The standard pallet size in the United States is 48 x 40 inches, often called the GMA pallet after the grocery industry group that popularized it. It accounts for roughly 30% of new wood pallets made in the U.S. each year, and a typical 48 x 40 wood pallet is about 6 inches tall and weighs 33 to 48 pounds empty.
Other footprints exist because some products, containers and racking systems fit them better. This guide covers the ten most common North American sizes, the six ISO sizes used internationally, the European EUR pallet, load capacity and height, and how pallet size affects an LTL freight shipment.
What is the standard pallet size in the US?
The 48 x 40 inch pallet is the U.S. standard. The first number is the stringer length (the direction the main boards run) and the second is the deckboard width, so a 48 x 40 pallet is 48 inches long and 40 inches wide. A ranking of North American pallet production put it first by a wide margin, with the top ten sizes together making up about 60% of annual output and hundreds of custom sizes sharing the rest.
A 2024 Modern Materials Handling reader survey found that 72% of responding companies commonly use 48 x 40 pallets, far ahead of 48 x 48 (36%) and 42 x 42 (22%). The size took over because it fits two across in a standard dry van trailer, works with nearly every pallet jack and forklift, and matches the racking used by grocery and retail distribution centers.
| Spec (48 x 40 wood stringer pallet) | Typical figure |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 in long x 40 in wide (1,219 x 1,016 mm) |
| Height | About 6 in (some GMA-style builds run closer to 6.5 in) |
| Empty weight | About 33 to 48 lb; GMA-style pallets typically around 37 lb |
| Static capacity (stationary, on the floor) | Up to about 6,000 lb |
| Dynamic capacity (moving on a forklift or jack) | Up to about 2,000 lb |
| Entry | Two-way, or four-way with notched stringers |
Weight varies with wood species, moisture and build, which our guide to how much a wood pallet weighs breaks down in detail.
What are the most common pallet sizes in North America?
Ten footprints cover most North American pallet production. Each one grew up around an industry whose products or storage systems suit it, so the size often tells you what’s on it.
| Rank | Size (inches) | Size (mm) | Industries that commonly use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 x 40 | 1,219 x 1,016 | Grocery, retail and general freight |
| 2 | 42 x 42 | 1,067 x 1,067 | Telecommunications, paint |
| 3 | 48 x 48 | 1,219 x 1,219 | Drums |
| 4 | 40 x 48 | 1,016 x 1,219 | Military, cement |
| 5 | 48 x 42 | 1,219 x 1,067 | Chemical, beverage |
| 6 | 40 x 40 | 1,016 x 1,016 | Dairy |
| 7 | 48 x 45 | 1,219 x 1,143 | Automotive |
| 8 | 44 x 44 | 1,118 x 1,118 | Drums, chemical |
| 9 | 36 x 36 | 914 x 914 | Beverage |
| 10 | 48 x 36 | 1,219 x 914 | Beverage, shingles, packaged paper |
Note that 48 x 40 and 40 x 48 are different pallets: the 40 x 48 has 40-inch stringers and 48-inch deckboards, which suits military and cement loads. Square pallets (42 x 42, 48 x 48, 44 x 44) are popular for drums because four round drums sit evenly on a square deck without overhang.
What are the ISO and European standard pallet sizes?
ISO 6780 recognizes six pallet footprints so that exporters on different continents can plan around a shared list. The North American 48 x 40 is one of them, and it wastes the least floor space in an ISO shipping container: 20 of them fit in a 40-foot container.
| ISO 6780 size (mm) | Size (inches) | Region where it’s most used |
|---|---|---|
| 1,016 x 1,219 | 40 x 48 | North America |
| 1,000 x 1,200 | 39.37 x 47.24 | Europe, Asia |
| 1,165 x 1,165 | 45.9 x 45.9 | Australia |
| 1,067 x 1,067 | 42 x 42 | North America, Europe, Asia |
| 1,100 x 1,100 | 43.3 x 43.3 | Asia |
| 800 x 1,200 | 31.5 x 47.24 | Europe |
The European EUR 1 (also called EPAL 1) pallet measures 800 x 1,200 mm and 144 mm high, which is about 31.5 x 47.24 x 5.7 inches. It’s narrower than a GMA pallet, so U.S. racking and some pallet jacks don’t handle it well, and a U.S. shipper exporting to Europe often switches to EUR or 1,000 x 1,200 mm pallets to match the consignee’s warehouse.
Wood pallets crossing borders also need ISPM 15 treatment: the wood core is heated to at least 56 °C (133 °F) for 30 minutes, and the pallet is stamped with the IPPC mark and an “HT” code on two opposite sides.
How much weight can a standard pallet hold?
A typical 48 x 40 wood pallet holds up to about 6,000 pounds when it sits still on a floor (static load) and about 2,000 pounds while a forklift or pallet jack moves it (dynamic load). Racked capacity, when the pallet spans open rack beams with no support underneath, is lower still and depends on the build, so check the manufacturer’s rating before racking heavy loads.
Those ratings assume an evenly spread load and a pallet in good repair. A cracked deckboard, a concentrated load such as a single motor, or a load hanging over the edges all lower the safe weight. For LTL freight, the practical limit is usually what the carrier’s equipment and your dock can handle, so tell the carrier about any pallet over about 2,000 pounds when you book it.
