What is a pallet? Definition, parts, types and sizes
A pallet is a flat, portable platform, usually wood, plastic or metal, that holds goods together as one unit load so a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor can lift and move them. Its deck sits on stringers or blocks that leave openings for forks. In North America the most common size is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm).
- Type
- Wood stringer
- Footprint
- 48.00 × 40.00 in
- Height
- 4.75 in
- Lumber
- 13.5 bd ft
- Est. weight
- 59 lb (27 kg)
- Fasteners
- 84
Every dimension is editable. Get the drawing free, or request a quote.
A pallet is a flat transport platform that supports goods as a single unit load while they are lifted, moved, stored and shipped. It has a load-bearing top deck, a spacer layer of stringers or blocks that creates openings for forks, and usually a bottom deck. Equipment such as a forklift, pallet jack, conveyor or rack handles the pallet rather than the individual cases on it.
Pallet definition in plain terms
A pallet is a portable, horizontal platform with fork openings, used as the base of a unit load. That is the working definition used across logistics and in the standards vocabulary (ISO 445 in the international series, ANSI MH1 in North America).
Three features separate a pallet from any other flat board:
- A deck that carries the load. It is made of deckboards, a panel or a molded surface.
- Fork openings of a known height and width so tines or a pallet jack can enter.
- Known dimensions so loads fit trucks, containers and racks predictably.
What is a pallet used for?
Pallets consolidate many small packages into one unit that equipment can handle in a single move. A typical grocery load of 50 to 80 cases goes from the production line to the warehouse to the store without anyone touching the individual cases.
| Use | What the pallet does |
|---|---|
| Transport | Lets a forklift load a truck or container in a few dozen moves instead of hundreds |
| Storage | Sits in pallet racking or in floor stacks |
| Handling | Rides on forklifts, pallet jacks, conveyors and automated systems |
| Production | Acts as a work surface or kanban unit between process steps |
| Display | Half and quarter pallets go straight onto the retail floor |
Parts of a pallet
A wood stringer pallet has three component groups: top deckboards, stringers, and bottom deckboards, held together with nails. A block pallet replaces the stringers with blocks and stringerboards. The parts of a pallet guide covers each part in detail.
| Part | Stringer pallet | Block pallet |
|---|---|---|
| Top deck | 5 to 9 deckboards across the stringers | Deckboards on top of stringerboards |
| Spacer | 2 to 4 stringers, often notched | 9 blocks in a 3 × 3 grid |
| Bottom deck | 3 to 5 deckboards | Perimeter, cruciform or unidirectional boards |
| Fasteners | Helically or annularly threaded nails | Nails, often clinched through the deck mat |
A 48 × 40 GMA-style stringer pallet, for example, has 7 top deckboards, 5 bottom deckboards and 3 stringers, and about 84 nails. You can open that template in the designer to see every part.
Main types of pallets
Pallets are grouped by construction, entry and material. The types of pallets hub lists every variant.
By construction
- Stringer pallet: continuous beams run the full length. Cheaper and simple to build and repair. About three quarters of new US wood pallets were stringer class in a 2016 US Forest Service survey.
- Block pallet: blocks at the corners, edges and center. True 4-way entry and better for pallet jacks from every side. The EPAL Euro pallet and the pooled CHEP and PECO 48 × 40 pallets are block pallets.
- Skid: runners and a top deck, no bottom deck.
By entry
- Two-way: forks enter from the two ends only.
- Partial four-way: notched stringers let forklift tines in from the sides, but a pallet jack still enters only from the ends.
- Four-way: forks and pallet jacks from all four sides. Most block pallets.
By material
| Material | Typical 48 × 40 weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wood | 30 to 70 lb (14 to 32 kg) | Most common, repairable, needs ISPM 15 treatment for export |
| Plastic | 14 to 70 lb (6 to 32 kg) | Washable and consistent. Exempt from ISPM 15 |
| Presswood | about 25 to 35 lb | Molded wood fiber, nestable, not rackable |
| Metal | 50 to 150 lb | Steel or aluminum, long life, heavy loads |
| Paper and corrugated | about 9 to 20 lb | Light, one-way, recyclable |
Weights are indicative ranges from manufacturer and distributor data. See the pallet weight guide for details.
