Pallet size looks like a detail until it decides how many fit across a trailer. Two 40 inch sides come to 80 inches and fit a standard dry van comfortably. Two 48 inch sides come to 96 inches and only just fit, if at all. That single choice doubles or halves your linear feet.
Standard pallet sizes
| PALLET | INCHES | METRIC | WHERE IT IS USED |
|---|---|---|---|
| GMA / North American | 48 × 40 in | 122 × 102 cm | The default in US LTL and grocery. Roughly a third of all pallets in North America. |
| EUR / EPAL 1 | 47.2 × 31.5 in | 120 × 80 cm | The European standard, sized to fit two across a standard European truck. |
| Industrial | 48 × 48 in | 122 × 122 cm | Drums and chemicals, where a square footprint makes for stable stacking. |
| Asia / ISO | 43.3 × 43.3 in | 110 × 110 cm | Common in Asian export, and sized to load a 20 ft container efficiently. |
| Half / display | 48 × 20 in | 122 × 51 cm | Retail display pallets, designed to fit two per GMA footprint. |
How many fit across a trailer
A standard 53 foot dry van has roughly 100 inches of usable inside width and 53 feet of floor.
- 48 × 40 turned short-side across: two per row at 80 inches, each row 48 inches deep. Twenty-six rows fill the trailer, so 52 pallets on the floor.
- 48 × 40 turned long-side across: 96 inches is tight in a 100 inch trailer and impossible in a 96 inch one. Most loaders will not risk it.
- EUR 120 × 80 cm: two across at 63 inches, with room to spare, each row 47.2 inches deep.
The linear feet calculator works this out for any pallet size and trailer width, including stacking.
Height and weight limits
A GMA pallet deck is about 5.5 inches, which comes off your height budget before a single case goes on. Under a common 60 inch LTL ceiling that leaves 54.5 inches of stacking height.
On weight, 2,500 pounds per pallet is a practical LTL maximum. Beyond that you need to confirm forklift capacity, dock plate ratings and floor loading at both ends. A pallet nobody at destination can lift is not a shipment, it is a problem waiting at a dock.
Bear in mind that these limits interact with classification. Since the 2025 NMFC change most freight classes on density, so a shorter, denser pallet is not just easier to handle, it is usually cheaper to ship. See the 2025 NMFC guide for what that is worth.
Stacking
Double-stacking halves the floor space a shipment needs, which is the single biggest lever on linear feet. It also transfers the entire weight of the top pallet onto the cases at the bottom of the lower one.
Before you mark a shipment stackable, check three things: whether the packaging has the compression strength, whether the load is flat and square enough to take a pallet on top, and whether the carrier will honor it. A shipment marked stackable that arrives crushed is a claim you will lose.
Stringer and block pallets
Two construction styles dominate, and the difference decides how a forklift can approach the load.
- Stringer pallets rest on two or three lengthways beams. Forks enter from two sides only unless the stringers are notched, in which case a pallet jack can get in from all four with reduced capacity.
- Block pallets sit on nine blocks, so both forklifts and pallet jacks enter from any of the four sides. They cost more and carry more. EUR pallets are block pallets, which is part of why European handling assumes four-way access.
If your destination unloads with a pallet jack rather than a forklift, and your pallets are unnotched stringers loaded the wrong way round, the freight arrives and cannot come off the truck. It is worth asking.
Pallet weights, and why they matter
The pallet itself is part of the shipment. A wooden GMA pallet runs roughly 33 to 48 pounds depending on species and moisture, a EUR pallet about 55 pounds, and plastic pallets between 15 and 60 pounds depending on grade.
Since most freight now classes on density, that weight works in your favor: it raises the pounds without adding much volume. On a marginal shipment, including the pallet weight correctly can be the difference between two classes. Leaving it out understates your density and invites a reclass.
How many pallets fit
Two numbers cover most planning conversations.
| EQUIPMENT | 48 × 40 GMA | 120 × 80 EUR |
|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van (floor) | 26 | 33 |
| 20' container (floor) | 10 | 11 |
| 40' container (floor) | 20–21 | 23–24 |
Double-stacking doubles these, where the freight allows it. Note how the EUR footprint loads a container better: 120 × 80 cm divides into the 235 cm interior width more efficiently than 48 × 40 inches does, which is worth knowing if you are choosing a pallet for an export program rather than domestic trucking.
Heat treatment for export
Wooden pallets crossing a border must meet ISPM 15: heat treated or fumigated, and stamped with the treatment mark. An untreated pallet can get an entire shipment refused at the port, and the cost of re-palletising under customs supervision is far higher than buying a compliant pallet at origin.
Check for the stamp before the load leaves. Plastic and pressed-wood pallets are exempt, which is one reason export programs often standardise on them despite the higher unit cost.
Pooled or one-way
Pooled pallets, the blue and red rental pallets you see everywhere, are built heavier and are meant to come back. You pay per trip and you are responsible for them, which means a pooled pallet sent somewhere it cannot be collected becomes a charge that outlives the shipment.
One-way or “white wood” pallets are cheaper, lighter and expendable. They are the right choice for export and for any destination that will not return equipment. The trade-off is quality: a weak one-way pallet under 2,000 pounds is how freight ends up on a dock floor.
Practical advice
- Do not overhang. Cases hanging past the edge lose corner support, crush first, and change the dimensions a carrier measures.
- Match the pallet to the container, not just the truck. A 110 × 110 cm pallet fits a 20 ft container far better than a 48 × 40.
- Use the pallet calculator before you commit to a case size. A half-inch change in case dimensions sometimes adds a whole column per layer.
- Check the pallet condition. A broken stringer turns a 2,500 pound pallet into a dock incident.
Rules last checked: Sep 24, 2026
Estimate only. Confirm with your carrier before booking.