Plastic pallets for fruit and vegetable preserving, bought by the load
Fruit and Vegetable Processing
- NAICS
- 3114
- US jobs, 2025
- 173,844
- Establishments
- 2,936
- Leading state
- California, 27,518
- Dock pattern
- season and wet product
Fruit and vegetable processors ship in seasonal bursts through a wet dock. A pallet that cleans easily and holds its rating when damp is the baseline; the order pattern is what makes the spec interesting.
The industry employs 173,844 people across 2,936 establishments. California leads with 27,518, then Wisconsin (11,014), Washington (10,988), Ohio (10,327) and Texas (9,194).
What the receiving dock sees: stacks in the dock door and a counterbalance lift truck carrying a stack on its forks. Schematic, not to scale.
What a fruit and vegetable preserving dock checks first
- Cleanability, and moisture resistance of the resin: HDPE is tough and moisture resistant.
- Static load for stacked cases and dynamic load for movement.
- Seasonal volume: one standing spec beats a new spec each season.
- Papers for the resin and colourant.
- Footprint match to the case or tote dimensions.
The pattern for this dock is season and wet product. Ask for the resin and colourant documents, and whether the model is built from virgin or recycled resin. Keep the document with the standing order.
Footprints and the rating to read first
| Footprint | Why it comes up | Read first |
|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | General case stacks | Static |
| 43 x 43 | Bulk bags, including food additives | Static |
Seasonal peaks push many trailers into a short window. Write the model first, then the number of trailers, and ask for the maker's count for the model rather than reusing another model's.
Where the jobs are
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 173,844 average private jobs in fruit and vegetable preserving (NAICS 3114) across 2,936 establishments in 2025. That is 59 jobs per establishment on average, a computed figure (jobs divided by establishments) that shows whether the industry is made of large plants or many small sites.
| State | Jobs, 2025 | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| California | 27,518 | 15.8% |
| Wisconsin | 11,014 | 6.3% |
| Washington | 10,988 | 6.3% |
| Ohio | 10,327 | 5.9% |
| Texas | 9,194 | 5.3% |
California alone holds 15.8% of the national total, and the five leading states together hold 39.7%. Shares are computed from the BLS figures shown. They show where the freight and the docks are, not how many pallets the industry buys.
| County | Jobs, 2025 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, California | 3,695 |
| Stanislaus County, California | 3,669 |
| Fresno County, California | 3,355 |
| Cook County, Illinois | 2,861 |
| Franklin County, Washington | 2,520 |
| Marion County, Oregon | 2,273 |
Planning for the season
Seasonal processors ship in surges, and the pallet order is easier when it follows the same shape. Write the standing spec once, then add a trailer count for the peak weeks and a lower one for the rest. The model stays the same so the pallets are interchangeable across lines.
A processor of this size is large: 173,844 people at 2,936 establishments, about 59 per establishment. Ask the maker for the count for the model you chose, not a figure borrowed from a different pallet.
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.
- HDPE
- High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.
- Open deck
- Top deck with gaps between slats or ribs; lighter and drains.
- Closed deck
- Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
- Picture frame
- A raised rim around the deck edge that keeps cartons from sliding off.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
- Lip
- Raised edge on the deck, or an optional soft lip, that keeps the load in place.
- Anti-slip
- Textured deck or rubber grommets that reduce load slip.
- Multi-trip pallet
- A pallet designed to be returned and reused many times.
Questions at the dock
Which states process the most fruit and vegetables?
California, Wisconsin, Washington, Ohio and Texas lead on jobs in 2025.
Is HDPE good in wet conditions?
HDPE is described as tough and moisture resistant.
Keep reading
Last reviewed 2026-11-12.