Size · Global

The six ISO pallet sizes, and which one to ship on

ISO 6780 recognises six footprints. Knowing which your destination market actually uses is worth more than knowing all six.

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ISO 6780 defines six standard pallet footprints: 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000, 1219 x 1016, 1140 x 1140, 1100 x 1100 and 1067 x 1067 mm. Each dominates a different region, and no single footprint is standard worldwide.

For exports from the United States, the practical choice is normally 1219 x 1016 mm (the GMA 48" x 40") for North America, 1200 x 800 mm for Europe and 1100 x 1100 mm for much of Asia.

The six footprints

ISO 6780 standard pallet dimensions and their dominant regions.
Millimetres	Inches	Region	Also known as	Container fit
1219 x 1016	48.00" x 40.00"	North America	GMA, North American standard	Poor in ISO containers
1200 x 1000	47.24" x 39.37"	Europe, Asia	EUR 2 / industrial	Good, 20ft and 40ft
1200 x 800	47.24" x 31.50"	Europe	EUR 1, Euro pallet	Excellent, 2 across
1140 x 1140	44.88" x 44.88"	Australia, Asia	Square, maritime	Good
1100 x 1100	43.30" x 43.30"	Asia	JIS, Asian standard	Excellent
1067 x 1067	42.00" x 42.00"	North America, Asia	42" square	Moderate

The Australian 1165 x 1165 mm pallet is not an ISO size, despite being ubiquitous in Australia. It is defined by AS 4068 and sized for rail wagons, which is why it fits nothing else particularly well.

Container efficiency

The reason the GMA footprint is rare outside North America is simple geometry: a 40' ISO container has an internal width of about 2352 mm. Two 1200 mm pallets fit across with room to spare; two 1219 mm pallets fit with almost none, and any overhang makes loading slow and damage likely.

Approximate floor positions per container, single-stacked.
Footprint	20ft container	40ft container	40ft HC
1200 x 800	11	25	25
1200 x 1000	10	21	21
1219 x 1016	9 – 10	20 – 21	20 – 21
1100 x 1100	10	22	22
1140 x 1140	9	20	20

If you are shipping ocean freight regularly, the pallet footprint is worth more attention than most companies give it. A single lost floor position per container, over a year of weekly shipments, is a meaningful number.

Choosing for export

Ask the receiver. Their racking and handling equipment decides this, not yours. One email saves a lot of argument.
Check the destination's ISPM 15 enforcement. All solid wood must be heat treated and marked — see heat treating & ISPM 15.
Model the container fit before committing. The cheapest pallet that wastes a floor position is not the cheapest pallet.
Decide whether it returns. If it does not, specify a lighter one-way pallet and stop paying for durability you will never use.
Consider plastic for repeat lanes — it is exempt from ISPM 15 entirely. See plastic pallets.

Container loading, worked properly

Footprint choice for ocean freight is worth more attention than most companies give it. One lost floor position per container, over a year of weekly shipments, is a substantial number.

Internal dimensions of standard ISO containers.
Container	Internal length	Internal width	Internal height	Payload
20' standard	19' 4"	7' 8"	7' 10"	≈ 28,000 kg
40' standard	39' 5"	7' 8"	7' 10"	≈ 26,700 kg
40' high cube	39' 5"	7' 8"	8' 10"	≈ 26,500 kg
45' high cube	44' 5"	7' 8"	8' 10"	≈ 25,600 kg

Why 1200 mm beats 1219 mm at sea

Internal container width is about 2352 mm. Two 1200 mm pallets sit across it with roughly 150 mm to spare — enough to load quickly without damage. Two 1219 mm GMA pallets need 2438 mm, which does not fit; they have to be loaded lengthways, which wastes floor length instead. That single 19 mm is the reason the GMA footprint is rare outside North America.

Height matters as much as footprint on high cubes. A 5" pallet under a 90" load double-stacks in a high cube where a 6" pallet does not. Measure the loaded height, not the pallet.

