48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specs
A 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the North American standard, also called the GMA pallet. The typical build is a partial 4-way stringer pallet about 4.75 in tall with 7 top and 5 bottom deckboards on 3 notched stringers. Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets (CHEP, PECO) share the same footprint.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 13.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 59 lb (27 kg)
- Fasteners
- 84
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Dimensions
| Inches | 48 × 40 in |
|---|---|
| Millimetres | 1219 × 1016 mm |
| Centimetres | 121.9 × 101.6 cm |
| Feet | 4 × 3.33 ft |
| Footprint area | 13.33 sq ft (1.239 m²) |
Pallets per floor (single stacked)
| Equipment | Straight | Turned | Best |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | 26 | 30 | 30 |
| 48 ft dry van | 22 | 28 | 28 |
| 26 ft box truck | 12 | 14 | 14 |
| 20 ft container | 8 | 5 | 9 |
| 40 ft container | 18 | 11 | 20 |
| 45 ft high cube | 22 | 13 | 24 |
Straight = length along the trailer. Floor positions only, with no gaps for load bars or overhang. Weight often limits first. Open the calculator
The 48 × 40 in pallet (1219 × 1016 mm) is the most common pallet in North America. It is the footprint of the GMA pallet, one of the six footprints in ISO 6780, and the base size of the CHEP, PECO and iGPS pools. Grocery, consumer goods, retail distribution and most general freight in the US, Canada and Mexico run on it.
What are the dimensions of a 48 × 40 pallet?
A 48 × 40 pallet is 48 in (1219 mm) long and 40 in (1016 mm) wide. In North American usage the first number is the stringer length and the second is the deckboard length (see dimension order). Overall height is not part of the size name. It is usually about 4.75 to 6 in (121 to 152 mm), set by deck thickness and stringer or block height.
The Uniform Standard for Wood Pallets allows an assembled pallet to be +1/4 in / −1/2 in on length and width, so a new 48 × 40 can measure a little under nominal.
Typical builds at 48 × 40
Two constructions dominate: the notched stringer pallet (the GMA style) and the block pallet (the pooled style).
| Feature | GMA-style stringer | Pooled-style block |
|---|---|---|
| Entry | Partial 4-way (notched stringers) | Full 4-way |
| Top deck | 7 boards: 2 × 5-1/2 in lead boards + 5 × 3-1/2 in, about 5/8 in thick | 7 or more boards on stringerboards |
| Bottom deck | 5 boards: 2 × 5-1/2 in + 3 × 3-1/2 in | Perimeter base |
| Supports | 3 stringers, about 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 × 3-1/2 × 48 in | 9 blocks |
| Overall height | 4.75 in with 5/8 in decks | CHEP lists 141 mm (5.6 in) |
A worked GMA-style example (used as the reference design in this site's designer): 7 top boards and 5 bottom boards at 5/8 × 40 in, 3 stringers at 1-3/8 × 3-1/2 × 48 in with two 9 in notches each, 84 helically threaded nails, and 13.5 board feet of lumber. You can open it in the designer or view the GMA 48 × 40 template and the 48 × 40 block template.
How much does a 48 × 40 pallet weigh?
A new hardwood 48 × 40 stringer pallet weighs about 39 to 59 lb (18 to 27 kg). Both ends are the 13.5 board-foot GMA example: about 39 lb kiln dried and about 59 lb built from green mixed hardwood. These are estimates from lumber density; species, moisture content and board thickness move them. Softwood (SPF or southern yellow pine) builds are lighter. Pooled block pallets are heavier: CHEP's 48 × 40 is widely reported at about 64 lb (29 kg). See pallet weight for the method.
How much weight can a 48 × 40 pallet hold?
There is no single number. A 48 × 40 is rated separately for static (floor-stacked), dynamic (moving on a forklift) and racking loads, and the racked rating is always the smallest. Vendor claims for GMA-style pallets vary widely, and racked figures in the range of about 2,500 to 2,800 lb are often quoted for well-built designs. CHEP states its pooled 48 × 40 block pallet is designed with the Pallet Design System to carry 2,800 lb with a uniformly distributed load in normal operation, and to be block-stacked no more than 5 unit loads high, not over 10,000 lb.
Treat any single capacity figure as a starting point. The rating that counts is the manufacturer's for your load type and support condition. See pallet load capacity.
Who uses 48 × 40 pallets?
