Pallet sizes, drawn to scale

The drawing shows the footprints stacked on the same corner, one inch to one unit. The 48 x 40 and the 48 x 45 are outlined in yellow because they are the two that matter most on a Detroit supplier dock. The others are the sizes you meet less often but still meet.

There is no universally accepted standard for pallet dimensions, and the GMA organization no longer governs pallet specifications. Treat a size name as a convention people agree on, not a rule that will protect you, and measure a pallet before you order a truck of them.

Parts arrive from suppliers who each chose a footprint that suits their part, their racks and their customer. The automotive table lists 48 x 45. General freight rides on 48 x 40. A single receiving dock sees both, and an outbound dock may want only one. That is why size comes before everything else. The 48x45 or 48x40 guide goes into what mixing them does.

1. Length first

   Measure the side the stringers run along, then the other side. A 48 x 40 is 48 inches long by 40 wide. Write them in that order.

2. Check the entry

   Lay a tape across the opening a fork enters. A two-way pallet is entered from two sides, a four-way from all four. Pallet types has the drawings.

3. Height and weight

   A standard 48 x 40 GMA pallet is typically 5.5 to 6 inches high and weighs 33 to 49 pounds empty. See weight and capacity.

The hardest calls in the table are the near neighbours: 48 x 40 against 48 x 42, and 48 x 42 against 48 x 45. The difference is two or three inches, which the eye does not catch and a rack opening does. Measure the width with a tape, from outer edge to outer edge of the deck boards, and write down the number. If the measurement lands between two rows in the table, say both.

• 48 x 40 for general freight, wholesale food and fulfillment.
• 48 x 45 for automotive suppliers and any part with an awkward footprint.
• 48 x 48 for chemical and bulk goods that want a square base.
• 42 x 42 for beverage stock that arrives as a visitor.
• 48 x 42 for chemical and beverage freight.
• Euro for European equipment and test parts.

Every row links to a page with its own drawing, so you can compare shapes before you commit to an order.

Deck area is simply length times width. In square inches: 42 x 42 gives 1,764; the Euro pallet about 1,488; the 48 x 40 gives 1,920; the 48 x 42 gives 2,016; the 48 x 45 gives 2,160; and the 48 x 48 gives 2,304. Larger decks carry bigger loads but take more room in racks and trailers.

A pallet size is a compromise between the goods, the truck and the rack. Automotive parts have awkward footprints, so the trade settled on the 48 x 45. Chemical drums sit in squares, so the 48 x 48 and 48 x 42 suit them. Beverage cases pack tight on the 42 x 42. Equipment from Europe arrives on its home standard. The sizes below are the ones that turn up in freight around Detroit.

Plenty of other footprints exist: 36 x 36 for paint and drums, 48 x 20 for display, 40 x 48 turned for grocery. None turned up in freight around Detroit, so none has a page. If your freight rides on one, name it in the request with the dimensions in inches, and a buyer can say whether stock is available. A site that lists every size in the world would be a catalog; this one lists the ones the metro uses.

Before changing sizes, measure three things: the rack opening's depth, the beam spacing and the clearance above a loaded pallet. Pallets that clear on paper can still catch an upright when a forklift approaches at an angle. A single trial pallet pushed through the bay settles the question faster than any table, and a photograph of the trial belongs in the request when you ask for a quote.

Where a dock changes sizes often, label the rack bays with the size they were built for. A small painted number saves arguments between shifts.

One inch is 25.4 millimeters. Quote both when freight crosses a border.

• 48 x 40 pallets The 48x40 GMA pallet is the North American standard and the default for general freight. Dimensions, load, trailer counts and where it shows up in Detroit.
• 48 x 45 pallets The 48x45 is the automotive pallet size: dimensions, deck area, trailer counts and where Detroit parts suppliers use it next to the 48x40.
• 48 x 48 pallets The square 48x48 pallet is often used in the chemical sector. Dimensions, deck area, and where it shows up around Detroit.
• 42 x 42 pallets The square 42x42 pallet is common in the beverage industry. Dimensions, deck area and where it turns up around Detroit docks.
• 48 x 42 pallets The 48x42 pallet ranks fifth in North American production, used in chemical and beverage freight. Dimensions and where it fits near Detroit.
• Euro pallets The 800x1200 mm Euro pallet for European parts and equipment: dimensions in inches and millimeters and what to do with one on a Detroit dock.