Guide: dimensions
GMA pallet dimensions, in numbers
The GMA pallet is 48 inches long by 40 wide, 1,219 by 1,016 mm, and typically 5.5 to 6 inches high. It is the most common wood pallet size in North America.
The standard in numbers
| Dimension | Value |
|---|---|
| Length by width | 48 x 40 in (1,219 x 1,016 mm) |
| Height | 5.5 to 6 in (140 to 150 mm) |
| Weight | 33 to 49 lb (15 to 22 kg), unloaded |
| Usable surface | About 1.23 sq m (13.3 sq ft) |
| Boxes per layer | Nine boxes of 16 x 12 in (400 x 300 mm) |
How the number came about
The standard GMA pallet of the 1960s was a 48-inch by 40-inch wooden platform that permitted four-way entry. ISO accepts the 48 x 40 specifications as the North American standard pallet size. It accounts for 30 percent of all new wood pallets produced in the United States.
The caveat
The GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications, and no universally accepted standards for pallet dimensions exist. The 48 x 40 is a convention. Always name the size in a request.
Load ratings
Standard GMA pallets support 2,000 to 2,800 lb (900 to 1,270 kg) under dynamic loading and 2,500 to 4,600 lb (1,100 to 2,100 kg) under static loads. One supplier gives a 48 x 40 x 6 in pallet a static capacity of 3 short tons and a dynamic capacity of 1 short ton. The differences come from different build assumptions; use them as ranges.
The same pallet in three units
| Measure | Value | Method |
|---|---|---|
| Deck area | 1,920 sq in, 13.3 sq ft | 48 x 40 inches; divide by 144 for square feet |
| Deck area, metric | About 1.24 sq m | 1.219 m x 1.016 m |
| Per 53-foot trailer layer | 26 or 30 | Two layouts, shown on the sizes page |
| Share of new US wood pallets | 30 percent | Reference work, Wikipedia |
What people mean by standard
Reference works record that the 48 x 40 became the dominant pallet because grocery makers adopted it in the 1960s and ISO later recognised the footprint among its six sizes. Because the Grocery Manufacturers Association no longer governs pallet specifications, standard describes common practice. A buyer who cares about the board count, lumber thickness or fasteners must write those into the request.
Reading a drawing
A pallet drawing gives three lengths: the stringer length, the deck-board length and the overall height. Ask for the tolerances too. Lumber moves with moisture, so a 48-inch stringer cut green and dried later measures slightly less than one cut dry, and a rack that is tight on a pallet can reject one that has shrunk or swelled by an eighth of an inch.
The six ISO sizes
The 48 x 40 is one of six footprints recognised by ISO standard 6780. The others differ by region. Each has a share of floor space that goes unused in a 40-foot shipping container, which is why the sizes persist where the containers and trucks that carry them have different dimensions.
| Millimetres | Inches | Region | Unused floor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,016 x 1,219 | 40 x 48 | North America | 3.7 percent |
| 1,000 x 1,200 | 39.4 x 47.2 | Europe, Asia | 6.7 percent |
| 1,165 x 1,165 | 45.9 x 45.9 | Australia | 8.1 percent |
| 1,067 x 1,067 | 42 x 42 | North America, Europe, Asia | 11.5 percent |
| 1,100 x 1,100 | 43.3 x 43.3 | Asia | 14 percent |
| 800 x 1,200 | 31.5 x 47.2 | Europe | 15.2 percent |
Sources
Last reviewed 12 November 2026.