Standard Pallet Sizes: Dimensions, Weight, Types & the Covers That Fit

The standard pallet size in the United States is 48" x 40", the GMA pallet used across grocery and most other industries. A typical 48 x 40 wood pallet is about 4½" to 6½" tall and weighs about 33 to 48 lb, most often around 37 lb. Below: the other common pallet sizes and what they're used for, euro and ISO sizes, pallet weights and load ratings, ISPM 15 heat treatment, how many pallets fit in a truck, and the pallet cover, top sheet and stretch wrap for each size.

Common Pallet Sizes in North America

These are industry habits, not rules: two companies in the same industry may ship on different sizes, so confirm the size your customer or warehouse wants. In a 2024 survey of shippers by *Modern Materials Handling*, 72% said they commonly use 48 x 40 pallets, 36% use 48 x 48 and 22% use 42 x 42.

48 x 40 or 40 x 48? Wood pallets are named stringer length first: a 48 x 40 pallet has 48" stringers (the long boards underneath) and 40" deck boards. A 40 x 48 is a different pallet, built the other way. Plastic and other pallets are usually named longest side first.

Euro Pallet and ISO Pallet Sizes

These six are the pallet sizes in ISO 6780. A euro pallet (EPAL 1) is 1200 x 800 x 144 mm, weighs about 25 kg, and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg, with up to 4,000 kg more when stacked.

The 48 x 40 GMA Pallet: Height, Weight and Load Capacity

• Size: 48" x 40" (1219 x 1016 mm).
• Height: about 4½" to 6½", depending on how it's built. Recycled stringer pallets are often 4½" to 4¾"; block pallets used in pooling programs are about 5½" to 5⅝".
• Weight: about 33 to 48 lb for wood, typically about 37 lb. Plastic pallets run from about 18 lb (nestable) to about 50 lb (rackable).
• Deck: commonly 7 top boards and 5 bottom boards.
• Fork entry: stringer pallets are 2-way, or partial 4-way when the stringers are notched; block pallets are full 4-way.

How much weight can a pallet hold?

There's no single number, because capacity depends on the pallet's design and how it's used. A pallet sitting on the floor (static load) holds far more than one being moved by forklift (dynamic load) or spanning rack beams (racked load). For a standard 48 x 40 wood pallet, published ratings run from about 2,500 lb for a recycled pallet moved by forklift to 2,800 lb for a pooled block pallet, and static ratings for engineered pallets run from about 5,000 lb to over 9,000 lb. If you're racking or stacking loads, ask for the rating of the specific pallet.

Pallet Types

• Stringer pallets: three long boards (stringers) under the deck. Easy to build and repair; the most common wood pallet.
• Block pallets: blocks between the decks, full 4-way fork entry, stronger. Used by pallet pooling programs.
• New wood: built to spec, the most consistent.
• Recycled wood: grade A or #1 has no repairs to stringers; grade B or #2 may have plates, plugs or companion stringers. Grade names vary by supplier, so get the spec in writing.
• Heat-treated wood: treated and stamped for export under ISPM 15 (see export pallets below).
• Plastic: nestable (light, saves space, not for racking), stackable, and rackable (spans rack beams). Doesn't need heat treatment for export, and easy to clean for food plants.
• Presswood and corrugated: molded wood fiber or paper pallets, light and exempt from ISPM 15, for one-way export shipments.

In the US, about 513 million new wood pallets were made in 2016: 76% stringer, 21% block and 3% skids, and 38% were heat-treated. Of recovered pallets, most were 48 x 40 (Virginia Tech and USDA Forest Service study, 2020).

Export Pallets: ISPM 15 and Heat-Treated Pallets

Shipping overseas? Most countries won't accept untreated wood pallets, crates or dunnage, because raw wood can carry insects into the country. The rule is ISPM 15, the international standard for wood packaging. In practice, an export pallet is one of these:

• A heat-treated wood pallet with the ISPM 15 stamp. The wood is heated to at least 56 °C (133 °F) at the core for 30 minutes, then branded with the stamp. Heat-treated (HT) pallets are the usual choice and cost a little more than untreated ones.
• A plastic pallet. Plastic is exempt from ISPM 15, so no treatment or stamp is needed. Good for light export loads and for customers who reject wood.
• A presswood or corrugated pallet. Molded wood fiber and paper pallets are exempt too; light and cheap for one-way shipments.

Reading the ISPM 15 stamp

The stamp is burned or stenciled on two opposite sides of the pallet. It shows the IPPC wheat symbol, the country code (US), the treatment facility's number issued by the inspection agency, and the treatment: HT for heat treatment or MB for methyl bromide fumigation. MB is still allowed in some countries but banned in the EU; most treated US pallets are HT.

