Pallet sizes
Every footprint, with the numbers that matter
Fifteen standard and semi-standard pallet footprints, in inches and millimetres, with load ratings, entry types and the industries that actually use them. Search it, filter it, and stop guessing at what is on your dock.
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The standard North American pallet is 48" x 40" (1219 x 1016 mm), known as the GMA pallet. The European standard is the 1200 x 800 mm Euro pallet. ISO 6780 recognises six footprints in total, and no single one is standard worldwide.
Everything else on this page exists because real warehouses are full of drums, kegs, reels and machinery that a 48x40 does not suit. Use the matcher below to find the footprint that fits.
The size matcher
Search by size, region or what it carries
Type a dimension, an industry or a standard. Filter by region. The chart updates as you type — and it works on a phone in a warehouse aisle, which is where it usually gets used.
Showing 15 of 15 footprints.
| Footprint | Inches | Millimetres | Standard | Typical use | Dynamic load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48" x 40" GMANorth America | 48 x 40" | 1219 x 1016 | GMA / ISO 6780 | Grocery, CPG, Retail DC, Beverage | 2,800 lb |
| Euro pallet (EPAL / EUR 1)Europe | 47.24 x 31.5" | 1200 x 800 | UIC 435-2 / EPAL | Automotive, Pharma, Import/export, Retail | 3,300 lb |
| 42" x 42"North America | 42 x 42" | 1067 x 1067 | Industry square | Telecom, Paint, Drum handling | 2,500 lb |
| 48" x 48"North America | 48 x 48" | 1219 x 1219 | Industry square | Chemical, Drums, Industrial | 2,800 lb |
| 40" x 48" (rotated GMA)North America | 40 x 48" | 1016 x 1219 | GMA, stringers on the 48" side | Beverage, Dairy, Cold chain | 2,800 lb |
| 48" x 45"North America | 48 x 45" | 1219 x 1143 | Automotive | Automotive, Tier 1 suppliers | 2,600 lb |
| 36" x 36"North America | 36 x 36" | 914 x 914 | Beverage square | Beverage, Brewing, Kegs | 2,000 lb |
| 48" x 42"North America | 48 x 42" | 1219 x 1067 | Industrial | Chemical, Building products | 2,700 lb |
| 44" x 44"North America | 44 x 44" | 1118 x 1118 | Drum square | Chemical, Petroleum | 2,600 lb |
| ISO 1200 x 1000 mmGlobal | 47.24 x 39.37" | 1200 x 1000 | ISO 6780 | Export, Chemical, Machinery | 3,300 lb |
| ISO 1100 x 1100 mmAsia | 43.3 x 43.3" | 1100 x 1100 | ISO 6780 / JIS | Electronics, Import from Asia | 2,900 lb |
| ISO 1165 x 1165 mm (AU)Australia | 45.9 x 45.9" | 1165 x 1165 | AS 4068 | Import, Mining equipment | 2,900 lb |
| Half pallet 48" x 20"North America | 48 x 20" | 1219 x 508 | Retail display | Retail, Merchandising, Grocery | 1,200 lb |
| Quarter pallet 24" x 20"North America | 24 x 20" | 610 x 508 | Retail display | Retail, Promotions | 700 lb |
| 48" x 40" block (CHEP-style)North America | 48 x 40" | 1219 x 1016 | Block, full 4-way | Grocery, Pooled logistics | 3,000 lb |
Detailed size guides
Six deep-dive pages covering the footprints and decisions that come up most.
North America
Full 48" x 40" GMA pallet specification: dimensions in inches and millimetres, deck boards, stringer notches, load ratings, weight and history.
Read the guide02Europe
Euro pallet specification: 1200 x 800 mm block construction, EPAL stamp checks, load ratings, exchange rules and why genuine EPAL pallets cost more.
Read the guide03Global
The six ISO 6780 pallet footprints compared in millimetres and inches: the regions that use each, container fit and which to specify for export.
Read the guide04Construction
Stringer and block pallets compared: construction, fork entry, strength, repairability, cost and which to specify for racking, automation and export.
Read the guide05Engineering
How pallet load ratings work: static, dynamic and racking capacity, typical figures by footprint and build, and the mistakes behind rack collapses.
Read the guide06Custom
Custom pallet sizes built in Denver: any footprint, stringer or block, new or reclaimed timber, and when a non standard pallet quietly costs you more.
Read the guideReading the chart
Three numbers that are not interchangeable
Every load rating on this site is one of three things, and quoting the wrong one is how rack failures happen.
