Used 48 x 40 plastic pallets

Used 48 x 40 plastic pallets are the GMA standard: 48 by 40 inches, or 1219 by 1016 mm, the footprint most used lots start from. We grade each lot by wear and describe the deck, entry and ratings before you ask a price.

Request a lot All sizes

Footprint: 48 x 40 in (1219 x 1016 mm)
Height: About 5 to 6 in
Usual use: General shipping, grocery, retail, manufacturing
Deck area: 13.3 sq ft

Why this footprint comes first

It is the North American standard. Racks, trailers, conveyors and pallet jacks in the grocery, retail and manufacturing chains are built around it, so a used 48 x 40 plastic pallet can drop into a pool without anyone changing equipment. About 30 percent of new US wood pallets are this size, and just over half of one supplier's listed plastic pallets.

On a 53 ft dry van, one supplier gets 30 stacks of 48 x 40 pallets in a turned pattern. That is why a truckload here is counted in stacks and not guessed from pallet area.

Example ratings from the makers

Ratings differ more than the footprint does. These are published examples for the same 48 x 40 footprint. They are not ratings for any lot here, because a used lot is only as rated as its deck plate or its maker says.

Pallet	Weight	Static	Dynamic	Racking
Standard-duty nestable	26.5 lb	10,000 lb	3,000 lb	None listed
Heavy-duty nestable, 48.25 x 40.25 x 6.5 in	28.5 lb	10,000 lb	3,500 lb	None listed
Rackable, injection molded	44.2 lb	10,000 lb	4,000 lb	2,000 lb edge rack
Nestable, stackable, rackable, 4.8 in tall	18.0 lb	10,500 lb	3,100 lb	2,700 lb
One-piece HDPE, 6.3 in tall (a used listing)	49 lb	30,000 lb	5,000 lb	2,200 lb

Used 48 x 40 and its grades

Grade	What to expect on a 48 x 40	Ask about
Like new	Clean deck, square corners, flat runners	Maker and rating
Used and clean	Scuffed runners, gouged corners, whole	Colour mix
Repaired	Welds across legs or deck, swapped parts	Where the welds are
Mixed lot	Several makers, several colours	Share of each maker

Numbers worked out here

Method: deck area is length times width in inches, divided by 144. Millimetres are inches times 25.4.

Deck areas worked out as length times width in inches, divided by 144
Footprint	Deck area	Compared with GMA
48 x 40 (this page)	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

The pallet most requests start with

GMA is the most common pallet size in North American grocery, retail and manufacturing, and most used plastic lots are sorted from it. The common problem is not finding a 48 x 40 but finding the right one: open or closed deck, two-way or four-way entry, nestable or rigid, rated for racking or not. Fill those four answers in on the request and the reply can describe a specific lot.

Matching deck openings

The openings between deckboards decide whether small items can fall through. Measure the gap on an open deck and compare it with the smallest carton you ship. A closed deck solves this but weighs more and can hold water. Pick the deck that matches your smallest package.

Questions to put to any seller

Where did these pallets work, and what did they carry?
How were they sorted, and who walked the lot?
Are any welded, riveted or fitted with replacement parts?
Can the maker's plate be photographed on several pallets?
Will the description be sent in writing before payment is discussed?

Planning around the seasons

Cold months bring brittle resin, so handle gently and avoid sharp drops.
Warm months soften decks, so shorten stacks and keep loads in shade.
Harvest, holiday and promotion peaks use pallets faster, so order earlier.
Wet seasons add weight in the ribs, so allow a drying day before indoor use.
Plan returns and exports for the weeks when dock space is free.

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
Rating on the deck plate or from the maker
Open or closed deck, 4-way or 2-way entry
Maker and colour listed for the lot

Words used on this page

Rackable: Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
Edge rack: Resting on the rack beams by the pallet's edges only, with no support in the middle.
Welding repair: Plastic is hard to glue, so cracked parts are normally welded.
Runners: Bottom rails that touch the floor or rack and carry the load.
Injection moulding: Pallet made by forcing molten resin into a mould at high pressure.

What the sources say

HDPE is the most common resin in plastic pallets; PP is more rigid and the page recommends it for unsupported racking. nelsoncompany.com
48 x 48 plastic pallets hold four 55-gallon drums without overhang; 48 x 45 matches North American auto parts bulk containers. nelsoncompany.com
Only pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating. nelsoncompany.com
An ICC article says unlisted plastic pallets may require raising the commodity hazard class by two classes, and gives an example needing about 55 percent more sprinkler water. 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 48 x 40 the same as GMA?

Yes. The GMA pallet is the 48 x 40 in North American standard.

Can a used 48 x 40 go on racking?

Only if the pallet is designed for it and carries a rating. The racking rating is often the lowest of the three and is given only for pallets designed for unsupported racking.

What is the weight range?

From about 18 lb for a nestable, stackable, rackable model to 49 lb for a heavy one-piece pallet in these examples.