AS 4068: the Australian flat pallet standard (1165 × 1165 mm)
AS 4068-1993 is the Australian standard for flat pallets. It set dimensional and performance requirements for 1165 × 1165 mm general-purpose pallets and 1100 × 1100 mm pallets for ISO containers, with a 2-tonne load capacity. It was withdrawn in November 2019 but is still widely cited.
Australia uses a square pallet found almost nowhere else: 1165 × 1165 mm. AS 4068 was the Australian Standard that defined it. Its title is Flat pallets for materials handling, and the last edition was AS 4068-1993, published by Standards Australia. That edition revised and combined two earlier standards, AS 1899-1976 and AS 2068-1977. Publisher listings show it as withdrawn on 11 November 2019. It remains the reference most Australian buyers, pallet makers and pools still quote.
What did AS 4068 cover?
AS 4068 set dimensional and performance requirements for flat pallets of any material used for materials handling:
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 1165 × 1165 mm general-purpose pallets; 1100 × 1100 mm pallets for use in ISO Series 1 freight containers |
| Materials | Any material; in practice mostly timber |
| Load capacity | 2-tonne (2,000 kg) load capacity in handling and in pallet racking |
| Performance | Performance test methods |
Specific dimensions, tolerances and test procedures are in the standard. Secondary sources commonly quote a height around 150 mm; check the document or your pool's spec for exact values.
Why 1165 × 1165 mm?
The size was chosen to suit Australian rail freight containers, which were designed to take pallets two across. It suits Australian warehouses and racking built around it but wastes space in ISO shipping containers, which is why the standard also covered the 1100 × 1100 mm size. Both sizes are recognized in ISO 6780.
| Size | Where it is used | Container fit |
|---|---|---|
| 1165 × 1165 mm | Domestic Australian and New Zealand supply chains | Poor in ISO containers |
| 1100 × 1100 mm | Export, ISO container shipments; also common in Asia | Designed for ISO containers |
| 1200 × 1000 / 1200 × 800 mm | Some export and European-linked flows | Standard ISO fits |
Who uses AS 4068 today?
- Pallet pools. A large share of Australian 1165 × 1165 pallets in grocery and consumer goods circulate in rental pools, notably CHEP and Loscam. Pool operators build to their own specs, historically based on AS 4068.
- Pallet manufacturers selling "AS 4068 compliant" white-wood pallets into the same networks.
- Warehouse and racking designers sizing bays for the Australian footprint.
See Australian pallet sizes and pallet pooling.
How AS 4068 relates to other standards
| Standard | Relationship |
|---|---|
| ISO 6780 | Lists 1165 × 1165 and 1100 × 1100 among the six international sizes |
| ISO 8611 | International test method; the natural reference for load ratings now that AS 4068 is withdrawn |
| ISPM 15 | Required for timber pallets exported from or imported into Australia; Australia's biosecurity rules are strict about wood packaging |
When should a buyer cite AS 4068?
Because it is withdrawn, cite it with care. It is still useful as shorthand for "the Australian footprint built to the traditional quality", especially when your customer or pool asks for it. For new contracts, write the requirement out:
- the footprint and height,
- the construction (usually a block pallet with four-way entry),
- a rated load in a named support condition, tested to ISO 8611,
- timber species and treatment.
How to reference it on a spec sheet
- "Pallet 1165 × 1165 mm, dimensions and construction generally to AS 4068-1993 (withdrawn), load rating per ISO 8611 for [support condition]."
- "Timber pallets ISPM 15 treated and marked for export."
- "Pool-compatible with [pool operator] specification," if the pallets must mix with a pool.
The designer accepts metric sizes, so you can model a 1165 × 1165 mm block pallet by changing the footprint of the 1200 × 1000 perimeter template.
Frequently asked questions
What size is an Australian standard pallet?
1165 × 1165 mm. It is one of the six ISO 6780 sizes and is used almost only in Australia and New Zealand.
Is AS 4068 still current?
No. Publisher listings show AS 4068-1993 as withdrawn on 11 November 2019. Buyers and pallet makers still cite it as a quality benchmark, so check with your customer what they mean by "AS 4068 compliant".
Why is the Australian pallet 1165 × 1165 mm?
The size was chosen to fit the Australian rail freight containers of the time, two pallets across. It fits ISO shipping containers poorly, which is why AS 4068 also covered 1100 × 1100 mm pallets for ISO containers.
Sources and references
- AS 4068-1993, Flat pallets for materials handling (Standards Australia), status withdrawn 2019
- ISO 6780:2003, Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling: Principal dimensions and tolerances (ISO)
Related
- SizesAustralian pallet sizes: the 1165 × 1165 standard and export sizesThe standard Australian pallet is 1165 × 1165 mm (45.9 × 45.9 in), defined by AS 4068 and pooled by CHEP and Loscam. It is about 150 mm tall and was sized for Australian rail containers. For container exports, Australian shippers often use 1100 × 1100 or 1200 × 1000 mm pallets instead.
- Sizes1165 × 1165 pallet (Australian standard): dimensions, weight and specsA 1165 × 1165 mm pallet (45.9 × 45.9 in) is the Australian standard pallet, defined by AS 4068 and one of the six ISO 6780 sizes. Pooled CHEP and Loscam versions are hardwood block pallets about 150 mm tall. It was sized for Australian rail containers and fits ISO containers poorly.
- Sizes1100 × 1100 pallet (T11): dimensions, weight and specsA 1100 × 1100 mm pallet (43.3 × 43.3 in) is the Asian standard pallet, known as T11. It is one of the six ISO 6780 sizes and the standard pool pallet in Japan (JIS Z 0601, 1100 × 1100 × 144 mm), and is also a national standard size in Korea and China.
- 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.
- GuidesPallet pooling: how CHEP, PECO and iGPS rental worksPallet pooling is renting pallets instead of buying them. A pooler such as CHEP (blue), PECO (red) or iGPS (plastic) owns standard 48 × 40 in pallets, issues them to shippers, collects them from receivers, then inspects, repairs and reissues them. You pay fees per use, not a purchase price.
- 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.
- StandardsISO 8611: flat pallet test methods, performance and working loadsISO 8611 is the international standard for testing new flat pallets. Part 1 gives the test methods, Part 2 the performance requirements used to set a nominal load, and Part 3 how to determine the maximum working load for a known payload and support condition. Parts 1 and 2 were revised in 2025; Part 3 dates from 2011.
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- StandardsEPAL: the European pallet system, marks, licensing and exchangeEPAL (European Pallet Association e.V.) runs the open exchange pool for EPAL Euro pallets. Only licensed producers and repairers may make or repair them, and independent inspectors check quality. The EPAL 1 is 800 × 1200 × 144 mm, about 25 kg, with a 1,500 kg safe working load.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 633 words.