New pallets: built from all-new lumber
A new pallet is built from all-new lumber and has never carried a load. It is usually made to a spec sheet, not pulled from a sorted stack.
- Size
- Any
- Build
- Stringer or block
- Grade
- New
- Trades
- Medical, export, automated lines
- Repairs
- None
What the word promises
New carries one promise: all the lumber is new. It does not promise a size, a species or a moisture content. A spec sheet does that, and the sheet is what a request should carry: size, deck boards, how many, the fasteners, and the entry.
When new is worth asking for
- Every pallet in a run must behave the same on an automated line
- The product is medical or electronic and a used deck is a risk
- A pallet leaves the building and will not come back
- A heat-treated stamp must be on every board
What to compare
| Grade | Lumber | Consistency |
|---|---|---|
| New | All new | High, built to a sheet |
| Combo | Recycled and new mixed | Stronger and more consistent than used |
| Grade A | Used, no repairs | Varies by pile |
Read new pallets for the buying side, and custom pallets when the size is unusual.
What a spec sheet should say
- Length and width in inches
- Number and thickness of top and bottom deck boards
- Stringer or block, and the entry
- Lumber: hardwood or softwood, and whether kiln dried
- Fasteners: nails or screws, and pattern
- Heat treatment mark if it is wanted
A pallet built to that sheet will come out the same every time. A pallet built to "a 48x40, new" will not, and two shops can read it differently.
Price is only part of the case
New costs more than used per pallet. What it saves is the failure that a bent board causes on an automated line, a returned shipment, or a damaged load.
A new pallet in a mixed pile
If a pile contains new pallets, pull them out and say so. Unused pallets fetch more than any used grade.
Hardwood, softwood and what the lumber does
A new pallet may be built from hardwood such as oak, or softwood such as pine or spruce. Hardwood tends to be denser and heavier, resists nail pull-out and shrugs off rough handling. Softwood is lighter, cheaper and easier to nail. Production of pallets uses 43 percent of the hardwood and 15 percent of the softwood harvested in the United States, so the choice of species is a real decision for a builder.
A request for new pallets should name the species if it matters, or say that either is acceptable. It should also say whether the lumber needs to be kiln dried, which lowers moisture, or heat treated, which meets a quarantine standard. Those are not the same thing.
Fastener choices
- Smooth nails, which are quick but can back out under vibration
- Ring-shank or spiral nails, which grip harder and hold through repeated handling
- Screws, which resist pull-out best but cost more
- Staples, which some plants use for light, single-trip builds
When new is the right grade
New pallets are made from fresh lumber to a stated spec. They are the right choice when a customer inspects incoming pallets, when the load is heavy or when export marks are needed.
They cost more than used, but they arrive consistent, clean and with a known board count. For a first order on a new product line, many buyers choose new to remove one variable.
Grade meanings: pallet grade definitions as commonly used by buyers and sellers (read 11 November 2026). No single body enforces them.
Ready to ask? Send us the request.