In a pool you never own the pallet. CHEP describes its model as renting the pallets you need while it collects them from distribution centres, inspects and repairs them, and puts them back into circulation (CHEP, how it works). Owning means you buy the pallet, new or used, and whatever happens to it after the load leaves is your problem. The deciding question is whether your pallets come back to you.
How the three models differ
| Pool (CHEP, PECO) | Own new | Own used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who owns the pallet | The pool operator | You | You |
| What you pay for | Use of the pallet, on the operator's contract terms | The pallet | The pallet, priced by grade |
| After delivery | The operator collects empties, inspects and repairs them | You recover it, or it stays with the receiver | You recover it, or it stays with the receiver |
| Can it be resold | No | Yes | Yes |
Which one fits your loads
Pallets that leave and do not come back
When the load goes to a customer and the pallet stays there, an owned pallet is a cost you pay once per shipment. A pool moves that cost into a rental and relies on the operator being able to collect from your receivers. CHEP describes arranging pickup from distribution centres, so before choosing a pool, ask the operator whether it collects from the docks your loads go to.
Pallets that circulate inside your own network
When pallets move between your own sites or come back on your own trucks, you already do the recovery a pool charges for. Owning is simpler, and used pallets lower the purchase price. Grade decides what a used pallet can carry and where it can go: the pallet grades page lists what A, B and C mean on Repackify.
Putting numbers on it
The pallet ROI calculator compares buying, renting and pooling with your own trip counts and prices. For the used-pallet price, use what the market is asking now: the pallet price index and current used pallet listings. For the pool price, ask the operator for a quote on your lanes; rental terms are set per contract and are not published.
Pool pallets are not for sale or recycling
A blue CHEP pallet or a red PECO pallet belongs to the operator wherever it turns up. CHEP states that it owns its pallets and never sells or otherwise relinquishes ownership of them (CHEP pallet collection). PECO states that it is illegal to sell, buy, exchange or repurpose its pallets (PECO pallet recovery).
Repackify does not sell or recycle pool pallets, so a recycling pickup through us is for pallets you own. Pool pallets in your yard go back to the operator: CHEP takes collection requests through its pallet collection page, and PECO takes returns by phone, email or its online form, and asks to hear about even one or two pallets.