Sector · Container shipping and the docks
Pallets for container shipping and dockside businesses in Southampton
Southampton is a container port first and foremost, and the businesses that feed it — freight forwarders, hauliers, warehousing, groupage and cargo handling operations — move large amounts of palletised goods every week.
How the pallet side of this work behaves
Containerised work creates two opposite problems in the same building. Loads being built for despatch need pallets of a consistent size and strength, available when the container is booked rather than a week later. Loads being stripped out leave behind pallets of every size and condition, many of them unusable, taking up the floor space the next container needs.
We work both directions: supplying graded used, new or plastic pallets for outbound and internal work, buying reusable surplus where the type and volume justify it, and clearing the rest through repair, reuse, recovery and recycling. Because our yard is minutes from the Western Approach and the M27, dockside and estate sites are among the shortest journeys we make.
Where a consignment is subject to export timber requirements such as ISPM 15, that is a specialist specification. Tell us what your customer has asked for and we will be straight about what we can and cannot supply; the group's export-specific site covers the compliance detail.
What these sites ask for
Consistent sizes for container loading
UK Standard 1200 x 1000mm and Euro 1200 x 800mm as core sizes, graded so a load arrives consistent rather than mixed at random.
Strength for stacked and travelled loads
Stronger grades or new pallets where goods are stacked, double-handled or travelling a long way from your yard.
Clearance of stripped-out empties
One-off clearances after a heavy import week, or a recurring round so the yard never backs up.
Value back for reusable surplus
Where surplus pallets are reusable and there are enough of them, we will look at buying rather than charging to remove.
We supply businesses trading in and around the port. We hold no contract, approved supplier status or formal relationship with the port operator or with any shipping or container line.
Where to go next
- Used pallets
Graded used wooden pallets in UK Standard and Euro sizes.
- New pallets
New timber pallets where consistency and strength matter.
- Plastic pallets
Washable, dimensionally consistent pallets for repeat handling.
- Bespoke pallets
Made-to-order sizes for awkward or oversized products.
- Buy or sell
We buy suitable reusable surplus, subject to type and volume.
- Collection & recycling
One-off clearances and recurring collection rounds.
- Areas we cover
Southampton, the Waterside and the wider Hampshire area.
- Request a quote
Send your pallet type, quantity and postcode for a straight answer.
Container shipping and the docks: common questions
- Can you supply pallets at short notice for a container booking?
- Sometimes, depending on the size, grade, quantity and how the yard and vehicles are committed that week. We will confirm a realistic date with your quote instead of promising a slot we cannot keep.
- Do you take away the mixed pallets that come out of imported containers?
- Yes. Mixed sizes and damaged stock are normal in this work. Send photographs and rough numbers and we will quote to buy, clear or a mix of both.
- Can you supply ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets for export?
- Export specifications are handled as a specific enquiry rather than an off-the-shelf product. Tell us the destination and what you have been asked to provide, and we will tell you honestly what we can supply.
Call 023 8017 1049 during Monday to Friday, 9:00am – 5:00pm, or send the details through the quote form.
Supplying container shipping and the docks in Southampton
Tell us the pallet type, size, quantity and your Southampton or Hampshire postcode, and we will come back with a straight answer on what we can supply or collect.