Sizes · a yard walk

Plastic pallet sizes we take

Ten footprints cover almost every lot. Pick yours below to inspect the drawn pallet, then read what a buyer expects of that size.

Last reviewed November 12, 2026

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Footprints, in inches

Sellers describe lots by footprint first, so this is where a lot starts. The 48 x 40 GMA pallet is the North American standard, and just over half of one supplier's listed plastic pallets are that size. The rest are specialised: drums, bulk bags, autos, beverage, export.

Footprints, uses and example ratings
Footprint	Typical use	Example rating
48 x 40	General shipping, grocery, retail, manufacturing	Varies by model
48 x 48	Chemical and drums: four 55-gallon drums without overhang	STK 207: 4,000 lb dynamic, 30,000 lb static
48 x 45	North American automotive bulk containers	Varies by model
45 x 45	CP9 chemical standard; bags, boxes, drums	STK 754: 3,100 lb dynamic, 6,300 lb static
43 x 43	Bulk bags; food additives, feed, pharmaceuticals	Varies by model
42 x 42	Second most produced US pallet size, all materials	Varies by model
40 x 40	Sixth most produced US pallet size, all materials	Varies by model
36 x 36	Ninth most produced US pallet size, all materials	Varies by model
48 x 32 Euro	Shipments into Europe; light one-way versions	STK 783: 3,500 lb dynamic, 15,000 lb static
56 x 44 beverage	Beverage; glass and can models	STK 285: 2,500 lb dynamic, 30,000 lb static

Other footprints you may meet

Metric footprints appear on imported pallets: 1200 x 1000 mm (ISO 2) in Europe and Asia, 1200 x 1200 mm for large bags and bulk drums, 1100 x 1100 mm in Japan, Korea and China, and 1165 x 1165 mm in Australia. Half and quarter pallets, 48 x 20, 40 x 24 and 24 x 20, serve as retail display bases. Send any of them as "another size" and say the dimensions.

How to measure a pallet

Measure the deck
Measure both sides of the top deck, edge to edge, in inches. Write the longer side first.
Check the height
Common North American plastic pallets are about 5 to 6 inches tall. Note anything taller or lower.
Note the entry
Say whether forks go in two sides or four.

Words you will meet

GMA pallet: The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
CP9: A chemical-industry pallet standard, 1140 x 1140 mm.
Static load: Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
4-way entry: Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
Stackable: Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
Injection moulding: Pallet made by forcing molten resin into a mould at high pressure.
Euro pallet: 800 x 1200 mm footprint.
2-way entry: Forks enter from two opposite sides only.
UL 2335: UL fire-test standard for storage pallets, with an idle pallet test and a commodity storage test.
Structural foam: Low-pressure moulding where a blowing agent expands the resin in the mould.
Rotational moulding: Resin heated in a rotating mould to make a hollow jointless part.
Compression moulding: Moulding by pressing resin in a closed mould; one of six processes in use.
Dynamic load: Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
Racking load: Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
Closed deck: Solid top deck with no gaps; keeps small items from falling through.
Picture frame: A raised rim around the deck edge that keeps cartons from sliding off.

Who asks, and what they need

Export shippers: Light or low-cost one-way pallets with no ISPM 15 treatment; Euro 1200 x 800 and 1200 x 1000 sizes.
Automotive plants and suppliers: 48 x 45 pallets that match bulk containers; closed-loop reuse; heavy dynamic and static loads.
Food and beverage distributors and bottlers: Clean, odour-free, washable pallets; open or closed deck; 56 x 44 beverage and 48 x 40 sizes; often asks about food-contact paperwork.

What the sources say

48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers. (nelsoncompany.com)
43 x 43 in pallets are designed for bulk bags; 45 x 45 in is the CP9 chemical standard. (nelsoncompany.com)
North American plastic pallets in the common sizes are about 5 to 6 in tall. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
Census Bureau: seasonally adjusted e-commerce sales were $340.2 billion, 17.1 percent of total retail sales, in the second quarter of 2026 (released August 18, 2026). (census.gov)
PHS lists 48 x 40 stackable plastic pallets with dynamic ratings of 2,500 to 5,000 lb and static ratings of 3,000 to 30,000 lb. (phsinc.com)
PHS Plastic lists 19 nestable 48 x 40 and other-footprint models with dynamic ratings from 1,102 to 3,500 lb and static ratings from 2,204 to 15,000 lb, so 'nestable' spans light export pallets to heavy-duty stackers. (phsinc.com)
States where food manufacturing is the largest share of private jobs in 2025 (BLS QCEW): Nebraska (4.9%), Arkansas (4.7%), Iowa (4.6%), Alaska (3.4%), Wisconsin (3.2%); the national share is 1.33%. (data.bls.gov)
A Nelson 48 x 40 x 4.8 in nestable, stackable, rackable polypropylene pallet weighs 18.0 lb with ratings of 10,500 lb static, 3,100 lb dynamic and 2,700 lb racking, and is listed as ISPM 15 exempt. (nelsoncompany.com)
Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 rackable pallet weighs 44.2 lb with a dynamic rating of 4,000 lb, static 10,000 lb and edge rack 2,000 lb. (rehrigpacific.com)
Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet weighs 26.5 lb with a static rating of 10,000 lb and dynamic 3,000 lb. (rehrigpacific.com)
A used Nelson 48 x 40 x 6.3 in HDPE one-piece pallet weighs 49 lb with 30,000 lb static, 5,000 lb dynamic and 2,200 lb racking ratings. (nelsoncompany.com)
Freezing can make some pallet materials brittle and reduce performance. (nelsoncompany.com)
Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; a typical GMA wood pallet weighs about 37 lb. (en.wikipedia.org)
ISO 6780 lists 1016 x 1219 mm for North America, 1000 x 1200 mm for Europe and Asia and 800 x 1200 mm for Europe. (en.wikipedia.org)
Nestable pallets can cut empty-pallet storage space by up to 75 percent. (blog.containerexchanger.com)

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