Standard pallet size: 48 × 40 inches
The standard pallet in the US is 48 × 40 inches (1,219 × 1,016 mm), known as the GMA pallet. It stands about 4.5 inches tall and weighs 30 to 48 lb empty. In Europe the standard is the 1,200 × 800 mm Euro pallet. Below are the other common sizes, what they weigh and carry, and how many fit in a truck or container.
The 48 × 40 GMA pallet
The size was set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which now goes by the Consumer Brands Association, so that grocers and suppliers could pass goods between warehouses on one shared pallet. It is by far the most common size in the US: about 30% of all new wood pallets produced there are 48 × 40.
A new wood GMA pallet has deck boards about 3.5 inches wide. Kamps Pallets puts its height at about 4½ inches (½-inch deck boards on 3½-inch stringers), and PalletOne at 4.75 inches. Kamps lists an average weight of 37 lb and a safe maximum load of 4,592 lb; PalletOne gives 30 to 48 lb and up to 4,600 lb. The pooled block pallets rented by CHEP (blue) and PECO (red) are the same 48 × 40 footprint but taller, 141 mm (5.56 in), and are rated for 2,800 lb spread evenly.
US pallet sizes by industry
US sizes are written length × width, and the length is the stringer side, so 48 × 40 and 40 × 48 are different pallets. Weights and loads are Kamps Pallets' figures for new wood pallets of each size.
| Size (in) | Common use | Avg. weight | Safe max load |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 × 40 | Grocery and most general freight (GMA) | 37 lb | 4,592 lb |
| 42 × 42 | Telecommunications, paint | 36 lb | 4,445 lb |
| 48 × 48 | Drums | 37 lb | 4,673 lb |
| 40 × 48 | Military, cement | 42 lb | 3,696 lb |
| 48 × 42 | Chemical, beverage | 35 lb | 4,333 lb |
| 40 × 40 | Dairy | 29 lb | 3,544 lb |
| 36 × 36 | Beverage | 32 lb | 3,544 lb |
| 48 × 36 | Beverage, shingles, packaged paper | 31 lb | 5,261 lb |
| 48 × 45 | Automotive | — | — |
| 44 × 44 | Drums, chemical | — | — |
“—” means no figure in the Kamps chart. Loads are maximums for a pallet sitting on a flat floor; ask your supplier for the rating when the pallet will be moving or in a rack.
Euro pallet sizes (EPAL)
The EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1) is 1,200 × 800 × 144 mm (47.2 × 31.5 × 5.67 in). EPAL's product sheet lists 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, a weight of about 25 kg (55 lb) and a safe working load of 1,500 kg. Stacked loaded pallets on a flat floor can put up to 5,500 kg on the bottom one. The family also includes the 1,200 × 1,000 mm EPAL 2, the 1,000 × 1,200 mm EPAL 3 and the 800 × 600 mm half pallet (EPAL 6). The same data is on our German page, Europalette Maße.
The six ISO pallet sizes
ISO 6780 names six sizes for international shipping. The last column shows how much of a shipping container's floor each size leaves empty, which is why the North American size packs a container best.
| mm | in | Used mostly in | Container floor unused |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,016 × 1,219 mm | 40 × 48 in | North America | 3.7% |
| 1,000 × 1,200 mm | 39.4 × 47.2 in | Europe, Asia | 6.7% |
| 1,165 × 1,165 mm | 45.9 × 45.9 in | Australia | 8.1% |
| 1,067 × 1,067 mm | 42 × 42 in | North America, Europe, Asia | 11.5% |
| 1,100 × 1,100 mm | 43.3 × 43.3 in | Asia | 14% |
| 800 × 1,200 mm | 31.5 × 47.2 in | Europe (the Euro pallet) | 15.2% |
How many standard pallets fit in a truck or container
On the floor in one layer, a 53 ft dry van takes 26 pallets of 48 × 40 loaded straight (more if turned). A 20ft container takes 9 (its 5.90 m floor is a few inches too short for a 10th), a 40ft takes 20 and a 45ft high cube 24. Euro pallets fit 11 in a 20ft, about 24 in a 40ft and 33 in a 13.6 m European trailer. For your own load, use the truck load calculator.
How many cartons fit your pallet?
Enter your carton size to see how many fit per layer and per pallet, and how many pallets fit a truck or container:
Max load height includes the pallet (about 4.75 in). Cartons stay upright. Weights are optional.
Cartons per pallet
Layer pattern, top view · 100% of the deck covered · mixed orientation
Loaded height
64.8 in
with pallet
Gross weight
—
add weight
Pallets
—
add cartons
Pallets per load (one layer)
26
53ft van
9
20ft container
20
40ft container
Free PDF includes a watermark. Pro removes it & adds your brand.
Dimensional estimate with no overhang. Confirm stack height and weight limits with your carrier.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard pallet size?
In the US it is 48 × 40 inches, the GMA pallet, which makes up about 30% of new wood pallets produced in the United States. In Europe it is the 1,200 × 800 mm Euro pallet (EPAL).
What size is a 48 × 40 pallet?
48 inches long and 40 inches wide (1,219 × 1,016 mm), or 4 ft by 3 ft 4 in. That is 13.3 square feet of deck. A new wood one stands about 4.5 to 4.75 inches tall; pooled block pallets from CHEP and PECO are 141 mm (5.56 in).
What are the GMA pallet specifications?
The GMA standard was set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, now the Consumer Brands Association: a 48 × 40 in pallet with deck boards about 3.5 in wide. Pallet makers list it at about 4.5 to 4.75 in tall, 30 to 48 lb, and up to about 4,600 lb of safe load.
Is 48 × 40 the same as 40 × 48?
Not quite. US pallet sizes are written length first, and the length is the stringer side. A 48 × 40 has 48-inch stringers; a 40 × 48 has 40-inch stringers and is used by the military and for cement. In ISO tables, which list width first, the GMA pallet appears as 1,016 × 1,219 mm.
What is the standard Euro pallet size?
1,200 × 800 × 144 mm. EPAL lists it at about 25 kg with a safe working load of 1,500 kg, and up to 5,500 kg on the bottom pallet when loaded pallets are stacked on a flat floor.