By Ambica Patterns India Pvt Ltd ·
Choosing a pallet size sounds simple until a shipment arrives at a warehouse whose racking is 200 mm too narrow, or a container leaves port a quarter empty. The right size depends on where your goods are going, how they will be handled and what your product looks like. This guide walks through the sizes that matter for Indian manufacturers and exporters.
The six ISO pallet sizes
The international standard ISO 6780 recognises six pallet footprints. Almost every pallet you will meet in world trade is one of these:
| Size (mm) | Size (inches) | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 × 800 | 47.2 × 31.5 | Europe (the Euro pallet) |
| 1200 × 1000 | 47.2 × 39.4 | Europe, Asia, India |
| 1219 × 1016 | 48 × 40 | North America (GMA) |
| 1165 × 1165 | 44 × 44 | Australia |
| 1067 × 1067 | 42 × 42 | North America, Europe, Asia |
| 1100 × 1100 | 43.3 × 43.3 | Asia (Japan, Korea, South-East Asia) |
The first dimension is usually the length, the direction the top deck boards run, but conventions vary, so always confirm which way the boards run when you order.
Europe: 1200 × 800 and 1200 × 1000
If you ship to Europe, the 1200 × 800 × 144 mm Euro pallet is the default. European trucks, warehouses and retail distribution centres are designed around it.
One thing to check with your buyer: genuine EPAL Euro pallets can only be made by EPAL-licensed manufacturers, and customers who swap pallets in the EPAL exchange pool will insist on the EPAL mark. For one-way export shipments, a Euro-size pallet built to the same dimensions and heat treated to ISPM-15 is usually all that is needed.
Industrial customers in Europe also use 1200 × 1000 mm, built either with a perimeter base or with three bottom runners. Chemical companies use the CP pallet family, nine standard sizes from CP1 (1000 × 1200) to CP9 (1140 × 1140), each designed for a particular type of load such as sacks, drums or bulk bags.
North America: 48 × 40 inches
The USA and Canada run on the GMA pallet, 48 × 40 inches (about 1220 × 1016 mm). It is usually a stringer pallet with three notched stringers, which gives partial four-way entry. Shipping to North America on Euro pallets is possible, but your buyer may have to re-palletise to fit their racking.
India and Asia
Inside India there is no single dominant size. The 1200 × 1000 mm pallet is the most common industrial footprint, followed by 1200 × 800, 1100 × 1100 and square sizes such as 1000 × 1000 and 1120 × 1120 for drums and bulk bags. Many manufacturers use a custom size that matches their carton or product exactly. 1100 × 1100 mm is the standard in Japan and Korea and is widely used across South-East Asia.
How to choose
- Start with the destination. Exports to Europe point to 1200 × 800 or 1200 × 1000; exports to the USA point to GMA 48 × 40; Asian customers often use 1100 × 1100.
- Match the product. Your cartons, drums or bags should cover the deck without overhanging the edges. Overhang leads to crushed corners; underhang wastes container space.
- Check the handling equipment. Hand pallet trucks need four-way entry and a bottom deck with openings. Forklift-only operations can use cheaper two-way stringer or skid pallets.
- Check the container fit. As a rule of thumb, a 20 ft container takes around 11 Euro pallets or 10 pallets of 1200 × 1000 mm in a single layer; a 40 ft container takes roughly twice that.
- Decide on treatment. Every solid-wood pallet that crosses a border must be heat treated to ISPM-15. Read our guide to ISPM-15 heat treatment.
Need a size that is not on the list?
We build Euro-size, CP-type and GMA pallets to the standard dimensions, and most of our pinewood and hardwood pallets are made to order. Send us your product dimensions, weight and how the pallet will be handled, and we will recommend a size and construction. Request a quote or browse our full pallet range.