Standard pallet sizes
Pallet size is stated as length × width, with length first. On a stringer pallet the length is the stringer length. The 48 × 40 in footprint (1219 × 1016 mm) dominates North America. Europe runs on the 1200 × 800 mm EUR pallet and the 1200 × 1000 mm pallet.
| Region | Main size | Metric | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| USA and Canada | 48 × 40 in | 1219 × 1016 mm | GMA |
| Europe | 47.24 × 31.50 in | 1200 × 800 mm | EUR / EPAL 1 |
| Europe, UK, Asia | 47.24 × 39.37 in | 1200 × 1000 mm | EUR 2, UK standard |
| Australia | 45.87 × 45.87 in | 1165 × 1165 mm | Australian standard |
| Japan, Korea | 43.31 × 43.31 in | 1100 × 1100 mm | T11 |
ISO 6780 lists six footprints for intercontinental use, including the 48 × 40 and 1200 × 800 sizes. The US pallet sizes guide and European pallet sizes guide cover the rest.
How big is a standard pallet?
A 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet is 48 in long, 40 in wide and about 4.75 to 6 in tall, depending on deckboard thickness and stringer height. The EPAL 1 is 1200 × 800 × 144 mm and weighs about 25 kg. The pallet height guide lists heights by type.
How pallets are specified and bought
A pallet specification lists the footprint, the size and count of every board, the lumber species and grade, the moisture content, the fasteners, and the load and handling conditions. Manufacturers turn that into a spec sheet and a quote. Many use the Pallet Design System (PDS), software from Woodpack Global, to rate the design.
Most buyers choose between three routes:
- Standard new pallets, such as a 48 × 40 GMA-style stringer pallet, bought from a local manufacturer.
- Recycled pallets, graded A or B, which cost less and vary more. See recycled pallets.
- Pooled (rented) pallets from CHEP, PECO or iGPS. See pallet pooling.
Custom pallets make sense when the load, the racking or the automation does not suit a standard design. The custom pallet spec guide walks through the fields.
How many pallets are there?
Estimates put the number of pallets in use in the United States at around 2 billion, and more than 90% of them are wood. New wood pallet production was about 513 million units in 2016, according to a US Forest Service and Virginia Tech survey, with another large volume repaired or remanufactured each year. The same survey found that 48 × 40 was about 35% of new pallets and that roughly 39% were custom (non-standard) sizes.
That volume is why the details matter. A change of one deckboard or one nail size, repeated across a year's order, changes cost, weight and truckload counts in a way buyers notice.
Pallet vs skid vs slip sheet
| Base | Bottom deck | Handling | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pallet | Yes | Forklift, pallet jack, conveyor | General freight and storage |
| Skid | No | Forklift, dragging | Machinery, crate bases |
| Slip sheet | None (a thin sheet) | Push-pull forklift attachment | High-volume export, container cube |
A slip sheet saves weight and space but needs special equipment at both ends of the trip. The pallet vs skid comparison has more.
Specifying a pallet for a quote
When you ask for a pallet, give the supplier these facts at minimum:
- Footprint (length × width) and which dimension is the stringer or fork-entry direction
- Load weight and type (boxes, bags, drums, machinery)
- How it is handled and stored: forklift, pallet jack, racking (and beam span), floor stacking height
- Export destination (ISPM 15 heat treatment) or domestic use
- Annual quantity and delivery location
You can draw the pallet in the pallet designer and send the spec sheet with your request.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a pallet and a skid?
A skid has a top deck on runners but no bottom deck. A pallet has both a top and a bottom deck, which makes it more stable when stacked and easier to handle with a pallet jack in most designs.
What is the standard pallet size in the US?
48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), often called the GMA pallet. Length is stated first and is the stringer length. Other common North American sizes include 42 × 42, 48 × 48 and 48 × 45 in.
What are pallets made of?
Most are wood. Plastic, metal (steel and aluminum), molded wood fiber (presswood) and paper or corrugated pallets are also made, each with different weight, cost, hygiene and export trade-offs.
