The short version: pallet prices are rising. The PFX forecast calls for +1.5% by December 2026 and +3.3% by September 2027, with an 80% range of −1.4% to +22.3% at 12 months. The PFX National Pallet Index for September stands at $6.77 per pallet, its first official release (Tier B, assessed from completed truckload transactions). The bigger story for delivered pallets is freight: diesel and long-haul truckload rates are at their highest in BLS data going back to 2007. If you buy delivered, expect requotes. Lock pricing for the quarter where you can and get dock dates in writing.
This report covers BLS producer price data through September 2026, released in October. BLS marks June through September as preliminary, so these numbers can still be revised.
Pallet prices: nine months without a decline
The BLS producer price index for wood pallets and pallet containers (series WPU084101) reached 361.8 in September, up 1.5% from August.
- 3 months: +2.9%
- 12 months: +7.7%
- Since December 2025: +7.4%
The index has not fallen in a single month this year. It held near 339 in January and February, stepped up in April, and has climbed or held every month since. It is still 18.5% below its April 2022 peak of 444.2, so this is a climb, not a record.
Pallet makers' prices across all their products (the industry index, PCU321920321920) tell the same story: +8.7% over 12 months.
Lumber: softwood up, hardwood flat
- Hardwood lumber (WPU0812): +1.3% over 12 months and −1.3% over the last three. Little pressure from hardwood right now.
- Softwood lumber (WPU0811): +14.2% over 12 months and +2.1% over three, though it slipped 2.0% in September.
In our analysis of BLS data since 2007, lumber moves tend to show up in pallet prices within about one to three months. Softwood's run this year is one reason the forecast points up.
Freight: the number to watch
Delivered pallet prices include the truck, and the truck got expensive.
- No. 2 diesel (WPU057303): +24.2% in September alone, +42.1% over three months and +115% over 12 months. The highest reading in our data, which starts in 2007.
- Long-distance truckload freight (PCU484121484121): +4.6% in September, +10.8% over three months and +17.9% over 12 months. Also the highest in our data.
Our freight pressure gauge reads High. Even if the pallets themselves held steady, delivered quotes would face pressure from freight alone.
The forecast: up 1.5% by December, 3.3% in a year
The PFX forecast combines five models: a driver regression on lumber, freight, labor and demand data; autoregressive and damped-trend models; and two no-change benchmarks. Each is weighted by its accuracy on recent out-of-sample forecasts.
| Horizon | Forecast change | 80% range |
|---|---|---|
| 1 month (October) | +0.6% | +0.1% to +1.6% |
| 3 months (December) | +1.5% | +0.4% to +4.6% |
| 6 months (March 2027) | +2.3% | −0.3% to +10.6% |
| 12 months (September 2027) | +3.3% | −1.4% to +22.3% |
- What's pushing it: freight costs and the pallet price's gap to its input costs push up; slowing manufacturing and warehouse hiring pulls down.
- How good is it: in an out-of-sample backtest from 2016 to 2026 (128 monthly forecasts), the combined forecast had 15 to 27% less error than assuming no change at 1 to 6 months, and about 8% less at 12 months. It got the 3-month direction right 80% of the time, and its 80% ranges contained the outcome 73 to 85% of the time. The ranges are wide on purpose: the upside tail reflects how fast pallet prices rose in 2018 and 2021.
- This is the first live forecast. Every forecast from here on is archived as published.
See the full forecast, scenarios and scorecard and the methodology.
What it means for buyers
- Lock pricing for the quarter if your supplier will hold a price for recurring loads. A standing order is easier to hold than one-time spot buys.
- Ask how freight is handled in your quote. A delivered price is only firm if the supplier carries the freight risk.
- Get dock dates in writing. Tight freight markets slip schedules before they move prices.
- Budget for the top of the range. Our budget planner turns the outlook into a dollar range for next quarter.
Delivered prices this month
Full truckload, freight included, per pallet, as of October 15, 2026:
| 48x40 pallet | Delivered range |
|---|---|
| Grade B (recycled) | $4.75–$6.75 |
| Grade A (recycled) | $6.75–$8.75 |
| AAA (recycled) | $8.50–$10.50 |
| Recycled block | $6.25–$8.50 |
| Heat treatment adder | $1.00–$1.50 |
Ranges are published by Chesapeake Pallets, our sister company. More on the prices page.
Next report
BLS publishes October producer prices in mid-November. We will update the outlook and this report series then. Get it by email.