Drum pallet: 48 × 48 pallets for four 55-gallon drums
A drum pallet is a heavy-duty pallet sized to carry 55-gallon (208 L) drums, most often a 48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) square pallet holding four drums. It needs tight deckboard gaps so drum chimes cannot drop between boards, and extra stringers because four filled drums can weigh about 2,000 lb (900 kg) or more.
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 48.00 in
- Height
- 4.875 in
- Lumber
- 20.4 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 89 lb (40 kg)
- Fasteners
- 128
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
Drums are one of the hardest loads a pallet carries: heavy, concentrated on four small rings, and often full of chemicals. A drum pallet is designed around those four rings rather than around a uniform load.
What is a drum pallet?
A drum pallet is a pallet built to carry steel, plastic or fibre drums, usually 55-gallon (208 L). The standard North American drum pallet is 48 × 48 in holding four drums in a 2 × 2 pattern. Wooden drum pallets are heavy-duty stringer pallets. Plastic drum pallets are often molded with recessed rings that locate each drum.
How is a wooden drum pallet built?
The pallet.design drum template shows a typical heavy-duty build:
| Component | Template value | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 × 48 in | 1219 × 1219 mm |
| Top deckboards | 9, 3/4 in thick, 48 in long | 19 mm thick, 1219 mm |
| Stringers | 4, 1-1/2 × 3-1/2 × 48 in | 38 × 89 × 1219 mm |
| Bottom deckboards | 5, 5/8 in thick | 16 mm |
| Fasteners | 2-1/2 in nails | 64 mm |
| Design load | 2,200 lb, drums | 998 kg |
Key design points:
- Tight top deck gaps. Drum chimes sit on a narrow ring. Vendors commonly recommend keeping gaps under about 3/4 in (19 mm); some buyers specify a solid deck.
- Four stringers. With four drums, loads fall at the quarter points of each deckboard. A fourth stringer shortens deckboard spans under the drums.
- Thicker deckboards. 3/4 in boards resist the point loads from the chimes better than 5/8 in.
- Notched or not. Notches allow side entry by forklift but reduce stringer section. Many drum pallets are 2-way.
Drum load math
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| 55 gal of water | about 459 lb (208 kg) |
| Empty steel drum | typically about 40–50 lb (18–23 kg) |
| One water-weight drum, filled | about 500 lb (227 kg) |
| Four drums | about 2,000 lb (907 kg) |
| Four drums at 1.3 specific gravity | about 2,600 lb (1,180 kg) |
Multiply 459 lb by your product's specific gravity to get the contents weight per drum. Drums are a concentrated load: ratings based on uniformly distributed load do not apply directly.
Where are drum pallets used?
- Chemicals, coatings, lubricants and oils; see the chemicals industry page
- Food ingredients and syrups in drums
- Hazardous waste shipments
- Export of drummed product, often on 1140 × 1140 mm CP3 or CP9 pallets
Pros and limits
| Pros | Limits |
|---|---|
| Four drums per pallet position | Heavier and costlier than a GMA pallet |
| Designed for point loads | Square footprint fits some racks and trailers poorly |
| Tight deck prevents drum drop-through | Needs a design check for denser contents |
| Wood versions easy to repair | Drums must be banded or wrapped to the pallet |
Capacity and weight
A 48 × 48 in wooden drum pallet with four stringers and 3/4 in boards weighs more than a standard pallet; expect it above the 30–70 lb (14–32 kg) range of a 48 × 40, depending on species and moisture. Capacity must be stated for drums, not uniform load, and for each support condition. Racking drum pallets is a common failure point, so give the manufacturer the drum weight, count and rack beam span. See pallet load capacity.
ISPM 15
Wooden drum pallets need heat treatment and an ISPM 15 mark for export. Plastic drum pallets are exempt.
What drives the cost?
- Board feet: 9 thick top boards and 4 stringers on a 48 × 48 footprint
- Solid deck, if specified
- Heat treatment
- Wood vs plastic (plastic drum pallets cost several times more but last longer and wash clean)
- Volume and freight
Specifying a drum pallet for a quote
- Footprint (48 × 48 in, or CP3 1140 × 1140 mm) and height
- Drum count, size and filled weight (or contents' specific gravity)
- Top deck: board count, thickness, maximum gap or solid deck
- Stringers: count and size; notched or 2-way
- Racked, stacked or floor only; beam span if racked
- Hazmat or food contact requirements
- ISPM 15 HT
- Quantity and delivery location
Related: spill pallet, 48 × 48 pallet, plastic pallets. The drum template has the full drawing; open it in the designer.
