, country code, producer code, HT
• Mark legible, not hand drawn, not painted over or ground off
• HT certificate requested or on file

Moisture, mold and contamination

• Moisture readings within spec
• No visible mold or musty odor
• No oil, chemical stains, strong odors, pests or debris
• No CHEP (blue) or PECO (red) pallets mixed in

Documentation

• Photos of load, paperwork, defects and readings
• Rejects separated and tagged
• Rejected count and reasons on the delivery receipt
• Supplier notified in writing the same day

FAQ

How many pallets should I inspect in a delivery?

Pull a sample from several stacks, from the top, middle and bottom of each, rather than only the pallets at the trailer doors. If the first pallets fail, widen the sample before deciding on the whole load.

Can I refuse pallets after the driver leaves?

That depends on your supplier's terms, so settle it before the first order. Either way, note rejected counts and reasons on the delivery receipt while the driver is there, and email the supplier photos the same day.

Does an HT stamp mean the pallet is mold-free?

No. ISPM 15 heat treatment is a pest control measure. Moisture is what drives mold, so set a moisture limit in your spec and measure it on arrival.

What should I do with CHEP or PECO pallets in my delivery?

Set them aside. CHEP and PECO both say their pallets remain their property and may not be bought or sold, so don't accept them as part of a purchase.