Export pallet rules people miss

• The whole wood package counts: wood crates, skids and blocking or bracing (dunnage) need treatment too, not just the pallet.
• Plywood and OSB are exempt, but a mix isn't: a plywood deck nailed to solid-wood stringers still needs treatment and the stamp.
• Repaired pallets must be treated and stamped again, with the old mark removed.
• US and Canada: wood packaging made from US or Canadian wood is exempt for shipments between the two countries.
• Pallet size doesn't matter for ISPM 15, but buyers in Europe often prefer euro pallets (1200 x 800 mm) that fit their racking and trucks.
• Check the USDA APHIS list of countries and their rules before you ship; requirements change.

How Many Pallets Fit in a Truck or Container?

Straight loading puts pallets in pairs with the 48" side along the trailer, turned puts the 40" side along it, and pinwheeled mixes both. Maximum height and weight per pallet for LTL freight depend on the carrier, so check your carrier's rules before you build a tall or heavy load.

Load Height and How Many Boxes Fit on a Pallet

1. Boxes per layer: divide the pallet length by the box length and the pallet width by the box width, round each down, and multiply. Try the box both ways and keep the higher count.
2. Layers: take your height limit, subtract the pallet height, and divide by the box height.
3. Check the weight against the pallet's rating and your carrier's limit.

Example: 16" x 12" x 10" boxes on a 48 x 40 pallet, stacked to 60". One way, 48 ÷ 16 = 3 and 40 ÷ 12 = 3, so 9 boxes per layer; turned, 48 ÷ 12 = 4 and 40 ÷ 16 = 2, only 8. Use 9. A 5" pallet leaves 55", so 5 layers of 10" boxes: 45 boxes. Don't let boxes hang over the edge: overhang can cut a carton's stacking strength by a third or more. Stack boxes in straight columns and use tier sheets between layers.

Pallet Covers, Top Sheets and Stretch Wrap for Each Pallet Size

Once you know the pallet size and how tall the load is, pick the cover, top sheet and wrap. A gusseted pallet cover opens to its width x gusset and stands about its length minus half the gusset, so a cover fits a load up to that height.

Black covers with UV inhibitor are available in 48 x 40 and 48 x 48 sizes for loads stored outdoors. See every size in our pallet covers and pallet top sheets.

Stretch wrap

• How to wrap: tuck the film into the load, wrap the base 3 or 4 times to lock the load to the pallet, walk up the load overlapping each pass by about half the film width, and finish with 2 wraps at the top, letting the film run 2" to 6" over the top edge.
• Which film: match the film to the load. Square, uniform cartons (A loads) and loads with some irregular shapes (B loads) wrap well with pre-stretched or cast film; irregular, sharp-edged or less stable loads (C loads) need high-performance or blown film.
• How much film: a 48 x 40 pallet loaded 60" high takes about 147 feet of 18" film, so a 1,500' roll wraps about 10 of those pallets, or about 15 if you stretch the film as you wrap.
• See every gauge and width in our stretch wrap. For five-sided protection with heat, use pallet shrink bags.

Pallets We Supply

We supply pallets by quote, along with the covers, top sheets and wrap that go on them:

Pallets ship in stacks by freight, so the price depends on quantity and location. Request a quote with the size, type, quantity and ZIP code.

Pallet FAQ

What is the standard pallet size? 48" x 40", known as the GMA pallet. It's about 4½" to 6½" tall.

How much does a pallet weigh? A 48 x 40 wood pallet weighs about 33 to 48 lb, typically about 37 lb. A euro pallet weighs about 25 kg (55 lb). Plastic pallets weigh about 18 to 50 lb.

How tall is a standard pallet? About 4½" to 6½" for a 48 x 40 wood pallet. A euro pallet is 144 mm (5.7").

What size is a half pallet? In the US, 48" x 20", used for retail displays. A euro half pallet is 800 x 600 mm.

What's the difference between a euro pallet and a US pallet? A euro pallet is 1200 x 800 mm (47.2" x 31.5"); a US standard pallet is 48" x 40" (1219 x 1016 mm). They aren't interchangeable in racking or trailers.

What is a GMA pallet? The 48 x 40 wood pallet specified by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, now the most common pallet in North America.

What is a heat-treated pallet? A wood pallet heated to at least 56 °C (133 °F) at the core for 30 minutes to kill insects, then stamped with the ISPM 15 mark (HT) so it can be used for export.

Do plastic pallets need to be heat treated for export? No. ISPM 15 only covers solid wood, so plastic, presswood and corrugated pallets can be exported without treatment or a stamp.

What size pallet cover do I need? For a 48 x 40 load up to 49" tall, a 48 x 46 x 72 or 54 x 44 x 72 cover; up to 72" tall, a 48 x 46 x 96, 52 x 48 x 96 or 54 x 44 x 96. See the table above for other pallet sizes.