Drawing and parts listEdit in the design app
48×48 drum template, generated from the model. Every dimension is editable.
Pallet
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 48.00 in
- Overall height
- 4.875 in
- Classification
- 48.00 x 48.00, Stringer-Class, Double-Face Non-Reversible, Flush, Partial 4-Way, Reusable, New Manufacture
Construction
- Build
- Wood stringer pallet
- Wings
- Flush
- Top deck
- 9 boards × 0.75 in (3/4); 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
- 4 × 1.50 in (1-1/2) 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
- 128 × 2.50 in (2-1/2) helical, 0.112 in wire, per Uniform Standard Table 5
Requirements
- Load
- 2,200 lb, drums
- 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
What size pallet do you need for 55-gallon drums?
48 × 48 in (1219 × 1219 mm) for four drums in a 2 × 2 pattern. A 55-gallon steel drum is roughly 23 in (about 585 mm) across, so four fit on a 48 in square deck with a little clearance.
How much do four 55-gallon drums weigh?
It depends on the contents. Fifty-five gallons of water weighs about 459 lb (208 kg), so four water-weight drums plus the drums themselves come to about 2,000 lb (900 kg). Denser liquids weigh more.
Why do drum pallets need small deckboard gaps?
A drum sits on a narrow rim (the chime). If a gap between deckboards is wider than the chime can bridge, the drum can drop into it and tip or damage the pallet.
Can I use a standard 48 × 40 pallet for drums?
Two drums fit on a 48 × 40 in, but four do not. For four drums the 48 × 48 is standard. Some shippers use 1140 × 1140 mm CP3 or CP9 pallets for drums in export.
Is a spill pallet the same as a drum pallet?
No. A drum pallet is for transport. A spill pallet has a sump that holds leaks, and is used for storing drums in place.
Related
- 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.
- TypesSpill pallet: sump capacity, drum counts and EPA containment rulesA spill pallet is a platform with a grated deck over a sump that catches leaks from drums or IBCs stored on it. Common four-drum models hold about 66 gal (250 L) and carry about 5,000–6,000 lb; IBC models hold about 385–400 gal. Sump size follows rules such as EPA 40 CFR 264.175.
- 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.
- GlossaryConcentrated loadA concentrated load is a load that bears on one or a few small areas of the pallet deck instead of spreading over it, such as drums, machinery feet or a coil. It usually gives a much lower safe load than the same weight spread evenly.
- TypesStringer pallet: construction, dimensions and when to use oneA stringer pallet is a wooden pallet whose deckboards are nailed across two or more continuous beams called stringers, usually three on a 48 × 40 in pallet. It is 2-way entry, or partial 4-way when the stringers are notched. It is the most common and cheapest pallet design in North America.
- TypesPlastic pallets: types, materials, load ratings and how to buy themA plastic pallet is a molded or fabricated pallet made from HDPE or polypropylene. Types range from light nestable pallets (about 14–30 lb) to reinforced rackable pallets (about 35–70 lb). They are washable, ISPM 15 exempt and long-lived, cost several times more than wood, and carry three separate load ratings.
- TypesCP pallets (CP1 to CP9): dimensions, construction and usesCP pallets are nine standardised wooden block pallets (CP1 to CP9) designed for the European chemical and plastics industry. They range from 760 × 1140 mm to 1300 × 1100 mm. CP1 to CP5 are 138 mm (5.4 in) high with bottom boards in one direction; CP6 to CP9 are 156 mm (6.1 in) high with perimeter or full-frame bottoms.
More in Special purpose
- 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.
- TypesExport pallets: ISPM 15, container sizes and material choicesAn export pallet must meet ISPM 15 (heat-treated and marked wood, or an exempt material such as plastic, presswood, paper or metal), fit the container and the consignee's equipment, and usually be cheap enough to lose. Common choices are HT wood, 45 × 45 in or 1200 × 1000 mm footprints, and nestable plastic.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 766 words.