Pallets for fresh produce
Fresh 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.
- Type
- Wood block
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 5.50 in
- Lumber
- 15.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 68 lb (31 kg)
- Fasteners
- 92
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
A produce pallet has a harder life than most. It is loaded in a field or packing shed, pushed through a forced-air cooler or drenched in a hydrocooler, stored in a cold room at high humidity, and carried for days in a refrigerated trailer. At the end it enters a retailer's distribution center with the same rules as any grocery pallet. It must stay strong when wet, let cold air through, and meet import rules if it crosses a border.
Which pallets does produce use?
| Pallet | Size | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Pooled wood block pallet | 48 × 40 in | Shipper to retailer; widely used and accepted |
| White-wood stringer or block pallet | 48 × 40 in | One-way, export, smaller shippers |
| ISPM 15 HT pallet | 48 × 40 in | Imports and exports (for example Mexico to US) |
| Plastic pallet | 48 × 40 in, 1200 × 1000 mm | Closed loops, wet packing lines |
| Field bins (wood or plastic) | Bin-specific | Harvest to packing shed; not a pallet shipment |
| European pallets | 1200 × 800, 1200 × 1000 mm | European produce |
Produce cases and reusable plastic containers are designed as modules of the pallet footprint, so a 48 × 40 in pallet carries them without overhang. See the 48 × 40 pallet.
Common requirements
- Airflow. Forced-air cooling pulls air through the case vents across the pallet. Cases must align with vents open and the load must not be sealed with full stretch wrap. Loads are usually secured with edge protectors (corner boards) and strapping or netting.
- Wet strength. Hydrocooling and ice-packed products soak the pallet. Wood loses strength when wet, and stays damp in cold rooms. Specify dry wood at delivery and allow for wet service in the load rating.
- Mold and hygiene. Damp pallets in humid cold rooms grow mold. Buy dry pallets and keep idle pallets out of the rain. See pallet mold.
- Phytosanitary. Wood pallets moving across borders need ISPM 15 marks. Costco's pallet policy, for example, notes HT is required on the Mexico to US lane but not between Canada and the US.
- Retailer and pool rules. Many produce buyers accept or require pooled pallets. See pallet pooling and Costco requirements.
- Food safety. Pallets carrying exposed produce fall under the FDA Sanitary Transportation rule and growers' food safety programs.
Typical loads and weights
Produce loads vary with the commodity. Light, bulky items such as leafy greens or berries often weigh 1,000 to 1,800 lb per pallet; dense items such as potatoes, onions, apples, citrus or melons can reach 2,000 to 2,500 lb or more (estimates; check your pack and pattern). Loads are often tall, and ice or water adds weight. Tall produce loads are often not double-stacked in trailers, because of case strength and airflow.
Pooled, white wood or plastic?
Pooled block pallets suit shippers selling into retail DCs that accept or require them, because the pallet does not come back to the grower. White wood suits export, one-way sales to smaller buyers and lanes where pool accounts are not in place. Plastic pallets suit closed loops such as packing-shed to cooler or grower to a single packer, where they can be washed and returned. See pooled vs white wood.
Common pitfalls
- Full stretch wrap on loads that need cooling. Slows pre-cooling and raises pulp temperature.
- Green pallets into cold storage. Mold on pallets and cartons.
- Unmarked or repaired pallets on import lanes. Loads held at the border; see ISPM 15 repair rules.
- Two-way pallets in retail DCs that need four-way or partial four-way entry.
- Weak pallets under wet loads. Deckboards that are fine dry can crack when saturated.
- Case overhang. Cases hanging over the deck edge crush and block airflow channels.
Spec checklist for a quote
- Footprint 48 × 40 in (or metric), four-way block or partial four-way stringer
- Pooled, white wood (new or recycled grade), or plastic
- Service: hydrocooled, iced, forced-air cooled, cold storage temperature and humidity
- Wood: species, dried to a stated maximum moisture content at delivery
- ISPM 15 HT marks (required for import and export lanes)
- Load: commodity, cases per layer, layers, gross weight including ice
- Securing method: corner boards, straps, netting
- Retailer program or pool
- Quantity, seasonality and delivery locations (produce demand peaks with harvest)
The 48 × 40 block template reflects the pooled-style four-way block pallet most produce buyers expect.
Frequently asked questions
What pallet size is used for produce?
48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) in North America, matching retail distribution centers. Cases and reusable plastic containers are sized to stack on that footprint. Europe uses 1200 × 800 and 1200 × 1000 mm.
Do produce pallets from Mexico need ISPM 15?
Yes. Solid-wood pallets entering the US from Mexico must be ISPM 15 treated and marked, unlike the long-standing US and Canada arrangement for wood packaging of US or Canadian origin. Plastic pallets are exempt.
Why are produce loads strapped instead of fully wrapped?
Full stretch wrap blocks the airflow that forced-air coolers and refrigerated trailers rely on. Corner boards with straps or netting hold the load while leaving the case vents open.
Are pooled pallets common for produce?
Yes. Pooled block pallets are widely used by growers and shippers selling to retailers, and some retailers require them. White-wood pallets are used for one-way and export shipments.
Sources and references
Related
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- StandardsISPM 15: the wood packaging standard for international shippingISPM 15 is the IPPC standard requiring solid-wood packaging, including pallets and dunnage, to be debarked, treated (HT, DH, MB or SF) and marked before crossing a border. Plywood, OSB, presswood, wood 6 mm thick or less, and plastic, metal and paper pallets are exempt.
- GuidesPallet mold: causes, prevention and what to do with moldy palletsPallet mold grows when wood stays above about 20% moisture in warm, still air: green pallets in containers, wrapped loads or covered yards. The fix is dry wood: specify kiln-dried pallets (19% or less), store them dry and ventilated, and check moisture before loading. HT alone does not prevent mold.
- GlossaryStrappingStrapping, also called banding, is a steel or plastic band tensioned and sealed around a load, often through or around the pallet, to hold heavy or rigid items together and to the pallet. The main materials are steel, polyester (PET) and polypropylene (PP).
- GlossaryEdge protectorAn edge protector, or corner board, is an L-shaped strip of laminated paperboard, plastic or other material placed on the vertical or top edges of a unit load. It spreads strapping and stretch wrap pressure, protects case corners, and can add vertical stacking strength.
- 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 beverages: water, soft drinks, beer and spiritsA 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.
- 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.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 767 words.