Plastic pallet manufacturers: the makers behind what we source
Who does what
- Makers
- Rehrig Pacific, Premier Pallet (PHS), others
- Dealers
- Nelson Company
- Processes
- Six, listed below
- Our role
- Supplier. We do not mould
Plastic pallet manufacturers mould pallets in one of six processes: injection molding, structural foam molding, thermoforming, compression molding, rotational molding and profile extrusion. We are not one of them. We source new plastic pallets from makers and match a make to your load.
This page explains the processes in buyer's terms, shows what three makers publish, and tells you what to ask a manufacturer if you want to deal with the factory directly.
Six ways a plastic pallet is made
| Process | What it means for a buyer |
|---|---|
| Injection molding | High-pressure moulding in a steel tool. Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 rackable is high-pressure injection molded co-polymer polypropylene, with a two-piece snap-lock design for quick repair. |
| Structural foam molding | Moulding with a foaming agent, which gives a cellular core. Ask the maker which of its models use it. |
| Thermoforming | A heated plastic sheet formed over a mould. Ask whether a model is single-sheet or twin-sheet. |
| Compression molding | Material pressed in a heated mould. Ask what material blend the model uses. |
| Rotational molding | Hollow parts made by turning a heated mould in more than one direction. |
| Profile extrusion | Continuous lengths pushed through a die, which can then be assembled into a pallet. |
The process shapes how a pallet fails and whether it can be repaired. Plastic pallets can deform, or creep, under heavy long-term loads, and they are hard to repair. A snap-lock design swaps a broken part. A welded design needs the maker or a repair shop.
What three makers publish
Makers show their own models and their own numbers. Here is what each publishes for 48 x 40 class pallets, as examples only:
| Source | Model | Published |
|---|---|---|
| Rehrig Pacific | 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable | 26.5 lb; 10,000 lb static; 3,000 lb dynamic; 2.50 in nest increment; 1,260 per 53 ft trailer |
| Rehrig Pacific | 40 x 48 rackable | 44.2 lb; 10,000 lb static; 4,000 lb dynamic; 2,000 lb edge rack; 540 per trailer |
| Premier Pallet (PHS) | EXP 100 nestable, 48 x 40 x 5.2 in | 78 per stack; 2,340 per truckload |
Premier Pallet describes itself as a manufacturer of American-made plastic pallets and offers volume pricing on request. Nelson Company is a dealer that lists new and used pallets and matches stock from the closest warehouse. Each framing leaves the supplier question open: who compares across makes?
Going to the factory yourself
If you want to deal with a manufacturer directly, ask it for the same things we ask for:
- The model sheet with static load, dynamic load and racking load.
- The resin, whether virgin resin or recycled content, and the colourant.
- Resin and colourant documents, and a fire listing if you need one.
- Options: colours, hot-stamped marks, RFID compatibility, recycled-content ranges.
- Its own published trailer count and nest increment for the model.
When a supplier fits better than a factory
Pick a supplier when you want to see more than one maker's range against your spec, when you buy several footprints, or when a standing supply needs the same model order after order even if one maker is busy. Pick the factory when you have already settled on one model and one maker and only need to place the order. Our supplier or manufacturer guide walks through the choice.
Whose figures this site uses
| Source | What we take from it |
|---|---|
| Rehrig Pacific | Weights, ratings, nest increments and trailer counts for standard-duty, heavy-duty and rackable 40 x 48 pallets |
| Premier Pallet (PHS) | Ratings for stackable and beverage models, nestable counts per stack and per truckload |
| Nelson Company | Sizes, material notes, one nestable, stackable, rackable model and a used pallet's listing |
| Cabka | Export pallet exemption and design notes |
| iGPS | The example of a pooled pallet and its fire listings |
Each is one maker's or dealer's published figure for one model. We do not blend them into an average, because an average of unlike pallets describes none of them.
From request to trailer
- Send the ship-to. A delivery ZIP, a footprint and a quantity, in pallets or in trailers. If you do not know a rating, describe the load.
- We match a model. We pick a maker and model whose published static, dynamic and racking load fit the load, and say so when only one maker fits.
- You get a count. The quote carries the maker's own per-trailer figure where one is published, and says plainly where none is.
- Papers and delivery. For food or pharma we attach the resin and colourant documents. A standing supply repeats the same line on every order.
What a complete request carries
- The footprint, in inches or millimetres, and whether it is fixed by a rack bay or a container.
- How many pallets, or how many 53 ft trailers.
- The ratings the load needs: static for the stack, dynamic for the move, racking only if the pallet sits on beams.
- Food, pharma, chemical, automotive, warehouse or export use, which sets the papers.
- One load now, or a standing supply with the same line on every order.
- Where it goes and when, and anything marked on the pallet: colour, logo, RFID tag.
Terms on this page
- Static load
- Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
- Dynamic load
- Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- Nest increment
- How much height each extra nested pallet adds to a stack.
- Virgin resin
- New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- Edge rack
- Resting on the rack beams by the pallet's edges only, with no support in the middle.
- Stackable
- Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
- Rackable
- Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
Questions at the dock
Do you manufacture plastic pallets?
No. We are a supplier. We source new plastic pallets from makers and never claim to mould them.
Which plastic pallet manufacturers do you source from?
We match a make to each load. The makers named here publish the figures we quote as examples. We do not publish a list of supply relationships.
What are the plastic pallet manufacturers in the USA?
Rehrig Pacific and Premier Pallet are two US makers whose published figures are on this page. Others exist. Ask us for a match for your spec.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-12.