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iGPS Plastic Pallet Alternative
Wood vs Plastic Total Cost Analysis 2026
Florida Pallet Supply • Updated 2026-04-07
Florida Pallet Supply • Updated 2026-04-07
iGPS (Intelligent Global Pooling Systems) rents lightweight plastic pallets as an alternative to wood GMA pallets. Their selling points - lighter weight, uniform dimensions, RFID tracking, and no splinter risk - are real advantages for specific applications. But for most Southeast manufacturing and distribution operations, the total cost of iGPS rental significantly exceeds buying quality wood GMA pallets.
| Factor | iGPS Plastic Rental | Wood GMA (Owned) |
|---|---|---|
| Per-trip cost | $8-$14/trip rental | $9-$13 (Grade A, owned) |
| Loss/damage fees | $25-$50 per lost pallet | None (you own it) |
| Admin overhead | Pool management, invoicing, audits | None |
| Fire code (idle storage) | Group A plastic - higher sprinkler requirements | Standard wood requirements |
| Weight | 48 lb (lighter than wood) | 55-70 lb (typical wood GMA) |
| Uniformity | Consistent dimensions | Minor variation in recycled |
| Retailer acceptance | Limited - not all retailers accept | Universal GMA acceptance |
Florida Pallet Supply can be more competitive for your area.
Submit a free quote now →Plastic pallets genuinely outperform wood in a narrow set of applications: FDA-regulated cleanroom environments requiring sanitizable pallet surfaces, cold chain operations where frozen condensation degrades wood faster, and automated sortation systems with tight dimensional tolerances. Outside these niches, owned wood GMA pallets deliver better total economics for the vast majority of operations.
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