Sizes in print
Standard pallet sizes, and what ships on each
ORLANDO — The standard pallet size in North America is 48 x 40 inches, 1,219 x 1,016 mm. Five other sizes turn up often enough to have their own pages: 42 x 42, 48 x 48, 48 x 42, 48 x 45 and the 800 x 1200 mm Euro pallet.
The table
| Size | Millimetres | Deck area | Usually found with |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 1,219 x 1,016 | 13.3 sq ft | General freight; the GMA standard |
| 42 x 42 | 1,067 x 1,067 | 12.3 sq ft | Beverage |
| 48 x 48 | 1,219 x 1,219 | 16.0 sq ft | Chemical freight |
| 48 x 42 | 1,219 x 1,067 | 14.0 sq ft | Chemical and beverage; fifth in North American production |
| 48 x 45 | 1,219 x 1,143 | 15.0 sq ft | Automotive; seventh in North American production |
| 800 x 1200 mm | 800 x 1,200 | 10.3 sq ft | The Euro pallet; export freight |
Why 48 x 40
The 48 x 40 pallet is the one most trucks, racks and conveyors are built around. The standard GMA pallet of the 1960s was a 48-inch by 40-inch wooden platform that permitted four-way entry, and ISO accepts the 48 x 40 as the North American standard pallet size. It accounts for about 30 percent of all new wood pallets produced in the United States.
The GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications, and no universally accepted standards for pallet dimensions exist. The size is a habit that became a standard, and every other size is a departure from it.
Which size is yours
- Measure length along the stringers and width across them, both in inches.
- Write the larger number first, as the trade does: 48 x 40, not 40 x 48.
- If the measurements are not on this table, say so. The custom page covers odd sizes.
- If you ship to Europe, ask whether the receiver wants the Euro pallet.
Sizes and the metro
Most docks in the metro will see 48 x 40 first. Other sizes follow the freight: beverage bottling is among the industries along the Turnpike corridor in Lake County, nurseries around Apopka go through odd sizes, and anything bound for Europe may need the Euro pallet. The district pages say what each part of the metro ships.
How many of each fit a 53-foot trailer
The trailer floor is the quickest way to feel the difference between sizes. Using an interior of 636 inches by 98 inches, the table divides the width by the pallet width or length that sits across it, and the length by the other dimension. It is arithmetic on a clean rectangle, not a loading plan: wheel wells, load overhang, weight and the way the freight is wrapped all change the real count.
| Size | Pallets across | Rows | One layer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40, 40-inch side across | 2 (80 in) | 13 of 48 in | 26 |
| 48 x 40, 48-inch side across | 2 (96 in) | 15 of 40 in | 30 |
| 42 x 42 | 2 (84 in) | 15 of 42 in | 30 |
| 48 x 48 | 2 (96 in) | 13 of 48 in | 26 |
| 48 x 45, 45-inch side across | 2 (90 in) | 13 of 48 in | 26 |
| 800 x 1200 mm, long side across | 2 (94.5 in) | 20 of 31.5 in | 40 |
Weight sets the other limit
Guides to 53-foot trailers give 42,000 to 45,000 pounds as the usual cargo limit. Spread over 26 pallets that is about 1,600 to 1,700 pounds a pallet, below the 2,000 to 2,800 pounds that a standard 48 x 40 is rated for when moving. A single layer of dense freight can therefore reach the weight limit before the floor is full.
48 x 45 pallets: the automotive size
A 48 x 45 pallet measures 48 by 45 inches, 1,219 by 1,143 mm. It is listed as the automotive size, ranks seventh in North American production and is common at auto plants and suppliers alongside the 48 x 40.
An automotive footprint
Auto parts come in bins, racks and totes sized to a manufacturer's design, and the 48 x 45 pallet is the one built around that. It runs alongside the 48 x 40 at plants and suppliers, rather than replacing it.
Against the standard
| Measure | 48 x 45 | 48 x 40 |
|---|---|---|
| Width | 45 in (1,143 mm) | 40 in (1,016 mm) |
| Deck area | 15.0 sq ft | 13.3 sq ft |
| Extra area | 1.7 sq ft, about 12.5 percent more | The reference |
In central Florida
The sources do not say that automotive plants ship from the Orlando metro. The 48 x 45 will mostly appear as a secondary size where suppliers or parts distributors operate. If you hold stock in this size, it is worth listing separately; few buyers want it, but those who do want only that.
Not on the standard list?
If your pallet is close to this size but not exact, see the custom pallets page. Builds to an odd size are a separate request.
Trailer arithmetic
With the 45-inch side across, two pallets use 90 inches and thirteen rows of 48 take 624 inches, so a layer holds 26. With the 48-inch side across, two pallets use 96 inches and fourteen rows of 45 take 630 inches, so the layer holds 28. Compared with a 48 x 40 the deck is five inches wider, so more of the same carton fits on top, but the trailer count for the first layout is the same.
