Australian pallet sizes: the 1165 × 1165 standard and export sizes

The standard Australian pallet is 1165 × 1165 mm (45.9 × 45.9 in). It is defined by AS 4068, Flat pallets for materials handling, and is one of the six footprints in ISO 6780. Almost all domestic Australian grocery and FMCG freight moves on it, mostly on pallets hired from the CHEP and Loscam pools.

#Australian pallet sizes at a glance

#The Australian standard pallet (1165 × 1165 mm)

The pooled Australian pallet is a heavy hardwood block pallet with a double-face deck and 4-way forklift entry. CHEP lists its Australian standard wooden pallet at 1165 × 1165 × 150 mm. Hardwood pooled pallets are commonly quoted at roughly 35 to 40 kg dry, and heavier when wet. Softwood versions are made for one-way and lighter use, and their capacity depends mainly on board thickness. See the 1165 × 1165 page.

#Why 1165 mm?

The size was chosen to fit the RACE containers used on Australian railways, two side by side. The Commonwealth Handling Equipment Pool (CHEP) was set up in Australia after the Second World War and adopted the size. The pallet predates the ISO shipping container, and the two do not match well.

#Pooling in Australia

Most Australian pallets are hired, not bought. CHEP (blue) and Loscam (red) run the two large pools. You rent pallets, ship on them, and the pool recovers them from your customer. Moving a pooled pallet out of the pool, or exporting it, usually has to be arranged with the operator. See CHEP pallets and pallet pooling.

White-wood (bought) 1165 × 1165 pallets are also made in Australia for one-way loads, heavy industrial use and customers outside the pools.

#Exporting from Australia

Two 1165 mm pallets need 2330 mm across, which leaves very little clearance inside a standard ISO container (about 2350 mm inside width). For container exports, Australian shippers usually re-palletize onto:

• 1100 × 1100 mm for Japan, Korea and much of Asia.
• 1200 × 1000 mm for China, the Middle East, Europe and New Zealand.
• 1200 × 800 mm for European retail.
• 48 × 40 in for North America.

Wood export pallets must be ISPM 15 treated and marked. Pooled pallets belong to the pool operator and can't be exported without its agreement, so export pallets are usually bought one-way pallets. See export pallet and pallets per container.

#New Zealand

New Zealand uses the Australian 1165 × 1165 pallet and a 1200 × 1000 mm pallet. CHEP lists a New Zealand standard wooden pallet at 1200 × 1000 × 140 mm alongside the Australian standard pallet.

#How the Australian pallet compares

The Australian pallet has the largest deck of the six ISO 6780 footprints, which suits domestic road and rail freight. The same size is the one that fits ISO containers worst, which is why it is rarely used for international trade.

#Racking and warehouses

Australian warehouse racking, forklifts and pallet positions are generally set up around the 1165 × 1165 footprint and its roughly 150 mm height. If you receive imports on other sizes, check that they sit safely on your rack beams before storing them, or re-palletize on arrival. See pallet racking and deflection.

#Capacity and weight

There is no single rating. Published summaries put softwood Australian pallets with thinner boards at around 1 tonne, and heavier-board or hardwood pallets at 2 tonnes or more. Pool operators publish safe working loads for their own pallets. For bought pallets, get static, dynamic and racked ratings from the maker. See pallet load capacity and pallet weight.

#Specifying an Australian pallet

1. Size: 1165 × 1165 for domestic freight, or the destination's size for export.
2. Pooled (hire) or bought.
3. Timber: hardwood or softwood; board thickness.
4. Load weight, stacking and racking.
5. ISPM 15 for export.

To draw a custom square block pallet, start from the 1200 × 1000 template in the designer and set the size.