01The argument people make
Block pallets carry more. Racked capacity of 2,500 to 3,300 lb against 1,800 to 2,500 for a comparable stringer pallet, and a much better racked-to-static ratio — around 43% versus 33%. That is because a block pallet never cuts a hole in a load-bearing member.
True, and for most operations it is not the deciding factor, because most loads are nowhere near either limit.
02The argument that actually decides it
Repair. When a block pallet is damaged, I cut out one block and fit a new one. The deck structure is untouched and the pallet leaves the shop at the grade it arrived at.
When a stringer pallet has a cracked stringer, I have two options: fit a companion — which works, adds three to five pounds, and drops it from Grade A to Grade B — or dismantle it. There is no repair that returns it to what it was.
| Damage | Stringer pallet | Block pallet |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked structural member | Companion stringer, grade drops | Replace one block, grade holds |
| Broken deck board | Replace board | Replace board |
| Broken notch | Plug, grade drops | No notches to break |
| Corner damage | Often terminal | Replace corner block |
| Typical service trips | 5–7 | 8–11 |
Over a fleet on a repair programme, that difference lands in the annual repair bill within a year. It is precisely why every serious pooling operation in the world standardises on block construction, and pooling companies are the most cost-disciplined pallet buyers there are.
03The break-even
Roughly three round trips. Below that, the stringer pallet's lower purchase price wins because you are not around long enough to consume the durability. Above it, the block pallet's cost per trip falls below and keeps falling.
| Trips | Stringer at $13 | Block at $16 | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (one-way) | $13.00 | $16.00 | Stringer |
| 3 | $4.33 | $5.33 | Stringer |
| 5 | $2.60 | $3.20 | Stringer |
| 7 | $1.86 | $2.29 | Stringer |
| 9 | $1.86 (2nd pallet) | $1.78 | Block |
| 11 | $2.36 | $1.45 | Block |
04The value buy nobody notices
Recovered block pallets are one of the better items in our whole catalogue and they get overlooked because buyers assume block means expensive.
A recovered Grade A block pallet was built to a specification designed to survive a pooling system — heavier lumber, better fasteners, tighter tolerances than anything built for one-way freight. It usually has most of that life left. At $14 to $23 it is not cheap against a $13 stringer pallet, but against what it would cost new it is a substantial discount on a substantially better product.
Availability is the constraint. Block pallets tend to stay inside closed systems rather than entering the open recovery stream, so supply is lumpier than stringer stock. Port markets — Los Angeles, northern New Jersey — are the best places to find them, because imported freight arrives on block pallets that mostly do not go home.
