o CONNER Products Industries Locations Sustainability News & Insights What is the Standard Pallet Size? While you may sometimes hear manufacturers talk about standard pallet size, the fact is that there are actually a number of standard pallet sizes being used in the United States ‘and internationally, As you might imagine, the standard-sized pallet varies between both ‘countries and industries, and the size may even depend on the material used to make the pallet. For many manufacturers and supply chain professionals, the standard pallet size may be 0 well established that it's taken for granted. In that case, other size options are usually only explored to meet the needs of a new customer, optimize new warehouse ‘automation, or take advantage of potential logistics savings. We recently wrote a head-to-head comparison of plastic vs. wooden pallets, if you're considering that option, but for the purpose ofthis discussion, we're only discussing wooden pallets. Let's take a look at what “standard pallet size" means and how it applies to different industries. The History of Standard Pallet Sizes in the U.S. When we talk about the standard pallet size in North America, we're generally talking about the 48" x 40" wooden pallet. The 48 x 40 wooden pallet was established as the standard-sized pallet by the Consumer Brand Association (CBA), but it ook some time to get there, ‘The CBA was founded in 1908 as the American Specialty Manufacturers Association (ASMA). The goal of the ASMA, was (0 establish standards for the grocery industry, at a fGinnOyve Download your no obligation product ‘brochure now! SUBSCRIBE ‘uteri fr our awe an events First Nome * email Recent Posts > The Haunting Reality of Pallet Rot > The Important Role of Corrugated Cardboard in the Wood Packaging Industry > The 8 Reasons to Prioritize Near Miss Reporting > Your Ukimate Packaging Solution Guide > Smart Packaging Saves You Time and Moneytime when nearly all groceries were shipped in individual ‘cases and loaded on a truck bed by hand. As you might imagine, loading and unloading indivival boxes of ‘The standard 48 x 40 groceries was inefficient and time-consuming. ‘GMA pallet was born in the 1960% when World War Il helped many industries, including the General Foods large grocery industry to See the value of palletzing products, company with a but there were few standards created inital. Pallets signicant amount of came inall diferent shapes and sizes, inclusing many buying power, that were actually made of metal before the wooden approached the GMA pallet became the standard material looking fora beter method fr shipping their products. with the war, came other changes as well. In 1942 the ASMA was renamed the Grocery Manufacturers of America (GMA)... Gotta love the name changes! Today, the grocery industry uses more pallets than any other industry, and many retal industries and other fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) have also adopted this standard pallet siz, In fact, a study completed by Virginia Tech and the USDA Forest Service found that 26% of all pallets used in North America are 48 x 40, making it she ‘most common pallet siz. Despite the GMA being renamed the CBA in 2019, the standard 48° x 40" pallet is commonly referred to as the GMA pallet. The GMA pallet has 48” stringers and 40" deck boards, but there is quite a bit of variation in component thickness, lumber grade, fasteners, wood species, exe. As more and more of the production pracess becomes automated, using the same standard pallet size allows equipment and automation processes to seamlessly switch between manufacturers, Standard Pallet Sizes Go Interna nal ‘The need for standard.sized pallets was nota challenge that was uniaue inthe United States, Inthe early 20! Century, several nations began to create organizations to deal with standardization challenges in many different industries related to bulding and machinery. After WWII, many of these organizations came together to fciitate trade, and the International Organization for Standardization (150) was established. ISO's the international body thet creates global standards for dimensions and measurements, Which applies to manufacturing, transportation, ané warehousing, among other industries ‘The 48%40 standard pallet size is one af six diferent ISO standard pallet dimensions for wooden pallets, cuck To TweeT The 48x40 standard pallet size is one of six different ISO standard pallet dimensions for wooden pallets. Youll find all those dimensions below. Keep in mind that ISO only