Used 1200 x 1000 plastic pallets
Used 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallets are the ISO 2 footprint of Europe and Asia. At 47.2 by 39.4 inches it sits within a few millimetres of a 48 x 40, so measure before you trust the label.
- Footprint
- 1200 x 1000 mm (ISO 2)
- Metric
- 1199 x 1001 mm
- Deck area
- 12.9 sq ft
- Region
- Europe and Asia
What 1200 x 1000 is for
A 1200 x 1000 mm pallet is 19 mm shorter and 16 mm narrower than a 1219 x 1016 mm GMA pallet. To a tape reader in a hurry the two look the same, and in a lot they can sit side by side. The difference is small enough to pass at a glance and large enough to matter in a rack bay or a container floor cut for one of them.
ISO 6780 lists 1000 x 1200 mm for Europe and Asia, and Nelson lists a nestable 1200x1000 model. That makes it a plausible export footprint for a shipper whose consignee is in either region. For a domestic buyer, the common mistake is mixing it into a 48 x 40 stack by accident.
Where it fits
| Use | Why it fits | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Export to Europe or Asia | ISO footprint for both regions | Confirm with the consignee |
| Nestable storage | A nestable model is listed | Ask for the nest increment |
| Mixed lots | Looks like a GMA | Sort by tape, not by eye |
Deck area against the common footprints
Worked out in inches, 1200 x 1000 is 1199 by 1001 mm and 12.9 square feet of deck.
| Footprint | Deck area | Compared with GMA |
|---|---|---|
| 1200 x 1000 (this page) | 12.9 sq ft | 97% of a 48 x 40 |
| 48 x 40 | 13.3 sq ft | 100% of a 48 x 40 |
| 48 x 48 | 16.0 sq ft | 120% of a 48 x 40 |
| 45 x 45 | 14.1 sq ft | 105% of a 48 x 40 |
| 43 x 43 | 12.8 sq ft | 96% of a 48 x 40 |
| 42 x 42 | 12.3 sq ft | 92% of a 48 x 40 |
What to watch in a used lot
A request for this footprint is answered with a written lot description. This site states no price and no stock list.
- Measure the length and the width, in millimetres
- Keep it apart from 48 x 40 stock
- Check which sides take the forks
Confirming the footprint before it ships
This footprint differs from a GMA 48 x 40 by a few millimetres and is easy to mix with it. A lot that will leave the country should be measured at the dock: put a tape across three pallets chosen at random from different stacks, and write the readings on the order. If the readings differ from the stated 1200 x 1000, flag the stack before it is loaded, because a consignee who finds a 48 x 40 in a container of 1200 x 1000 may refuse the lot.
Pockets and entry
On this footprint, check which sides take forks. Some pallets open on two sides and some on four. If your lift trucks approach from the long side, the pockets must be on the long side. A pallet with the pockets on the wrong sides makes extra handling at both ends of the trip.
A kit for the walk-around
- A steel tape that reads both inches and millimetres.
- A torch for the underside, where hairline cracks hide in shadow.
- A straight edge about a metre long to test decks for bow and dishing.
- Gloves, because burrs and weld beads cut skin.
- A phone, a pen and a numbered sheet so every pallet checked gets a mark.
Sorting a lot into piles
- Pile one: whole pallets with flat decks, square corners and no repairs.
- Pile two: whole pallets with a repair or a mismatched piece, kept separate and counted.
- Pile three: pallets with a crack through a load path, set aside for repair or scrap.
- Pile four: marked pallets that may belong to someone else, held until the owner is known.
- Write the pile count on a board by the stacks, and photograph it each morning.
Walk-around checklist
The same four stops for every lot, in order. Tick each as you go.
- 1Deck: flat, no rocking on the floor
- 2Corners: surface gouges only
- 3Runners: whole along their length
- 4Fork pockets: open on the sides the footprint is used with
- Footprint measured: 1199 x 1001 mm
Words used on this page
- Welding repair
- Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
- GMA pallet
- The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- ISPM 15
- The international standard for treating wood packaging against pests. Plastic pallets are outside it.
What the sources say
- 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. en.wikipedia.org
- That Nelson model lists about 60 pallets per stack and 1,800 per truck. 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
- FM 4996 passes a pallet if fire is controlled at 5.9 mm/min (0.15 GPM/ft2) within a 10-minute test of eight 1.2 m stacks. iccsafe.org
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
Is 1200 x 1000 the same as 48 x 40?
No. It is 19 mm shorter and 16 mm narrower.
Where is it used?
Europe and Asia.
Does plastic need ISPM 15 for this size?
No.
Ask for a lot
Pick a footprint and a grade. The reply describes a matched lot in writing.