Send us your measurements
Length × width, board counts, stringer condition. Paste it into the message field.
The field procedure.
Find the stringers
Look at the side of the pallet. The three (or four) lengthwise runners between the top and bottom decks are the stringers. In a block pallet, you will see nine blocks instead — note which you have, because it changes everything downstream.
Measure the stringer length first
That dimension is the length, and it is always the first number. On a GMA pallet it is 48 inches. Measure the outside edge to outside edge, not the deck board overhang.
Measure the deck board length
That is the width, and it is the second number. 40 inches on a GMA. If the deck boards overhang the stringers — a wing pallet — measure to the stringer face and note the overhang separately.
Count the boards
Top deck count, then bottom deck count. Write it as 7/5 or 5/3. This single figure tells us more about the platform's capability than the footprint does.
Measure overall height
Floor to top deck surface. Around 5½ inches for a standard GMA. Matters for container cube and racking clearance.
Photograph the side and the corner
One photo of the stringer side, one of a corner showing the notch. From those two images we can identify construction, condition and grade faster than any description.
Each one costs a week.
- Width first. 40 × 48 is a real, different pallet. If you order it by accident, the fork entry is wrong and your jack will not fit.
- Measuring a worn pallet and ordering the measurement. A weathered 48 × 40 often reads 47½ × 39¾. Order the nominal size.
- Measuring over the overhang on a wing pallet, producing a footprint two inches too big.
- Ignoring construction. 'Four-way' means something different for a notched stringer than for a block pallet, and only one of them admits a pallet jack from all four sides.
Length (stringer direction): ___ in Width (deck board length): ___ in Overall height: ___ in Construction: stringer / block Fork entry: two-way / four-way Top deck boards: ___ Bottom deck boards: ___ Wing or flush: flush / single / double Grade wanted: A / B / Combo / core Quantity per month: ___ Needs heat treatment: yes / noSend it to us
Compare what you measured against the standards.
A worn 48 × 40 often reads 47½ × 39¾. Order the nominal size, inspect to the tolerance.
| Footprint | Inches | Millimetres | Construction | Top / btm boards | Weight lb | Dynamic load | Racked load | Board feet | Positions per 53′ van |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 × 40 GMA | 48 × 40 | 1219 × 1016 | 3-stringer, notched | 7 / 5 | 33–48 | 2,100–2,800 lb | 1,500–2,500 lb | 37 | 30 |
| 48 × 40 heavy | 48 × 40 | 1219 × 1016 | 3-stringer, thicker | 7 / 7 | 46–58 | 3,000–4,000 lb | 2,200–3,000 lb | 44 | 30 |
| 48 × 40 economy | 48 × 40 | 1219 × 1016 | 3-stringer | 5 / 3 | 28–34 | 1,200–1,800 lb | Not recommended | 27 | 30 |
| 48 × 48 | 48 × 48 | 1219 × 1219 | 4-stringer or block | 7 / 5 + perimeter | 52–68 | 3,000–4,500 lb | 2,000–3,000 lb | 46 | 26 |
| 42 × 42 | 42 × 42 | 1067 × 1067 | 3-stringer, notched | 7 / 5 | 32–44 | 2,000–2,600 lb | 1,400–2,200 lb | 34 | 30 |
| 40 × 48 | 40 × 48 | 1016 × 1219 | 3-stringer, notched | 7 / 5 | 33–48 | 2,100–2,800 lb | 1,400–2,300 lb | 37 | 30 |
| 48 × 42 | 48 × 42 | 1219 × 1067 | 3-stringer, notched | 7 / 5 | 35–50 | 2,200–2,900 lb | 1,500–2,500 lb | 39 | 30 |
| 40 × 40 | 40 × 40 | 1016 × 1016 | 3-stringer, notched | 6 / 4 | 28–40 | 1,800–2,400 lb | 1,200–2,000 lb | 31 | 30 |
| 48 × 36 | 48 × 36 | 1219 × 914 | 3-stringer, notched | 7 / 5 | 30–42 | 1,900–2,500 lb | 1,300–2,100 lb | 33 | 34 |
| Euro / EPAL 1 | 47.2 × 31.5 | 1200 × 800 | 9-block | 11 + 3 bearers | 50–57 | 3,300 lb nominal | 2,200 lb nominal | 33 | 40 |
| Euro 2 / industrial | 47.2 × 39.4 | 1200 × 1000 | 9-block | 11 + 3 bearers | 60–70 | 3,300 lb nominal | 2,200 lb nominal | 41 | 30 |
| Euro 3 / half | 31.5 × 23.6 | 800 × 600 | Block | Varies | 20–26 | 1,100 lb | Not rated | 17 | 80 |
| Quarter / display | 23.6 × 15.7 | 600 × 400 | Block or moulded | Varies | 9–14 | 550 lb | Not rated | 9 | 160 |
| Asia standard | 43.3 × 43.3 | 1100 × 1100 | 9-block | Varies | 48–60 | 2,200 lb nominal | 1,800 lb nominal | 36 | 28 |
| Australia standard | 45.9 × 45.9 | 1165 × 1165 | Block | Varies | 55–66 | 2,200 lb nominal | 1,800 lb nominal | 40 | 26 |
Capacities are indicative ranges for recycled stock, not certifications — see load capacity for how the three ratings differ. Trailer positions assume the better of the two orientations on a 630″ × 98″ floor. Usable floor of a 53-foot dry van. Reefers and curtainsides run shorter and narrower.