governs the sizes of pallets. There is another organization, called the International Plant Protection Convention (IPPC) that regulates the wood materials themselves to make sure they meet International Standards of Phytosanitary Measures (ISPMs). ISPM 15 affects all wood packaging, including pallets, crates, and dunnage, and sets the standard for wooden pallets so as to stop the spread of invasive species of bugs and mold around the world Discover How to Reduce Your Supplier Risk Now ‘quote By one of oul fitthisyOs ae — Is Your Supply Chain at Risk? nload White PaperUncover athe factors that put your supply (and suppliers) at risk. Discover how you can minimize supplier impact, and what strategies you can use if things go wrong. Download White Paper Why Are Standard Pallet Sizes Important? It may seem as if standard pallet sizes are simply an instance of big brother” getting involved in manufacturing and supply chain, but nothing could be further from the truth, Standard pallet sizes across regions, countries, and internationally are important to ‘enhancing supply chain efficiency. For example, standard pallet sizes allow all your material handling equipment to be ‘optimized for the same wooden pallet. Warehouse storage and transportation utilization ‘can be optimized to get the most pallets on a truck or in your storage space. your production uses any type of automation, standard sized pallets mean that everything moves seamlessly through the line without adjustments for different sized pallets. Standard pallet sizes can also give you flexibility when it comes to dual sourcing or using, ‘mukiple vendors to acquire your wooden pallets. Should there be a disruption in one of your vendor supplies, other vendors can easily fil the void, Lastly, standard sized pallets allow you to more easly use recycled pallets if your industry allows for it. Standard pallet sizes encourage wooden pallet recovery and reuse. Why Standard Pallet Application es Aren't Good For Every Not all praducts or shipments can utilize standard sized pallets. Some products require ‘custom-sized wooden pallets, and attempting to use a standard sized pallet will make your praduct mare susceptible to damage and loss. ‘Some products require custom-sized wooden pallets, and attempting to use 2 standard sized pallet will make your product more susceptible to damage and loss. Making that determination will largely depend on the size and weight of your product, but the right solution must also take some other things into consideration, such as how your product will be transported, where it will be stored, whether the pallets will be re-used, land the total cost of the packaging solution. A packaging expert can help you weigh all these factors and determine if a standard pallet will work for your particular situation, but you may also want to read Top 7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Custom Pallet ‘Supplier. Standard Pallet Sizes Below youll find a list of standard pallet sizes for the GMA, as well asthe sizes often used in a variety of other industries. Keep in mind that many manufacturers in North America use custom pallets to ship and protect their products, rather than sticking with the standard pallet sizes,Dimensions (Wx. 48x40 40x40 36x36 48x20 48x36 48x42 48x45 40x43 35x45.5 aaxas 48x48 42x42 ISO Standard Pallet Sizes Industries Used Grocery and other FMCGs Dairy Beverage Retail Beverage, Packaged Paper, Shingles Beverage, Chemical Automotive Miltary, Cement Miltary ‘Chemical, Drums orums Paint, Telecom Below is the list of the six ISO pallet sizes that are sanctioned for international material handling. Keep in mind that these are the standard pallet sizes, but there are many industries and manufactures that use custom pallet sizes for their products, Dimensions (Wx Lin inches) 48x40 42x42 39,37 x47.24 43,30 x 43,30 31.50% 47.24 46.88 x 44.88 Regions Used North America North America, Europe, Asia Europe, Asia Asia Europe Australia Discover How to Reduce Your Supplier Risk Now Uncover al the factors that put your supply (and supplier) at risk. Discover how you can minimize supplier impact, and what strategies you can use if things go wrong. Download White PaperShare Tis Story, choose Your Platform! ne Haunting Realty of Pale Rot ‘october 1th, 2008 Updated 5/24/2022 fyvycginoatPuwae ‘The important Role of Tre@ Reasonsto Prize Your Uti Comptes Carcboardin Near Miss Reporting Solution the Woed Packaging September 26,2023 sepremoc Incustry Made in the usa 006 or contact us onli Connect with us ontine.