Technical guide
1200 × 800, 800 × 600, 1000 × 1200, 48 × 40 inches — pallet formats are a jungle of near-identical numbers. This guide puts every standard size in one chart: Euro pallet, half and quarter pallets, industrial pallets, CP chemical pallets and the US GMA format, with weights and load ratings for each.
Quick answer: the Euro pallet (EPAL) measures 1200 × 800 mm, stands 144 mm tall, weighs ~25 kg and carries 1,500 kg dynamic / 4,000 kg static.
The reference format of European logistics is the EPAL 1 Euro pallet: a 1200 × 800 mm footprint, an overall height of 144 mm, and a strictly standardised construction — 11 boards (5 top deck, 3 bottom, 3 cross), 9 solid wood blocks and 78 stamped nails. More than 600 million of them are in circulation, which is exactly why the dimensions matter: racking, conveyors, trailers and warehouse layouts across Europe are designed around the 1200 × 800 module.
Its ratings: 1,500 kg dynamic load (in motion), 4,000 kg static (at rest) and up to 5,500 kg at the bottom of a stack. Weight: around 25 kg, varying between 20 and 27 kg with the moisture content of the wood. Current wholesale price ranges are on our pallet prices page.
| Pallet type | Footprint (mm) | Height (mm) | Dynamic load | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPAL 1 Euro pallet | 1200 × 800 | 144 | 1,500 kg | Details → |
| EPAL 2 industrial pallet | 1200 × 1000 | 162 | 1,250 kg | Details → |
| EPAL 6 half pallet | 800 × 600 | 144 | 500 kg | Details → |
| Half pallet, light (display) | 800 × 600 | 108–120 | 250 kg | Details → |
| Quarter pallet | 600 × 400 | 107 | 200 kg | Details → |
| One-way pallet 800×1200 | 800 × 1200 | often ~120 | varies by build | Details → |
| One-way pallet 1000×1200 | 1000 × 1200 | often ~120 | varies by build | Details → |
| VMF glass-industry pallet (D 3071) | 1000 × 1200 | 154 | 1,000–1,500 kg | Details → |
| CP pallets (chemical, CP1–CP9) | 760 × 1140 to 1300 × 1100 | 138 / 156 | 1,500 kg (2,000 kg CP8–CP9) | Details → |
| US GMA pallet | 1219 × 1016 (48 × 40 in) | — | — | Informative |
A note on the last line: the US GMA pallet measures 1219 × 1016 mm — 48 × 40 inches — and dominates North-American logistics the way the 1200 × 800 dominates Europe. It does not circulate in the European exchange pool, so goods arriving from the US are usually re-palletised onto Euro or industrial pallets for onward distribution.
Divide the Euro footprint in two and you get the half pallet, 800 × 600 mm — exactly two of them sit on one Euro pallet position. Two versions coexist:
Divide again and you reach the quarter pallet, 600 × 400 × 107 mm, rated around 200 kg — the standard footprint for checkout-area displays. Formats, grades and use cases: half & quarter pallets →
The second great European footprint is the industrial pallet, 1000 × 1200 mm — wider than the Euro pallet, favoured for drums, big bags, chemicals and beverage logistics. Under that single footprint sit three distinct builds:
The chemical industry runs on its own set of nine standardised formats, the CP pallets. Deck layouts and runners differ, but every dimension is fixed by the standard:
| Model | Dimensions (mm) | Model | Dimensions (mm) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CP1 | 1000 × 1200 × 138 | CP6 | 1200 × 1000 × 156 |
| CP2 | 800 × 1200 × 138 | CP7 | 1300 × 1100 × 156 |
| CP3 | 1140 × 1140 × 138 | CP8 | 1140 × 1140 × 156 |
| CP4 | 1100 × 1300 × 138 | CP9 | 1140 × 1140 × 156 |
| CP5 | 760 × 1140 × 138 | Loads: 1,500 kg dynamic / 4,000 kg static (CP8–CP9: 2,000 / 6,000 kg) | |
Full specifications and stock: CP chemical pallets →. Not sure which of the nine fits your product? Our selector walks you through it: which CP pallet for which use →
Three figures buyers mix up constantly:
How to read the three ratings and size your pallet with a proper safety margin: dynamic vs static load →
Dimensions translate directly into transport maths:
Good to know: Delivery by full truckload from 300 pallets — below that, pickup at one of our 3 depots in the Paris region, France.
The standard Euro pallet (EPAL 1) measures 1200 × 800 mm with an overall height of 144 mm — so 1200 × 800 × 144 mm. It is built from 11 boards and 9 blocks assembled with 78 nails, and more than 600 million units are in circulation across Europe.
Around 25 kg — in practice between 20 and 27 kg depending on the moisture content of the wood. A freshly heat-treated pallet stored in dry conditions sits at the lower end of that range.
The EPAL 1 is 144 mm tall. The EPAL 2 industrial pallet is 162 mm, the VMF glass-industry pallet 154 mm, and one-way pallets are often only about 120 mm tall — a quick visual clue that a pallet is not an EPAL.
33 footprints on the floor of a standard 13.6 m semi-trailer. Empty pallets travel stacked: a full tautliner carries around 500 to 600 empty Euro pallets. A 20-ft container takes 10 Euro pallets per layer on the floor.
No. The footprint alone does not make a Euro pallet: a genuine EPAL bears the oval brand on the corner blocks, 78 stamped nails and a 144 mm height. An unmarked 1200×800 — often only ~120 mm tall, lighter build — is a one-way pallet and is not exchangeable. See what EPAL certification means and EPAL markings & how to spot counterfeits.
The North-American standard is the GMA pallet: 1219 × 1016 mm, i.e. 48 × 40 inches. It dominates the US and Canada but is not part of the European exchange pool — transatlantic flows are usually re-palletised on arrival in Europe.