Pallet Exchange Note Template (Palettenschein)

The pallet exchange note – German: Palettenschein – documents the exchange of load carriers: how many Euro pallets or mesh boxes were handed over at a delivery, how many came back empty – and what pallet debt remains open. It complements the delivery note and the proof of delivery: those acknowledge the goods, the pallet note the load carriers.

What does a pallet exchange note document?

• Date, place, and the parties involved (handing-over and receiving side)
• Type and number of load carriers handed over (Euro pallets, mesh boxes, pallet collars)
• Type and number of empty pallets exchanged back
• Condition or quality class of the exchanged pallets
• Open pallet debt and signatures of both sides

Why is it worth the effort?

Because pallets are real money: an exchangeable Euro pallet quickly costs ten euros and more to buy, depending on the market, and a full truckload holds a good 30 of them. Unresolved pallet balances add up to four-figure amounts within weeks – and without a record, a pallet debt is nearly impossible to enforce later.

When does a duty to exchange even exist?

Only when it was agreed. Neither German freight law nor the ADSp provide for pallet exchange automatically – the ADSp even exclude an exchange obligation without an explicit agreement. So check the transport order or framework agreement: if it says nothing about exchange, the carrier owes no empty pallets. That is exactly why the arrangement belongs in the order in writing – and every handover on a pallet note.

Paper or digital?

At the ramp things have to move fast – so the sheet gets filled in illegibly, the carbon copy fades, and weeks later two pallet accounts show two different balances. If you already acknowledge handovers digitally, it is best to capture load carriers along the way – for example with Maxmove Digital POD, where pallets are documented per handover with signature and timestamp.

Frequently asked questions

Who owes whom pallets? Whoever accepts loaded pallets without returning equivalent empty ones builds up a pallet debt. The pallet note records how large it is and who has to settle it.

What is an exchangeable pallet? An intact EPAL Euro pallet with valid markings, without broken boards or missing blocks – usually quality class A or B. Damaged or blocked pallets are not accepted in exchange.

Immediate exchange or deferred exchange? With immediate (Zug-um-Zug) exchange, the recipient hands out matching empty pallets on the spot. With deferred exchange (Nachtausch), the debt is settled later – then the pallet note is the only record of the open balance.

How do I keep a pallet account? One balance per business partner, fed by the pallet notes of every handover. Reconcile monthly and clarify differences immediately – the older the difference, the harder the agreement.