Sell 48 x 32 plastic pallets

48 x 32 at a glance

Footprint

48 x 32 in (1200 x 800 mm)

Typical use

Often required for shipments into Europe; many lightweight versions for one-way export

Global

Second most popular plastic size worldwide

Example (STK 783)

Dynamic 3,500 lb, static 15,000 lb

What a buyer reads in a 48 x 32 lot

A buyer reads a 48 x 32 lot as export stock. Many lightweight versions exist for one-way export, so the question is whether the lot is a light one-way build or a heavier reusable build. A sample 48 x 32 stackable model lists 3,500 lb dynamic and 15,000 lb static.

Plastic pallets are exempt from the ISPM 15 treatment that wood needs for export, so plastic is common on export routes. ISPM 15 and plastic explains it.

Who sells 48 x 32 pallets

• Export shippersHow this industry's lot is read
• Food and beverageHow this industry's lot is read

Send this with a 48 x 32 lot

• Whether they are one-way or multi-trip
• Photos of the deck and any mould or code
• Whether they came back from a shipment
• The count and the ZIP

Put the footprint, the count and the ZIP into the pile sorter first. It rules the lot sold, returned or scrapped, then hands the same answers to the form below.

Words you will meet

HDPE

High-density polyethylene, resin code 2. The most common resin in plastic pallets; tough and moisture resistant.

Picture frame

A raised rim around the deck edge that keeps cartons from sliding off.

Lip

Raised edge on the deck, or an optional soft lip, that keeps the load in place.

Anti-slip

Textured deck or rubber grommets that reduce load slip.

Heat treated (HT)

ISPM 15 treatment for wood: core at 56 C for 30 minutes. Not needed for plastic.

Multi-trip pallet

A pallet designed to be returned and reused many times.

Structural foam

Low-pressure moulding where a blowing agent expands the resin in the mould.

Compression moulding

Moulding by pressing resin in a closed mould; one of six processes in use.

Euro pallet

800 x 1200 mm footprint.

Virgin resin

New, unblended resin that has not been through a product before.

Static load

Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.

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.

Edge rack

Resting on the rack beams by the pallet's edges only, with no support in the middle.

2-way entry

Forks enter from two opposite sides only.

Stackable

Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.

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.

Pharmaceutical and healthcare shippers

Hygienic pallets that can be sanitised; documents on resin and colour; PP sometimes preferred for sterilisation.

Plants changing packaging or pallet size

Retire a whole stock of one footprint at once; want it sold or ground up, not landfilled.

What the sources say

• USDA APHIS requires wood packaging material entering the US to be treated and certified under ISPM 15, and lists plastic pallets among alternatives that are not subject to APHIS regulation. (aphis.usda.gov)
• USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets among products not subject to APHIS regulation, as an alternative to wood packaging material. (aphis.usda.gov)
• 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)
• Cabka says plastic export pallets are exempt from ISPM-15 treatment, that there is no single export size, and that its nestable export designs include extra-lightweight and air-freight versions. (cabka.com)
• Steel, aluminum, plastic and engineered-wood pallets are exempt from ISPM 15; wood must reach a core temperature of 56 C for at least 30 minutes for heat treatment. (en.wikipedia.org)
• 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)
• The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. (blog.containerexchanger.com)
• PHS lists a 48 x 48 stackable pallet (STK 207) at 4,000 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static. (phsinc.com)
• PHS lists a 56 x 44 beverage pallet (STK 285) at 2,500 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static. (phsinc.com)
• PHS lists a 48 x 32 stackable pallet (STK 783) at 3,500 lb dynamic and 15,000 lb static. (phsinc.com)
• Advanced composite material pallets are 100 percent recycled polyolefins, cheaper with a shorter life, and suit export where the pallet is not returned. (nelsoncompany.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)
• Wood packaging material entering the US must be treated and certified per ISPM 15. (aphis.usda.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)
• HDPE has resin identification code 2, a density of 930 to 970 kg/m3, melts at 131.8 C and is hard to glue, so joints are usually welded. (en.wikipedia.org)
• Rehrig Pacific's 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable pallet is 48.25 x 40.25 x 6.5 in, weighs 28.5 lb, is rated 10,000 lb static and 3,500 lb dynamic, has a 2.55 in nest increment and 1,200 units per 53 ft trailer; the page lists no racking rating. (rehrigpacific.com)

• Container Exchanger: plastic pallet dimensions
• Nelson Company: common plastic pallet sizes
• USDA APHIS: wood packaging material

Keep reading

• Sizes
• 48 x 40 (GMA)
• 56 x 44 beverage
• 43 x 43
• Styles
• Grades
• Sort your pile