How to describe a stock of this size
- Count by build as well as size, because stringer and block pallets are valued separately.
- Say whether the 45-inch side is the deck-board span, which is the usual reading.
- Photograph a stringer end and one top corner, so the grade is visible.
- Group these pallets apart from 48 x 40 stock before any buyer looks at the pile.
A pallet for bins and racks
Auto parts are packed in bins, racks and totes designed around the part, so the pallet follows the container. Where a plant uses a 48 x 45 as well as a 48 x 40, the two travel in the same trailers, which makes sorting at the dock essential. Mixed together they stack unevenly: a five-inch difference in one dimension leaves one pallet overhanging the other.
48 x 48 pallets: the chemical-sector square
A 48 x 48 pallet measures 48 inches both ways, about 1,219 by 1,219 mm, and is often used in the chemical sector.
What the extra width buys
A 48 x 48 pallet has 16 square feet of deck, a fifth more than the 13.3 of a 48 x 40. That fits drums, sacks and boxed chemicals that do not stack well on a narrower deck. The cost is that standard racks and trailers assume 48 x 40, so a wider pallet changes how many fit.
Math you can check
| Size | Square inches | Square feet | Against 48 x 40 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 48 | 2,304 | 16.0 | 120 percent |
| 48 x 40 | 1,920 | 13.3 | 100 percent |
Handling notes
- Four-way entry matters more on a square, because it can be approached from either side.
- Block construction is common, since a square distributes load evenly. See block pallets.
- Heat treatment applies as usual if the freight goes abroad.
In the metro
Which Orlando docks use 48 x 48 is not known from the sources. If you receive or ship it, say so in the request. The size appears wherever chemical freight lands.
A square that fills the trailer width
Two 48 x 48 pallets use 96 inches of the 98 available, and thirteen rows take 624 of 636 inches, giving 26 per layer, the same count as a 48 x 40. The difference is that the deck is 16 square feet, a fifth bigger, so the same trailer carries more freight area per layer.
Square pallets and drums
A 55-gallon drum stands roughly two feet across, so four fit on a 48 x 48 deck in a square pattern. That is the geometric reason this footprint appears in chemical and drum freight: the pattern is symmetrical, the load is balanced over all four sides and the forks can enter from any of them if the build allows. The drum count is a property of the circle, not a published figure for any one product.
Deck area compared
| Pallet | Square inches | Square feet |
|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 1,920 | 13.3 |
| 48 x 42 | 2,016 | 14.0 |
| 48 x 45 | 2,160 | 15.0 |
| 48 x 48 | 2,304 | 16.0 |
48 x 42 pallets: chemical and beverage
A 48 x 42 pallet is 48 inches by 42, or 1,219 by 1,067 mm. It ranks fifth in North American pallet production and is used for chemical and beverage freight.
A small step from the standard
Two inches separate this pallet from a 48 x 40. That is enough to matter: a 48 x 42 may not fit a rack slot cut for a 48 x 40, and the deck gains 0.7 square feet. It is the in-between size, and buyers who need it usually know exactly why.
The numbers
| Size | Deck area | Production rank, North America |
|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 13.3 sq ft | First; the GMA standard |
| 48 x 42 | 14.0 sq ft | Fifth |
| 48 x 45 | 15.0 sq ft | Seventh |
Who uses it
The pallet lists chemical and beverage as its industries. Beverage freight in Lake County's Turnpike corridor, and chemical shipments wherever they land, are the likely Orlando matches. If your dock handles it, say so.
Ordering it
Size and build first. A 48 x 42 can be stringer or block, two-way or four-way, new, used or combo. If the load is going abroad, add the heat-treatment question.
On the trailer floor
With the 42-inch side across, two pallets occupy 84 inches and thirteen rows of 48 cover 624 of the 636 inches: 26 pallets, the same as a 48 x 40 laid that way. With the 48-inch side across, two pallets use 96 inches and fifteen rows of 42 take 630 inches, so the layer rises to 30. The extra two inches in width cost no floor space in the first layout, which may be why a buyer picks this size without changing a load plan.
What the extra two inches change
- A rack slot cut for 40 inches of deck board span may reject a pallet that is 42.
- Stretch wrap used per load rises slightly with the longer perimeter.
- Deck area goes from 13.3 to 14.0 square feet, a gain of about five percent.
- A 42-inch board is a common length in lumber yards, so repairs are straightforward.
Neighbours in one table
| Pallet | Deck area | Pallets in one layer |
|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 13.3 sq ft | 26 or 30 |
| 48 x 42 | 14.0 sq ft | 26 or 30 |
| 48 x 45 | 15.0 sq ft | 26 or 28 |
Sources
Last reviewed 12 November 2026.