Pallet types: EUR, EPAL 2, GMA… sizes and load limits
Updated
The pallet is logistics' unit of account — yet “a pallet” means nothing by itself: between a Euro pallet and an American GMA there are 19 mm of width, two continents, and incompatible loading patterns.
This guide reviews the common formats with their dimensions, their load ratings — distinguishing the three ratings the industry keeps mixing up — and the regions where each one circulates.
The format table
| Pallet | Dimensions (mm) | Height | Tare | Dynamic load | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPAL 1 (EUR) | 1,200 × 800 | 144 mm | ≈ 25 kg | 1,500 kg | Europe |
| EPAL 2 | 1,200 × 1,000 | 162 mm | ≈ 35 kg | 1,250 kg | Europe (industrial) |
| EPAL 3 | 1,000 × 1,200 | 144 mm | ≈ 30 kg | 1,500 kg | Europe (industrial) |
| EPAL 6 (half) | 800 × 600 | ≈ 144 mm | ≈ 9-10 kg | ≈ 500 kg | Europe (retail promo) |
| Quarter pallet | 600 × 400 | ≈ 144 mm | ≈ 5 kg | ≈ 250 kg | Europe (display) |
| GMA 48" × 40" | 1,219 × 1,016 | ≈ 140 mm | 15-22 kg | 1,134 kg (static 3,402 kg) | North America |
| Asian square | 1,100 × 1,100 | ≈ 140 mm | — | ≈ 1,000 kg | Japan, Korea, SE Asia |
| Australian square | 1,165 × 1,165 | ≈ 150 mm | — | ≈ 1,000 kg | Australia |
| Plastic 1200 × 800 | 1,200 × 800 | — | — | ≈ 1,250 kg | Food, pharma, closed loops |
EUR / EPAL 1: the European standard
1,200 × 800 × 144 mm, about 25 kg empty, 1,500 kg dynamic load, and up to 5,500 kg resting on it when it sits at the bottom of a floor stack. The Euro pallet is exchangeable within the EPAL pool: branded blocks, certified repair, hundreds of millions of units in circulation.
Its decisive advantage is geometric: at 800 mm wide, it goes 3 abreast in a 2,450 mm trailer — where every 1,000 mm+ format only goes 2 abreast. That's what yields 33 to 34 pallets in a semi-trailer, and it's the real reason it rules Europe.
EPAL 2 vs EPAL 3: the twin trap
Two industrial pallets with the same footprint of 1,200 × 1,000 mm — yet two different articles that must never be merged in a product master: the EPAL 2 is 162 mm tall and rated 1,250 kg dynamic; the EPAL 3 is 144 mm tall and rated 1,500 kg. Those 18 mm show up in stack heights and usable-height calculations; the load rating difference shows up in claims.
The 1,200 × 1,000 format is industry's choice (sacks, drums, heavy cartons): more deck area per pallet, but only 2 abreast in a trailer — 26 on the floor of a semi, versus 33–34 for the EUR.
Half and quarter pallets
The EPAL 6 half pallet (800 × 600 mm) and the quarter pallet (600 × 400 mm) serve retail promotions and tight shop floors: the pallet rolls from dock straight to aisle. Ratings are far lower — around 500 kg for the half and 250 kg for the quarter on our presets. An elegant detail: their dimensions are exact submultiples of the EUR (two halves = one EUR), so formats mix without breaking a load plan.
GMA, Asian, Australian: think destination region
The GMA 48" × 40" (1,219 × 1,016 mm) dominates North America. Its ratings neatly illustrate the difference between load regimes: about 1,134 kg dynamic (on forks) but 3,402 kg static (on the ground). Its extra 19 mm over 1,200 mm is enough to break bracing patterns designed for the EUR — in a container, GMA and EUR do not mix without consequences.
The Asian 1,100 × 1,100 (Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia) and the Australian 1,165 × 1,165 are square: orientation-proof, but inefficient in a 2,450 mm European trailer (2 abreast, with width to spare). Practical export rule: choose the pallet of the destination region, not your warehouse's — it's the one that must fit the racks and trucks at arrival.
The plastic pallet (1,200 × 800) rounds out the table: washable, splinter- and nail-free, exempt from ISPM 15 phytosanitary treatment — the pick for food, pharma and closed loops, at a slightly lower rating than wood.
The three load ratings — and stacking
A pallet doesn't have ONE load rating; it has three, and confusing them is expensive:
- Dynamic load: pallet in motion, on forks. The lowest of the three in everyday use — 1,500 kg for a EUR.
- Static load: pallet resting on the ground. Considerably higher (3,402 kg for a GMA; up to 5,500 kg resting on a EUR at the bottom of a floor stack).
- Racking load: pallet supported on two beams, working in bending. The weakest of the three — often around half the static rating, depending on the manufacturer.
Stacking is decided by the carton, not the pallet
Stacking loaded pallets is limited first by the compression strength of the packaging underneath (the cartons' BCT), which drops sharply with humidity and storage time. The bottom pallet can be within rating while its cartons crush. A serious loading engine checks supported weight carton by carton, transitively down the stack — not just pallet by pallet.
Frequently asked questions
- What are the dimensions of a Euro pallet?
- 1,200 × 800 mm footprint, 144 mm tall, about 25 kg empty. Dynamic load 1,500 kg, and up to 5,500 kg resting on it at the bottom of a floor stack. It's the EPAL 1 format, exchangeable within the European pool.
- What's the difference between EPAL 2 and EPAL 3?
- Same 1,200 × 1,000 mm footprint, but the EPAL 2 is 162 mm tall and rated 1,250 kg dynamic while the EPAL 3 is 144 mm and rated 1,500 kg. Two distinct articles — never merge them in a product master.
- How many Euro pallets fit in a semi-trailer?
- 33 on the floor loaded 3-wide, 34 with the sideways pattern — the geometric optimum. For 1,200 × 1,000 pallets, count 26. The row-by-row proof is in our dedicated guide.
- Wood or plastic pallets?
- Wood wins on cost and EPAL exchangeability. Plastic wins in closed loops and hygiene-sensitive sectors (food, pharma): washable, consistent in weight, and exempt from the ISPM 15 treatment required of wood for export.