Regional realities

What you will actually be asked for, by destination region.
Region	Expect	Also seen	Notes
North America	1219 x 1016 (48x40)	Squares, half pallets	Domestic; ISPM 15 not required
Western Europe	1200 x 800	1200 x 1000	EPAL exchange; bark-free rules
Eastern Europe	1200 x 800	1200 x 1000	Exchange less consistent
Japan	1100 x 1100	1200 x 1000	JIS standard; very consistent
China	1200 x 1000	1100 x 1100	Mixed; confirm with the receiver
South-east Asia	1100 x 1100	1200 x 1000	Mixed
Australia / NZ	1165 x 1165	1200 x 1000	AS 4068; not an ISO size
Middle East	1200 x 1000	1200 x 800	Port-dependent
South America	1200 x 1000	1000 x 1200	Bark-free requirements common

The single most useful thing you can do is ask the receiver. Their racking and handling equipment decides this, not yours, and one email at the quotation stage prevents a container of goods arriving on pallets that do not fit the building they are going into.

Building to an ISO footprint in Denver

We build any ISO footprint new, heat treat it and mark it. What we cannot do is supply them from recycled stock, because they do not exist in the North American recycled stream in useful numbers.

Lead times and indicative pricing for new ISO-footprint pallets, heat treated.
Footprint	Minimum	Lead time	Indicative price
1200 x 1000, stringer	100	2 – 3 weeks	$24 – $31
1200 x 1000, block	100	2 – 3 weeks	$32 – $44
1200 x 800, block	100	2 – 3 weeks	$29 – $39
1100 x 1100, block	100	3 weeks	$30 – $41
1140 x 1140, block	100	3 weeks	$31 – $43
1067 x 1067, stringer	100	2 weeks	$21 – $28

Confirm the footprint with the receiver before you order.
Model the container fit — the cheapest pallet that wastes a floor position is not the cheapest pallet.
Decide whether it returns. If not, specify a lighter one-way build and stop paying for durability you will never use.
Consider plastic on repeat lanes — it is exempt from ISPM 15 entirely.
Consider plywood crating for the same reason where the load suits it.
Allow 3 – 5 extra days for treatment and marking.

Questions people actually ask

Is there a single worldwide standard pallet?

No, and there is unlikely ever to be one. Each region's standard evolved around its own trailer widths, rail wagons and shelf depths, and the switching cost is now enormous.

Which ISO size is most common globally?

1200 x 800 mm by unit count, largely because of the European exchange pool. By tonnage moved, the North American 1219 x 1016 is competitive.

Do I need ISO sizes for domestic US freight?

No. Domestic freight has no such requirement and the GMA footprint is the practical standard. ISO sizes matter when goods cross a border.

Can you build ISO sizes?

Yes, as new pallets to specification, and we heat treat and stamp them for export. Lead time is typically one to three weeks.

Is there really no world standard?

No, and there is unlikely ever to be one. Each region's standard evolved around its own trailer widths, rail wagons and shelf depths, and the switching cost is now enormous in every direction.

Which ISO size should I use for a first export?

Ask the receiver. Failing that, 1200 x 1000 mm is the safest general-purpose answer for ocean freight — it loads well in containers and is recognised almost everywhere.

Does ISPM 15 apply to all ISO sizes?

It applies to the material, not the size. Any solid wood packaging over 6 mm moving internationally needs treatment and marking, whatever its footprint.

Can I mix footprints in one container?

Physically yes, economically rarely. Mixed footprints create dead space and slow loading. Group by footprint within the container rather than interleaving.

What about the Australian 1165 pallet?

Not an ISO size — it is defined by AS 4068 and was sized for rail wagons, which is why it fits nothing else particularly well. We see them on mining and agricultural imports.

Let's keep your pallets in the loop

Whether you have 40 broken cores behind the dock or need 4,000 Grade A pallets a month, the conversation starts the same way.

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