Why are pallets used instead of moving boxes one at a time?
A pallet turns many cases into one unit load that a single forklift move can handle, stack, rack or load onto a truck. That cuts handling labor, product damage and loading time.
Is a pallet the same as a platform or a tray?
In logistics, pallet means a load-carrying platform designed for fork entry. Standards such as ISO 445 define the vocabulary. Trays and platforms without fork openings are not pallets in this sense.
Sources and references
Related
- GuidesParts of a pallet: deckboards, stringers, blocks and fastenersA wood stringer pallet has top deckboards, stringers (often notched) and bottom deckboards, joined with nails. A block pallet swaps the stringers for 9 blocks and 3 stringerboards. The outermost deckboards are lead boards. Openings between the deck layers take the forks.
- TypesWooden pallets: types, construction, sizes and how to specify themA wooden pallet is a flat transport platform built from lumber deckboards fastened to stringers or blocks. In North America most are 48 × 40 in stringer pallets weighing about 30–70 lb (14–32 kg); in Europe the 1200 × 800 mm EPAL block pallet dominates. Wood must be ISPM 15 treated for most export.
- ComparisonsPallet vs skid: what is the difference?A skid is a platform with a top deck on runners and no bottom deck; a pallet has a bottom deck too. Choose a skid for heavy machinery, crate bases and loads that are dragged or bolted down. Choose a pallet for stacked, racked or conveyed loads and standard warehouse handling.
- ComparisonsBlock vs stringer pallets: differences and when to use eachChoose a stringer pallet when you want the lowest cost, one-way or closed-loop use and mostly 2-way handling. Choose a block pallet when you need true 4-way entry for forklifts and pallet jacks, heavy reuse, pooling, automation or the European 1200 × 800 footprint.
- SizesUS pallet sizes: the standard North American dimensionsThe standard US pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), the GMA pallet, used for grocery, retail and most general freight. Other common North American sizes are 42 × 42, 48 × 48, 48 × 42, 40 × 40, 48 × 45, 44 × 44, 36 × 36 and 48 × 36 in, each tied to particular industries.
- GlossaryUnit loadA unit load is a group of items, usually cases on a pallet or slip sheet, secured together so it can be stored and moved as a single unit by a forklift or pallet jack. It includes the pallet, the packaging, the stacking pattern and the stabilizers.
- GuidesHistory of the pallet: from skids to pooled block palletsSkids have been used since antiquity, but the modern pallet grew up with the forklift. Lift-truck platforms were patented in the 1920s and pallets for pallet jacks in the late 1930s, and World War II made them universal. CHEP (1946), the EUR pallet (1961), PDS (1984) and ISPM 15 (2002) shaped today's pallet.
More in Fundamentals
- GuidesHow to measure a pallet: length, width, height and every boardMeasure the stringer (or stringerboard) direction first and call it length, then the deckboard length as width, then overall height from floor to top deck. A 48 × 40 pallet is 48 in along the stringers. For a quote, also record every board's actual size, count and position, and the notch and opening sizes.
- GuidesStandard pallet height: empty pallets and maximum load heightsAn empty standard 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet is about 4-3/4 to 6 in (121 to 152 mm) tall; a GMA-style build with 5/8 in decks on 3-1/2 in stringers is 4-3/4 in. A EUR pallet is 144 mm (5.7 in). Pooled 48 × 40 block pallets are about 5.6 in. Loaded, most unit loads are kept between 48 and 72 in overall.
- GuidesHow much does a pallet weigh? Weights by type, material and moistureA standard 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg). New green hardwood pallets sit at the top of that range and dry ones near the bottom. A EUR pallet weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), pooled 48 × 40 block pallets about 60 to 70 lb, and plastic pallets 14 to 70 lb depending on type.
- GuidesHow much weight can a pallet hold? Static, dynamic and racking capacityIt depends on how the pallet is supported. A typical 48 × 40 wood pallet safely carries about 1,500 to 2,800 lb (680 to 1,270 kg) in racking or on forks, and several times that on a flat floor. A EUR pallet is rated 1,500 kg. Only the manufacturer's rating for your support condition is authoritative.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 1,410 words.