Pallets for beverages: water, soft drinks, beer and spirits
Summary
A pallet of bottled water commonly weighs 2,100 to 2,500 lb, and canned drinks and beer 1,500 to 2,200 lb. Most North American beverage loads ship on 48 × 40 in pooled or GMA-style pallets, plus 48 × 20 in half pallets for store delivery. Stiff decks, tier sheets and good wrap prevent crushed loads.
A pallet of beverages is dense, heavy and top-sensitive. Cases of cans and bottles weigh a lot for their size, the loads are tall, and the containers themselves carry the stacking load. Beverage producers and distributors therefore care about deck stiffness, flatness and load containment as much as the pallet's footprint.
Which pallets does the beverage industry use?
| Pallet | Size | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pooled wood block pallet or plastic pooled pallet | 48 × 40 in | Bottler to retailer DC; widely accepted |
| GMA-style stringer pallet | 48 × 40 in | One-way shipments, private label |
| Half pallet | 48 × 20 in | Direct store delivery, store floor, displays |
| Display pallets and quarter pallets | 24 × 20 in and custom | Promotional floor displays |
| Square and short pallets | 36 × 36, 48 × 36 in | Some bottling and distribution systems |
| Plastic pallets | 48 × 40 in and half sizes | Closed loops between bottlers and distributors |
| European pallets | 1200 × 800, 1000 × 1200 mm | Europe; 1000 × 1200 common in German beverage logistics |
Typical loads and weights
Beverage pallets are heavy because liquid is dense (about 8.3 lb per US gallon for water). Typical ranges, all estimates to be checked against your own pallet pattern:
| Load | Typical gross weight per pallet |
|---|---|
| Bottled water, 16.9 fl oz (500 mL) 24-packs, 72 to 84 cases | About 2,100 to 2,500 lb |
| Canned soda, 24-can cases, 72 to 80 cases | About 1,500 to 1,650 lb |
| Beer, 80 to 100 cases of cans or 60 to 72 cases of bottles | Up to about 2,200 lb |
| Wine and spirits in glass, cased | About 1,500 to 2,500 lb |
| Half-barrel beer kegs (commonly 8 per pallet) | About 1,300 lb of full kegs, plus the pallet |
| Half pallet (48 × 20 in) of cans | Roughly half a full pallet |
See cases of water, cases of beer and cases of soda for counts per pallet, and the cases per pallet calculator to work out your own Ti-Hi.
Common requirements
- Deck stiffness and coverage. Cans and bottles concentrate load on small rings. Wide gaps and thin deckboards let the bottom layer deform. Specify deck coverage and thickness, or use a tier sheet on the deck.
- Flatness. Tall beverage loads lean if the deck is cupped or out of level.
- Containment. Machine stretch wrap with good bottom tie-in, corner boards on tall loads, and tier sheets between layers. See stretch-wrapping pallets.
- Double stacking. Common in trailers and warehouses; the bottom pallet and packaging must handle the stacked weight. See pallet stacking patterns.
- Axle and trailer weight. A 53 ft trailer can reach its legal weight before it is full of beverage pallets. Plan loads with the pallets per truck tool and your carrier's weight limits.
- Pooling and retailer rules. Many retailers accept pooled pallets for beverages; some require them. See pallet pooling.
- Wet environments. Bottling halls, cold rooms and condensation in trailers favor plastic or dry wood.
Common pitfalls
- Lightweight pallets under heavy loads. A 48 × 40 pallet built for 1,000 lb snack loads is not a beverage pallet.
- Missing tier sheets. Layers nest and shift, leading to leaning or collapsed loads.
- Over-wrapping at the top, under-wrapping at the bottom. The pallet-to-load joint is where loads separate.
- Half-pallet programs without matching equipment. Half pallets need pallet jacks and racking set up for 48 × 20 in.
- Glass on rough decks. Protruding nails and splinters break bottles; use a tier sheet or smooth deck.
Spec checklist for a quote
- Footprint (48 × 40, 48 × 20, 36 × 36 in or metric) and entry type
- Pooled, white wood (new or recycled grade), or plastic
- Load: container type, cases per layer, layers, gross weight
- Deck: board thickness, deck coverage, maximum gap; tier sheet on deck or not
- Stacking: double-stack in trailer and storage, racking condition
- Environment: wet, cold, outdoor storage
- Retailer or distributor program
- ISPM 15 HT for export
- Annual quantity and delivery schedule
For a full-size pallet, start from the GMA 48 × 40 template; for store delivery, the 48 × 20 half display template.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pallet of bottled water weigh?
Commonly about 2,100 to 2,500 lb, depending on bottle size, case count and layers. The bottler's pallet pattern is the authority. See the cases of water page for typical counts.
What size pallet do beverage distributors use?
Mostly 48 × 40 in in North America, often pooled. Direct store delivery also uses 48 × 20 in half pallets and smaller display pallets. Some beverage flows use 36 × 36 or 48 × 36 in pallets. In Germany and parts of Europe, 1000 × 1200 mm is common for beverages.