Load capacity explained- 01
Static
At rest on a flat floor. The biggest number and the least useful.
- 02
Dynamic
While being moved by fork or jack. Roughly half the static figure.
- 03
Racking
Bridging two beams with nothing underneath. The smallest number, and the only one that keeps people safe.
Pallet size questions
What is the standard pallet size?
In North America, 48" x 40" (1219 x 1016 mm) — the GMA pallet. In Europe, 1200 x 800 mm — the Euro pallet. There is no single worldwide standard, and anyone who tells you there is has only worked in one region.
How do I measure a pallet correctly?
Length first, along the stringers or the direction a pallet jack enters. Then width. Then overall height including both decks. Measure the deck, not the load, and measure at the outside edges of the lead boards.
Does pallet size affect shipping cost?
Substantially. Freight is charged by the floor position as often as by weight, so a footprint that tiles badly in a trailer wastes money on every load. Two 48x40 pallets fill a 96" trailer width exactly; two Euro pallets leave 33" unused.
Can I mix pallet sizes in one shipment?
Physically yes, economically rarely. Mixed footprints create dead space, complicate stacking and slow loading. If you must, group by footprint within the trailer rather than interleaving.
What size pallet fits a 53' trailer best?
48" x 40" GMA, by design. Twenty-six floor positions straight-loaded, or thirty pinwheeled where the load allows. The footprint was chosen around the trailer, not the other way round.
How to identify an unfamiliar pallet in sixty seconds
- 1
Measure the long side first
Along the stringers or blocks, in the direction a pallet jack would enter. That is the first dimension by convention.
- 2
Measure the short side
Second dimension. Now you have the footprint.
- 3
Look underneath
Three boards on edge means stringer. Nine solid blocks means block construction.
- 4
Check for notches
Notched stringers give partial four-way fork entry; unnotched give two-way only.
- 5
Look at the corner blocks
Branded ovals and painted blocks mean pooled or EPAL property. Photograph them.
- 6
Look for an IPPC stamp
Wheat symbol, country code, facility number, treatment code. Tells you it has been treated for export.
- 7
Count the top deck boards
Seven is standard. Five flexes more. Butted means no gaps.
Footprint and freight: the tiling problem
A pallet footprint is really a tiling decision about a 96" trailer width and a 2352 mm container width. Get it wrong and you pay for air on every load, for years.
| Footprint | Across | Used | Wasted | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48" x 40" | 2 | 80" | 16" | Standard; pinwheels to 30 positions |
| 40" x 48" | 2 | 96" | 0" | Perfect but no loading clearance |
| 48" x 48" | 2 | 96" | 0" | Same |
| 44" x 44" | 2 | 88" | 8" | Good |
| 42" x 42" | 2 | 84" | 12" | Reasonable |
| 36" x 36" | 2 | 72" | 24" | Poor; chosen for keg geometry |
| 32" x 40" | 3 | 96" | 0" | Excellent and under-used |
| 24" x 40" | 4 | 96" | 0" | Excellent for light loads |
| 1200 x 800 mm | 2 | 63" | 33" | Poor in a US trailer |
The 32" x 40" row deserves more attention than it gets. Three across a trailer width with no waste, and a footprint that suits a great many lighter products better than a 48x40 does. It is one of the most under-used custom sizes in North America.
A glossary of the size vocabulary
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Footprint | The plan dimensions of the deck, length first |
| Stringer direction | The axis the stringers run along; the first dimension |
| Two-way entry | Forks can enter from two opposite sides only |
| Four-way partial | Forks from all four sides; pallet jacks from two |
| Four-way full | Forks and jacks from all four sides; requires blocks |
| Flush | Deck boards end level with the stringers |
| Winged | Deck boards overhang the stringers at each end |
| Deck coverage | Percentage of the footprint covered by boards |
| Butted deck | Boards laid tight with no gaps |
| Overhang | Load extending past the deck; a leading cause of damage |
| Unsupported span | Distance between rack beams; sets racking capacity |
| Pinwheeling | Rotating alternate rows 90° to gain floor positions |
| Nominal vs actual | Catalogue dimension vs measured; expect ±10 mm on recycled |
There are eighty more terms in the full glossary, from bearer to wing pallet.
Still not sure which footprint you need?
Send a photo with a tape measure in it. We will identify it, tell you what it is worth, and tell you whether it is the right pallet for what you are shipping.