The 48 × 40 is the default for US grocery and consumer packaged goods, retail distribution centers, and most LTL and truckload freight. It is widely reported as about 30% of new wood pallets made in the US, and ANSI MH1 data puts 48 × 40 and 40 × 48 together at over a third of all pallets produced. Retailer vendor guides (for example Walmart, Home Depot and Costco) are written around it. Some lists show 40 × 48 separately for military and cement use: it is the same footprint with the stringers running the 40 in way.
How many 48 × 40 pallets fit in a truck or container?
In a 53 ft trailer, 26 fit single-stacked when loaded straight and 30 when turned, two across; see the table above for 48 ft trailers and ISO containers. The 48 × 40 does not fill a 20 ft or 40 ft ISO container as well as it fills a North American trailer, because the container's inside width (about 92 in) leaves a gap. Use the pallets per truck calculator for your own trailer and pallets per truckload for the reasoning.
Related sizes
- 48 × 48 for drums and bulk bags.
- 48 × 42 and 48 × 45 for chemical and automotive loads.
- 48 × 20 half pallet for retail displays.
- 1200 × 1000, the nearest metric size, and 1200 × 800, the Euro pallet. See GMA vs Euro.
Specifying a 48 × 40 pallet for a quote
"48 × 40 GMA" alone gets you different pallets from different mills. Put these on the RFQ:
- Size and orientation: 48 in stringers × 40 in deckboards.
- Class and entry: stringer, partial 4-way, or block, full 4-way.
- Deckboards: count, width and thickness, top and bottom (for example 7 top, 5 bottom, 5/8 in).
- Stringers: count, size, notch spec.
- Lumber: species group, new or recycled, moisture (green or kiln-dried).
- Fasteners: type and size.
- Load: weight, type (cases, bags, drums), and whether it is racked, and how.
- ISPM 15 heat treatment if it crosses a border.
The RFQ checklist covers the full list. The designer turns these fields into a drawing and parts list you can send with the request.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
48×40 GMA template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Overall height
- 4.75 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 40.00, Stringer-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Flush, Partial 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Build
- Wood stringer pallet
- Wings
- Flush
- Top deck
- 7 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); leads 5.50 in (5-1/2), interior 3.50 in (3-1/2)
- Bottom deck
- 5 boards × 0.625 in (5/8); interior grouped between notches
- Stringers
- 3 × 1.375 in (1-3/8) wide × 3.50 in (3-1/2) tall
- Notches
- Partial 4-way: 1.25 in (1-1/4) deep × 9.00 in (9) long, 6.00 in (6) from each end, R 0.75 in (3/4)
- Lumber
- Mixed Hardwood, Standard & Btr, green, new
- Fasteners
- 84 × 2.25 in (2-1/4) helical, 0.112 in wire, per Uniform Standard Table 5
Requirements
- Load
- 2,000 lb, uniform
- Handling
- forklift, pallet jack
- Racking
- Not racked
- Floor stack
- 1 high
- Use
- Reusable / multi-trip
- Environment
- Standard
- ISPM-15
- Domestic only
- Certified rating
- Not required
- Food contact / fire
- No / no listing
Order
- Quantity
- Not specified
- Ship to
- —
- Needed by
- —
Frequently asked questions
Is a 48x40 pallet the same as a 40x48 pallet?
Yes, it is the same footprint. North American convention states the stringer length first, so 48 × 40 means 48 in stringers and 40 in deckboards. A spec written as 40 × 48 may mean the stringers run the 40 in way, so confirm the orientation on the drawing.
How tall is a standard 48x40 pallet?
A GMA-style stringer pallet with 5/8 in decks on 3-1/2 in stringers is 4.75 in tall. Builds with 3/4 in decks or taller stringers run about 5 to 6 in, and CHEP's pooled 48 × 40 block pallet is listed at 141 mm (5.6 in).
How much does a 48x40 pallet weigh?
A new hardwood GMA-style pallet of about 13.5 board feet weighs roughly 39 lb kiln dried and up to about 59 lb when built from green lumber (estimates). Softwood builds are lighter and pooled block pallets are heavier.
How many 48x40 pallets fit in a 53 ft trailer?
26 fit single-stacked when loaded straight (48 in along the trailer) and 30 when turned (40 in along the trailer), floor-loaded two across. Double stacking doubles those counts if the load and weight limit allow it.
What load can a 48x40 pallet carry?