Why do beverage pallets use tier sheets?
Bottles and cans have small contact areas. A tier sheet between layers spreads the load, keeps the layers flat and stops cans or bottles from nesting into the layer below.
Can beverage pallets be double-stacked?
Often yes, in trailers and warehouses, if the packaging and the pallet are designed for it. Check the bottom pallet's rating and the case compression strength before double-stacking.
Sources and references
Related
- What fits on a palletHow many cases of water are on a pallet?A pallet of 16.9 oz (500 mL) bottled water usually holds 72 to 84 cases of 24 bottles (1,728–2,016 bottles), or about 54 cases of 35-packs. Gallon jugs are commonly 48 cases of 6 (288 gallons). A full pallet weighs roughly 2,100–2,500 lb.
- What fits on a palletHow many cases of beer are on a pallet?A 48 × 40 in pallet of beer typically holds about 80–100 cases of 24 × 12 oz cans or 60–72 cases of 12 oz bottles, kept under about 2,200 lb. For kegs, a common layout is 8 half-barrels, 14 quarter-barrels or 20 sixth-barrels per pallet.
- What fits on a palletHow many cases of soda are on a pallet?A pallet of 12 oz soda cans in 24-can cases typically holds about 72–80 cases (1,728–1,920 cans), roughly 1,500–1,650 lb. Wholesale listings also show about 70 cases of 35-can packs and around 40 cases of 2-liter 8-packs. Bottler pallet specs vary.
- Sizes48 × 40 pallet (GMA): dimensions, weight and specsA 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.
- SizesHalf pallet: dimensions and uses (48 × 20 and 800 × 600)A half pallet is half of a region's standard pallet. In North America it is 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm), half of a 48 × 40. In Europe it is 800 × 600 mm (31.5 × 23.6 in), half of a 1200 × 800 Euro pallet, made by EPAL as the EPAL 6 and EPAL 7. Half pallets are used mainly for retail floor displays.
- TypesDisplay pallets: half (48 × 20) and quarter (24 × 20) palletsA display pallet is a small pallet that carries product straight onto a store floor as a ready-made display. North American sizes are the 48 × 20 in (1219 × 508 mm) half pallet and 24 × 20 in (610 × 508 mm) quarter pallet; in Europe, the 800 × 600 mm EPAL 6. Retailers set their own rules.
- GlossaryTier sheetA tier sheet (layer pad) is a flat sheet of corrugated board, solid fiber or plastic placed between layers of a unit load, or on the pallet deck, to spread weight, bridge deck gaps and stabilize the layers. It is not lifted by equipment.
- IndustriesPallets for food and beverage manufacturingFood companies run two pallet systems: hygienic plastic or aluminum inside wet and open-product areas, and 48 × 40 in wood or pooled pallets for cased goods. The FDA Sanitary Transportation rule requires suitable, cleanable, sanitary pallets but does not mandate a material.
More in Industries
- IndustriesPallets for grocery and consumer goodsGrocery runs on the 48 × 40 in pallet: GMA-style stringer pallets or pooled block pallets (CHEP, PECO, iGPS plastic). Retailers set the rules in vendor guides: footprint, entry, condition, height, weight and labels, and some accept pooled pallets only. Check each retailer's current guide.
- IndustriesPallets for pharmaceutical and healthcare productsPharmaceutical plants keep wood out of cleanrooms and GMP areas and use hygienic plastic (closed deck, washable) or aluminum there. Finished goods ship on 48 × 40 in or 1200 × 800 mm wood or plastic pallets to meet distribution, cold-chain and customer rules. The quality system, not a law, sets the material.
- IndustriesPallets for the chemical and plastics industryChemical loads (drums, pails, IBCs and 25 kg bags) need heavier, tighter-decked pallets than grocery. Europe uses the CP1 to CP9 block pallets; North America uses 48 × 48 in drum pallets, 42 × 42 and 44 × 44 in sizes and heavy 48 × 40s. Deck gaps and load type matter as much as weight.
- IndustriesPallets for the automotive industryAutomotive supply chains run on returnable plastic pallets, bulk containers and steel racks that cycle between suppliers and plants. OEM packaging guidelines set the footprints; 48 × 45 in is a common automotive size in North America. One-way wood pallets and ISPM 15 crates cover service parts and export.
- IndustriesPallets for dairy: milk, cheese, butter and dairy ingredientsDairy uses 40 × 40 in pallets, the size traditionally linked to dairy in North America, and 48 × 40 in pallets for retail DCs. Plants are cold, wet and washed down, so plastic is common inside and wood must arrive dry. Much fluid milk moves in stacked crates on dollies or pallets.
- IndustriesPallets for fresh produceFresh produce ships mainly on 48 × 40 in pallets in North America, many of them pooled block pallets. Pallets must survive wet cooling, cold storage and long reefer hauls and let cold air flow through the load. Imported produce, including from Mexico, needs ISPM 15 treated and marked wood pallets.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 746 words.