Used plastic pallets by size
Used plastic pallets are sorted by footprint first, because the wrong size cannot be fixed at the dock. This page puts the footprints a buyer asks for side by side, and each row links to a page of its own.
- Standard
- 48 x 40 in (GMA)
- Chemical
- 48 x 48, 45 x 45
- Bulk bags
- 43 x 43
- Export
- Euro 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000
Pick the footprint first
A footprint is the length and width of the deck in inches or millimetres. It decides what rack bay, conveyor, truck and container the pallet fits, so it comes before grade and before anything else on the request. ISO 6780 lists 1016 x 1219 mm for North America, 1000 x 1200 mm for Europe and Asia and 800 x 1200 mm for Europe.
| Footprint | Usually found in | Page |
|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 in (1219 x 1016 mm) | General shipping, grocery, retail, manufacturing | Used 48 x 40 |
| 48 x 48 in | Chemical and drums, four 55-gallon drums without overhang | Used 48 x 48 |
| 48 x 45 in | North American automotive bulk containers | Used 48 x 45 |
| 45 x 45 in (1140 mm square) | CP9 chemical standard: bags, boxes, drums | Used 45 x 45 |
| 43 x 43 in (1100 mm square) | Bulk bags, food additives, feed, pharmaceuticals | Used 43 x 43 |
| 42 x 42 in | Second most produced size in the US across all materials | Used 42 x 42 |
| 40 x 40 in | Sixth most produced size in the US across all materials | Used 40 x 40 |
| Euro 1200 x 800 mm | Shipments into Europe, lightweight one-way export | Used 48 x 32 Euro |
Why 48 x 40 starts most lots
The 48 x 40 in GMA pallet is about 30 percent of new US wood pallets, and just over half of one supplier's listed plastic pallets. So a used plastic lot is most often 48 x 40 and most requests begin there. The other footprints exist for particular loads: a drum, a bulk bag, a bulk container, a container floor in another country.
Height, weight and what changes with size
North American plastic pallets in the common sizes stand about 5 to 6 in tall. Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy; 48 x 40 examples run from about 18 lb for a nestable, stackable, rackable model to 49 lb for a heavy one-piece pallet.
- Taller pallets lift the load farther off the floor
- Heavier pallets usually carry more static load
- Nestable pallets trade stack height for storage space when empty
Choosing between neighbouring footprints
Footprints that differ by an inch or two look interchangeable and often are not. A 48 x 40 and a 48 x 45 sit on different racks and different bulk containers, and a 42 x 42 nests where a 40 x 40 may not. Measure the narrowest opening on your route, whether a rack bay, a conveyor or a trailer door, and let that decide the footprint before you consider grade.
Mixed footprints in a single lot are possible, but they are sold sorted, so each footprint is counted separately. Ask for one footprint if you run automation, and for a mixed lot if you are feeding a plant that sorts by hand.
How the size pages are written
Each size page gives the footprint in inches and millimetres, the work it is used for, a short list of checks and a few questions with short answers. Pages for related footprints link to each other, because a buyer often needs to compare two before choosing. If a footprint you need is not listed, choose Other on the request and write the measurements.
Units and rounding
Footprints are written in inches in North America and in millimetres elsewhere, and rounding makes some pairs look equal when they are not. Check the unit and the decimal on every number, and when two sizes seem identical, ask for a measurement. This site gives both units wherever it can.
What to write down about a lot
- Footprint in both units, with the readings you took rather than the label.
- Number of stacks, pallets per stack and any odd stacks left over.
- Makers and model numbers seen on plates or moulded into the ribs.
- Count of repaired, mismatched or cracked pieces, and where each sits.
- Marks, colours and any smell, with a note on who confirmed each.
When something looks wrong
- Stop unloading and photograph the fault before anything moves.
- Count how many pallets show the same fault, to see if it is a lot problem or a one-off.
- Tell the desk or the seller in writing the same day, with the photographs attached.
- Hold the affected stacks apart until you hear back.
- Keep one sample pallet unused, so the maker or an inspector can examine it.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat, continuous and seated on a table without rocking
- 2Corners: fork-strike gouges are surface scuffs, not through-chips
- 3Runners: whole along their length, no deep gouges
- 4Fork pockets: open on the sides the footprint is used with
- Footprint measured with a tape, in inches
- Height measured at the highest and lowest point
Words used on this page
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- GMA pallet
- The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
- Euro pallet
- 800 x 1200 mm footprint.
- CP9
- A chemical-industry pallet standard, 1140 x 1140 mm.
- Runners
- Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
What the sources say
- 48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers. nelsoncompany.com
- That Nelson model is under 5 in tall, which the page says suits air freight, and works with automation and most roller conveyors. nelsoncompany.com
- The 800 x 1200 mm Euro footprint is the second most popular plastic pallet size worldwide. blog.containerexchanger.com
- That Nelson model lists about 60 pallets per stack and 1,800 per truck. nelsoncompany.com
How a request works
- Pick the footprint, then the grade you can live with.
- Say what the pallets will carry and how many you need.
- Read the written lot description that comes back.
- Agree the lot before anything moves.
The four grades, in a line each
- Like new. A few trips only. Clean, no cracks, no missing parts, deck and runners flat.
- Used and clean. Many trips, scuffs and colour variation, but whole and usable for general-purpose or closed-loop work.
- Repaired. A cracked or chipped part welded or swapped. Some designs use snap-lock parts for repair.
- Mixed lot. Mixed makers, colours and sizes sold by the truckload, sorted by footprint.
Questions people ask
What is the standard plastic pallet size?
48 x 40 inches (1219 x 1016 mm), the GMA footprint, is the most common in North America.
Is 40 x 48 the same as 48 x 40?
Yes. It is the same footprint named from the other side. The 40 x 48 page explains who writes it which way.
Do you carry half and quarter pallets?
Half and quarter pallets, such as 48 x 20, 40 x 24 and 24 x 20 in, have footprint pages. Whether a used lot exists is settled when you request one.
Pages in this section
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.