Pallets in Raleigh–Durham, NC. Delivered by the truckload.

Raleigh–Durham moves its freight on I-40, which runs from the Triangle to I-95 at Benson and on to the port city of Wilmington. Warehouses keep pushing east toward Garner, Knightdale and Johnston County as land near RDU fills up.

Research Triangle Park and the drug plants around it shape the region's image: Holly Springs now hosts large biomanufacturing plants, and Clayton is adding a fill-finish plant. Much of what moves on Triangle highways, though, is food, retail goods and farm product. North Carolina grows more sweet potatoes than any other state, and Johnston County is one of four counties that raise about half the crop. Grocery, e-commerce and 3PL buildings in Garner and Knightdale serve a growing population, and manufacturers in Durham and Morrisville ship parts built to a customer's print.

That spread changes how pallets get bought. A Garner distribution center wants recycled 48x40s in matching grades, refilled as each new building ramps up. Sweet potato packers harvest in the fall but cure and ship all year, so their pallet needs never really stop, and export cartons need treated wood. Manufacturers want new or custom pallets that match a drawing. Because industrial land close to RDU is scarce, many buyers have little room to stockpile and order closer to need.