It depends on the design and on how it is supported. The same pallet can be rated several times higher floor-stacked than spanning rack beams. Ask the manufacturer for a rating per support condition, typically from a PDS analysis or ASTM D1185 testing.
Sources and references
Related
- TypesGMA pallet: 48 × 40 in dimensions, construction, weight and gradesA GMA pallet is a 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) wooden stringer pallet built to the grocery industry's standard: three notched stringers for partial 4-way entry, seven top and five bottom deckboards, and an overall height of about 4-3/4 in (121 mm) in the standard build. It is the most common pallet in the United States.
- TypesBlock pallet: construction, dimensions and usesA block pallet is a wooden pallet whose deck sits on blocks, usually nine arranged 3 × 3, joined by stringerboards. The gaps between blocks give full 4-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks. EUR/EPAL, CP and the pooled 48 × 40 in pallets of CHEP and PECO are all block pallets.
- SizesUS pallet sizes: the standard North American dimensionsThe standard US pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), the GMA pallet, used for grocery, retail and most general freight. Other common North American sizes are 42 × 42, 48 × 48, 48 × 42, 40 × 40, 48 × 45, 44 × 44, 36 × 36 and 48 × 36 in, each tied to particular industries.
- GuidesHow much does a pallet weigh? Weights by type, material and moistureA standard 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg). New green hardwood pallets sit at the top of that range and dry ones near the bottom. A EUR pallet weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), pooled 48 × 40 block pallets about 60 to 70 lb, and plastic pallets 14 to 70 lb depending on type.
- GuidesHow many pallets fit in a truck? 53 ft and 48 ft trailer countsA 53 ft dry van holds 26 standard 48 × 40 in pallets loaded straight (two across, 13 rows) or 30 loaded turned (15 rows), single stacked. Double stacking doubles that if the loads allow. A 48 ft trailer holds 22 to 24 straight or 28 turned. Weight often runs out first, at about 42,000 to 45,000 lb of cargo.
- ComparisonsGMA vs Euro pallet: size, construction and useThe GMA pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), traditionally a 3-stringer, partial 4-way pallet, and is the North American grocery standard. The Euro pallet (EPAL 1) is 1200 × 800 mm (47.2 × 31.5 in), a licensed 9-block, 4-way pallet. Use the one your destination's supply chain runs on.
- StandardsISO 6780: the six international pallet sizesISO 6780:2003 sets principal dimensions and tolerances of flat pallets for intercontinental handling. It recognizes six sizes: 1200 × 800, 1200 × 1000, 1219 × 1016 (48 × 40 in), 1165 × 1165, 1067 × 1067 and 1100 × 1100 mm, and covers openings, chamfers, wings, flatness and distortion.
More in North American sizes
- Sizes42 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 42 × 42 in pallet (1067 × 1067 mm) is a square pallet used mainly for paint and coatings, telecom equipment and chemicals. It is one of the six ISO 6780 footprints. The usual build is a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes48 × 48 pallet (drum pallet): dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 48 in pallet (1219 × 1219 mm) is the standard drum pallet. It holds four 55-gallon drums in a 2 × 2 pattern and is also common for bulk bags and totes. Typical builds use 4 stringers and 3/4 in top decks, and weigh roughly 45 to 90 lb.
- Sizes48 × 42 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 42 in pallet (1219 × 1067 mm) is a North American size used mainly for chemicals and beverages. It is built like a GMA pallet with 42 in deckboards: typically 3 notched stringers, 7 top and 5 bottom boards, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
- Sizes40 × 40 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 40 × 40 in pallet (1016 × 1016 mm) is a square North American size associated with the dairy industry. It is usually a 3-stringer wood pallet about 4.75 in tall, weighing roughly 27 to 56 lb depending on species and moisture.
- Sizes48 × 45 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 48 × 45 in pallet (1219 × 1143 mm) is the North American automotive size, used for parts shipments and returnable containers. Wood versions are built like a GMA pallet with 45 in deckboards; plastic 48 × 45 pallets are common in closed automotive loops.
- Sizes44 × 44 pallet: dimensions, weight and specsA 44 × 44 in pallet (1118 × 1118 mm) is a square North American size used for drums, bulk bags (FIBCs) and chemicals. It fits two across an ISO shipping container, which a 48 × 48 does not. Typical wood builds are 3 or 4 stringers, about 4.75 to 5 in tall.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 1,000 words.