PALLETS, ELEVATED
few internal resources to manage it, and no enabling technology, Dzugan says. Pallets were often procured at local facility levels as a mostly manual activity. PalletTrader, launched in 2022, is changing this. What started as a neutral, online self-service sourcing platform for whitewood pallets, has evolved into a full-scope, technology-rich “managed service” marketed as PalletTrader+. It was founded by Bettaway Supply Chain Services, an integrated material handling, transportation, and supply chain company with 40 years’ experience. PalletTrader+ is currently available in the United States and will launch in Canada in June 2026. PalletTrader+ works with enterprises to analyze current pallet programs and identify opportunities to optimize them. “A big part of our value is spending time upfront learning each client’s needs,” Dzugan says. Pallet sourcing is often handled by general procurement teams that buy many indirect items, from of ce AND COMPLIANCE Like most links in any supply chain, the pallet market is impacted by government regulations. As more supply chains cross national borders, the pallets used to move goods need to be durable and comply with multiple regulations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, for example, requires importers to ensure that all wood packaging material entering or transiting the United States is pest- free, debarked, heat-treated or fumigated, and marked with an ISPM 15 logo certifying that it has been appropriately treated. “If the logo is not there, customs can reject the entire load,” says Donald Maier, Ph.D., associate professor of practice, supply chain management, at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. ENSURING DURABILITY
PalletTrader oers centralized management for sourcing pallets. Its neutrality is critical to the managed service.
supplies to IT hardware to pallets. That broad portfolio can sometimes limit how deeply they engage in any single category. “We like to say that we will worry about pallets so you can focus on everything else,” she says. OPTIMIZING PALLET SOURCING For example, PalletTrader helped one company optimize its pallet sourcing for its 20-plus nationwide locations, which had been procuring pallets haphazardly with little overall visibility, central direction, or control. Working with the client’s onsite facilities, PalletTrader developed a consolidated strategy that maintained local decisions, instituted a common process, rede ned specs, and leveraged net volume for best pricing. It also provided centralized visibility, improving insights into location spend and network ow. “The company saved 20% just by making nuanced adjustments and centralizing management under us,” Dzugan says.
PalletTrader’s neutrality is critical to the managed service. “It’s what differentiates us,” Dzugan says. PalletTrader isn’t beholden to speci c suppliers or platforms so it can be an objective arbiter, she adds, providing a single, expert resource that relieves the procurement burden and gives the client a purpose-designed, custom solution. Today PalletTrader offers centralized management for sourcing pallets via its nationwide network, client incumbent management, sell-off/buyback programs, repair and return programs, rental management, and closed-loop pool solutions spanning wood and plastic options. “We found clients wanted the bene t of an experienced, knowledgeable, and dedicated team backed by innovative technology to reimagine pallet sourcing and management in a better way,” Dzugan adds. “It’s a continuous improvement journey, using proven technology and expertise to source and recover pallets as ef ciently, cost- effectively, and reliably as possible.”
64 Inbound Logistics • May 2026
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