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Pallet pooling

Renting pallets from a company that owns them, collects them and repairs them between trips.

Last reviewed October 27, 2026 by repallet.org editors.

In pallet pooling, a pooling company owns a fleet of pallets, rents them to manufacturers who ship goods on them, collects them from retailers and distributors after delivery, inspects and repairs them, and sends them out again. In the US the best-known poolers are CHEP (blue pallets), PECO (red) and iGPS (plastic).

The key point for end of life is ownership. CHEP says it never sells or otherwise relinquishes ownership of its pallets, and PECO says its pallets may not be bought, sold, exchanged, modified or destroyed. A receiver holding pooled pallets returns them; it doesn't decide their fate.

Whether pooling costs less than buying is a procurement question this site doesn't cover. See pooled pallets for return routes.

Pooled pallets are usually painted so that anyone handling them can tell at a glance that they are rental property.

Sources

  1. Request blue pallet collection CHEP USA. Accessed October 27, 2026.
  2. PECO Asset Recovery Program (letter dated April 1, 2023) PECO Pallet. Accessed October 27, 2026.

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