48x45 or 48x40?
They are not the same. Both are 48 inches long, but the 48x45 is five inches wider than the 48x40, and the 48x45 is the size listed for the automotive industry.
- 48 x 45
- 48 x 40
The two side by side
| 48 x 40 | 48 x 45 | |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | 48 x 40 | 48 x 45 |
| Millimeters | 1,219 x 1,016 | 1,219 x 1,143 |
| Deck area | 1,920 square inches | 2,160 square inches |
| Known as | The GMA standard, 30% of all new wood pallets made in the US | The automotive size, 7th in North American production |
The deck areas are length times width: 48 times 40 is 1,920 and 48 times 45 is 2,160. The 48x45 has 240 square inches more deck, which is 12.5% more. That extra width is the reason it exists: a part that needs five more inches under it rides better on it.
Why automotive runs on 48x45
Michigan ranks first in the nation for automotive manufacturing jobs, and 98 of the top 100 automotive suppliers to North America have a presence in the state. Those suppliers build parts to a customer's drawing, and a drawing can name the pallet. The North American pallet size table lists 48 x 45 as the size for the automotive industry. That is why a supplier dock in Warren or Troy can see it beside the 48 x 40 on the same day.
What mixing them does
- Racks. A rack opening cut for 40 inches may not take a 45-inch pallet. Check the opening, not the name.
- Trailers. Loaded turned on a 636 by 100 inch floor, a trailer takes 30 of the 48 x 40 and 28 of the 48 x 45. Loaded straight, both take 26. The trailer guide shows why.
- Automation. A robot cell or conveyor set up for one will not always take the other.
- Stacks. Piling a 45-inch pallet on a 40-inch one leaves an overhang that damages boards.
How to ask for the right one
Name the size in inches, length first, and say which one your parts are drawn for. If you receive 48 x 45 and ship on 48 x 40, say that too. A dock that sees both can sort them on arrival and request each size separately. See sizes, drawn to scale, or go straight to 48 x 45 and 48 x 40.
Questions about telling them apart
Can I tell by eye?
Not reliably. Five inches is small on a pallet. Use a tape.
Do they share a rack?
Often, but check the opening depth.
Which ships more per trailer?
The 48 x 40, especially when turned.
A habit worth keeping
Tape a measure to the wall by the receiving door. A one-second check of the pallet width saves arguments about what arrived.
The mistake to avoid
Ordering by the word "standard" when the dock runs on 48 x 45. Both have a 48-inch length, so a supplier may nod at either. Write the width.
Rack depth
Five extra inches of depth can exceed a rack beam. Measure the opening.
Mixed loads in a trailer
A trailer holding both sizes wastes floor, because the 48-inch lengths align but the widths do not. Plan the load plan in advance.
A quick summary
Same length, different width, different trade. Write the width.