Is a 48 by 40 pallet the same as a GMA pallet?

Yes. GMA pallet is the trade name for the 48 by 40 inch wooden pallet, after the grocery industry group that set the size.

Does the pallet count toward my shipment weight?

Yes. The weight on the bill of lading is the whole handling unit: the freight, the pallet, and the stretch wrap. Leaving the pallet out is a common cause of a reweigh charge.

Can I ship on a pallet that is not 48 by 40?

Yes. Measure the pallet as it ships, including anything that hangs over the edge, and put those dimensions on the quote request. Carriers price what they measure.

Do carriers charge more for odd-size pallets?

Not for the size itself. The price follows the weight, the density and the trailer space. A wide or tall pallet takes more space and may not stack, and that is what costs more.

Standard pallet size and weight chart

Last updated: November 2, 2026 · Written by the GET Express freight desk

What is the standard pallet size, and how is it measured?

The first number is the length of the stringers, the boards that run the full length under the deck. The second is the width. A 48 by 40 pallet has 48 inch stringers and a 40 inch face, and a forklift takes it from the 40 inch side.

Stringer pallets lift fully from two sides, and from the other two only where the stringers are notched. Block pallets sit on posts and lift from all four sides, which helps at a busy dock.

Common pallet sizes and what they carry

Length by width, in inches. Industries settle on the size that fits their product, so a pallet from a supplier may not be the GMA size.

Size (inches)	Common use
48 × 40	Grocery, retail and most LTL freight: the GMA pallet
42 × 42	Telecommunications, paint
48 × 48	Drums
40 × 48	Military, cement
48 × 42	Chemicals, beverages
40 × 40	Dairy
48 × 45	Automotive
44 × 44	Drums, chemicals
36 × 36	Beverages
48 × 36	Beverages, shingles, packaged paper
48 × 20	Retail displays

Euro and international pallet sizes

Pallet	Millimetres	Inches, about
Euro pallet (EUR 1)	1200 × 800	47.2 × 31.5
Industrial pallet, Europe	1200 × 1000	47.2 × 39.4
Asian square pallet	1100 × 1100	43.3 × 43.3

Importers see these sizes when a container is unloaded. Ship them as they are, or restack the freight during devanning. Either way, quote the domestic leg on the pallets that will actually ship.

Pallet weight: how much does a pallet weigh?

An empty wooden GMA pallet weighs roughly 30 to 50 pounds, more when it is wet or built heavy-duty. Plastic pallets range more widely, from light nesting pallets to heavy rackable ones.

Count the pallet in the weight you give the carrier. The carrier weighs the whole unit, and a shipment that comes in heavier than the bill of lading gets a reweigh and a corrected invoice.

How pallet size changes your freight class

LTL class comes from density: the weight divided by the cubic feet the pallet takes up, measured to its tallest and widest point. The same footprint can land in very different classes.

Pallet, as shipped	Weight	Density	Class
48 × 40 × 48 in	500 lb	9.4 lb per cu ft	100
48 × 40 × 48 in	1,000 lb	18.8 lb per cu ft	70

Both pallets take 53.3 cubic feet. Doubling the weight on the same pallet drops it three classes, so each pound costs less to ship. Try your own numbers in the freight class calculator.

How pallet size changes trailer space

A dry van is about 100 inches wide inside, so GMA pallets load two across with the 48 inch side running along the trailer. Two 48 by 48 pallets also fit side by side, with little room to spare. A pallet too wide to pair takes a full row of floor by itself.

That floor length, in linear feet, is what tips a large shipment from LTL into volume or truckload pricing. Work it out with the linear feet calculator.

Standard pallet size and weight