Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Pallets / 48 × 40 in
The standard North American pallet is 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm), the size set by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (FedEx Freight). A classic GMA pallet is a stringer pallet, with 48 in stringers and 40 in deckboards notched for partial 4-way entry; pooled block pallets such as CHEP’s B4840A and PECO’s are 141 mm (5.6 in) tall, full 4-way, and rated 2,800 lbs. Keep cartons inside the edges: FedEx Freight says overhang can reduce compression strength by up to 32%. Shipped by sea, 20 fit in one layer of a 40 ft container (Seaco).
| Length | Width | Height, CHEP B4840A |
|---|---|---|
| 1219mm48 in | 1016mm40 in | 141mm5.6 in |
Sources: CHEP (B4840A). Checked October 2026.
CHEP’s B4840A is filled in, with a container door as the height limit; enter your carton and how many go on one pallet. Each check uses the numbers in the tables on this page.
Sizes in millimetres, weights in kilograms. 1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.454 kg.
One layer takes 9 cartons of 406 × 305 mm, stacked in straight columns, all inside the 1219 × 1016 mm deck.
FedEx Freight: letting product extend beyond the pallet edges can reduce compression strength by up to 32%.
60 cartons at 9 per layer make 7 layers: 1919 mm with the pallet, 361 mm under the 2280 mm limit.
The limit filled in is a 20 or 40 ft container door, 2,280 mm high (Triton).
60 cartons × 9 kg = 540 kg, 730 kg under the pallet’s 1270 kg rating.
CHEP and PECO rate their 48 × 40 block pallets at 2,800 lbs; CHEP’s UAE page gives 1,270 kg.
Shipping to a US or Canadian buyer? Photograph a loaded 48 × 40 pallet, mark the carton and stack sizes in SizeMarker and send it with the packing list.
Mark a photo| Pallet | L × W × H | Weight; load rating |
|---|---|---|
| CHEP B4840A, wood blockFull perimeter base, true 4-way; 29 kg on CHEP’s UAE page | 1219 × 1016 × 141 mm48 × 40 × 5.6 in | 2,800 lbs (1,270 kg), evenly spread |
| PECO, wood block26 boards, 138 fasteners; full 4-way | 1219 × 1016 × 141 mm48.00 × 40.00 × 5.56 in | 2,800 lbs |
| Uline H-1218, wood stringerMeets GMA specifications; fork openings on the 40 in side | 48 × 40 in | 42 lbs; 2,500 lbs |
| Uline H-1260, heat treatedMeets ISPM 15 export specifications | 48 × 40 in | 40 lbs; 2,500 lbs |
| Rehrig GMA Rackable 2400, plastic | 48 × 40 × 5.63 in | 47 lb (21.3 kg); 4,200 lb dynamic |
| Craemer CR4, plasticDesigned for the US market in inch dimensions | 1219 × 1016 × 150 mm48 × 40 × 5.9 in | 21.5–27.5 kg; 1,250–1,500 kg dynamic |
Sources: CHEP (B4840A) · CHEP (UAE) · PECO · Uline (H-1218) · Uline (H-1260) · Rehrig Pacific · Craemer
| Pallet | Load |
|---|---|
| CHEP B4840AFree-span racking either way, on the outside blocks | Stack up to 5 unit loads high, not over 10,000 lbs |
| Uline H-1218Evenly distributed loads | Floor 7,528 lbs |
| Rehrig GMA Rackable 2400 | Static 7,200 lb; 2 in edge rack 2,400 lb |
| Craemer CR4 | Static 5,000–7,500 kg; high rack 1,000–1,400 kg |
Sources: CHEP (B4840A) · Uline (H-1218) · Rehrig Pacific · Craemer
| Guide | Size or rule |
|---|---|
| Who set the sizeFedEx Freight | The Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA), now the Consumer Brands Association |
| GMA stringer designNWPCA Pallet Design System example | Stringer-class, double-face, non-reversible, partial 4-way; 48 in stringers, 40 in deckboards |
| ISO nameGS1 | ISO 3 pallet, 1219 × 1016 mm, mainly the Americas |
| OverhangFedEx Freight | Can reduce compression strength by up to 32% |
| Heavy unitsFedEx Freight | Notify FedEx above 3,500 lbs per handling unit |
| Liftgate deliveryFedEx Freight | Pallets over 2,000 lbs and bigger than 60 × 80 in may be refused |
| TruckloadCHEP; Rehrig | 570 pallets in a 53 ft trailer |
| Export from EuropeCHEP UK | B4840A for North America, Canada and Mexico; ISPM 15 compliant |
| ISPM 15 heat treatmentIPPC | 56 °C for at least 30 continuous minutes |
| Container door, 20 and 40 ftTriton | 2,340 × 2,280 mm |
| In a 40 ft container, one layerSeaco, 1.016 × 1.219 m pallets | 20 |
Sources: FedEx Freight · Pallet Design System · GS1 · CHEP (B4840A) · Rehrig Pacific · CHEP UK · IPPC (ISPM 15) · Triton (40ft) · Seaco (40ft)
48 × 40 in, or 1219 × 1016 mm. Height depends on the build: CHEP’s and PECO’s block pallets are 141 mm (5.6 in), Rehrig’s plastic one 5.63 in and Craemer’s 150 mm.
The 48 × 40 in wood pallet developed by the Grocery Manufacturers Association, now the Consumer Brands Association (FedEx Freight). The classic design is a stringer pallet with 48 in stringers and 40 in deckboards, notched for partial 4-way entry.
CHEP and PECO rate their block pallets at 2,800 lbs, Uline its GMA stringer pallet at 2,500 lbs; Rehrig’s plastic pallet takes 4,200 lb on a forklift. CHEP allows stacks up to 5 unit loads high, not over 10,000 lbs.
On Uline’s GMA stringer pallet the fork openings are on the 40 in side; block pallets such as CHEP’s and PECO’s take forks from all four sides.
Only if the wood is ISPM 15 treated and marked: Uline sells a heat-treated version (H-1260), and CHEP UK sends its B4840A to North America as an ISPM 15 compliant export pallet.
20 in one layer of a 40 ft (Seaco). Check the loaded height against the 2,280 mm door of a 20 or 40 ft (Triton).
North American buyers expect 48 × 40 in pallets, and ask the cartons per pallet, the loaded height and weight, and whether the wood is heat treated. Mark the real carton and pallet sizes on your own product photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