How tall can a loaded pallet be?
The empty pallet adds about 6 inches. Total height of a loaded LTL pallet is set by the trailer and by whether the freight can be stacked: a standard dry van has roughly 100 to 110 inches of interior height, but many shippers keep loads under about 72 inches so they’re stable and stackable. Carriers measure the full height, pallet included, when they work out density.
How many pallets fit in a truck or container?
A 53-foot trailer is about 636 inches long and a little over 98 inches wide inside, so the arithmetic decides it. Loaded straight (48 inches along the trailer, two across), 13 rows fit for 26 pallets; turned (40 inches along the trailer, two 48-inch sides across), 15 rows fit for 30 pallets on the floor. A 40-foot ISO container takes 20 standard 48 x 40 pallets, and a 20-foot container about 10.
That fit is why freight carriers price and plan around the 48 x 40 footprint. If you’re shipping a few pallets rather than a full trailer, our guide to LTL freight and logistics explains how less-than-truckload shipments share trailer space.
How does pallet size affect LTL freight shipping?
LTL carriers bill on weight, freight class and accessorial services, and size feeds into class. Most freight is now classified by density, which is the total weight divided by the cubic feet of the shipment, measured from the outer edges of the pallet and load. A load that overhangs a 48 x 40 pallet is measured to the overhang, so the same freight on a pallet that fits it can rate in a better class.
Work out density before you book with the freight class calculator, then compare it against the bands in the LTL class chart. Put the exact pallet dimensions and weight on your bill of lading, because carriers re-measure and reweigh freight and bill a correction when the numbers don’t match.
ParcelPath offers discounted LTL freight through PalletPath, free to use with no subscription or minimums. Enter your pallet’s size, weight and ZIP codes in the PalletPath LTL freight quote tool to compare carriers for a standard or custom pallet.
How do you choose the right pallet size?
Start with the product footprint and work outward. The load should cover the deck without hanging over the edges, because overhang crushes box corners, makes the load unstable and increases the dimensions the carrier bills.
- Match your receiver. Retailers and grocery DCs expect 48 x 40; some will reject other sizes or charge to re-pallet.
- Match the product shape. Drums suit square pallets, long items suit 48 x 36 or 48 x 20 retail pallets, and dense items such as beverages often go on smaller 36 x 36 decks.
- Check the weight rating. Compare your load to the pallet’s dynamic and static rating, not just its size.
- Plan for export. Use ISPM 15-marked wood or a non-wood pallet, and consider the destination’s standard size.
- Know your terms. A skid has runners but no bottom deck; our guide to what a skid is in shipping explains when carriers treat the two differently.
If you’re new to palletized freight, the step-by-step guide to how to ship freight covers packing, wrapping and booking, and the list of freight shipping companies compares national and regional carriers. More packaging and measurement references are collected on our shipping resources page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common standard pallet size?
The most common standard pallet size in the United States is 48 x 40 inches, known as the GMA pallet. It makes up roughly 30% of new wood pallets produced in the U.S. each year, far more than any other size. It fits two across in a 53-foot trailer and works with nearly all U.S. warehouse racking, pallet jacks and forklifts.
How tall is a standard pallet?
A standard 48 x 40 wood stringer pallet is about 6 inches tall empty, made of top and bottom deckboards nailed to three stringers. Some GMA-style builds run closer to 6.5 inches, and the European EUR 1 pallet is 144 mm, or about 5.7 inches. When measuring an LTL shipment, include the pallet height in the total.
What is the standard pallet size in Europe?
The European standard pallet, the EUR 1 or EPAL 1, measures 800 x 1,200 mm (about 31.5 x 47.24 inches) and 144 mm high. The 1,000 x 1,200 mm pallet is also widely used in Europe and Asia. Both appear in the ISO 6780 list of six international pallet sizes, alongside the North American 48 x 40.
How much weight can a standard pallet hold?
A typical 48 x 40 wood pallet holds up to about 6,000 pounds stationary on the floor and about 2,000 pounds while being moved by a forklift or pallet jack. Racked capacity, with the pallet spanning open beams, is lower. Ratings assume an evenly spread load on an undamaged pallet, so check the manufacturer’s figure for heavy loads.
How many standard pallets fit on a 53-foot trailer?
A 53-foot trailer holds 26 standard 48 x 40 pallets on the floor when they’re loaded straight, two across in 13 rows. Turned so the 40-inch side runs along the trailer, 30 pallets fit in 15 rows. Stacking stable, sturdy loads can double those counts if the trailer’s weight limit allows.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Pallet (North American sizes, ISO 6780 sizes, EUR pallet, load capacity, ISPM 15)
- Penn State Wood Packaging: “Pallets 101: Industry Overview and Wood, Plastic, Paper and Metal Options” (abe.psu.edu), citing the Southern Illinois University pallet size ranking
- Modern Materials Handling: “The Pallet Report 2024: Exploring the options” (mmh.com), reader survey of pallet sizes in use
- International Plant Protection Convention: ISPM 15, Regulation of wood packaging material in international trade (ippc.int)
Part of our LTL Class Chart guide. Related: Freight Class Calculator, How Much Does a Wood Pallet Weigh.
