Types of Pallets Explained: Sizes, Materials & Uses
Pallets differ in more than size. Check out different types, materials, and regional standards.
What Are Pallets Used For?
Pallets are used to support, stack, and move goods through warehouses, distribution centers, and shipping routes. Loading goods onto a pallet turns a scattered set of boxes or cartons into one uniform unit load that can be easily picked up and moved by forklifts and pallet jacks, stacked in racking systems, or loaded into trucks and containers – cutting handling time, cost, and damage risk.
Types of Pallets by Material
A pallet’s material affects its cost, durability, cleaning requirements, and potential for repair or reuse.
Wooden Pallets
Wooden pallets are the most widely used load carriers. In the U.S. alone, 9 in 10 US pallet users rely on wooden pallets.
- Key Advantages: Wooden pallets combine affordability, availability, and flexibility in design. They can be manufactured in different dimensions and configurations to accommodate a range of products and handling requirements.
Individual deck boards or stringers can be easily replaced when damaged, extending a pallet’s operational lifespan and reducing long-term costs. At the end of their life cycle, wood pallets can be repurposed or recycled.
- Limitations: Wood is vulnerable to structural damage during handling. It’s also prone to moisture absorption, and sanitizing/disinfecting it properly is harder than non-porous materials, like plastic.
For international shipping, solid wood pallets must comply with ISPM 15 phytosanitary regulations, requiring certified heat treatment to eliminate wood-borne pests.
Plastic Pallets
Plastic pallets are manufactured using virgin resin or recycled high-density plastic and are increasingly used across supply chains.
- Key Advantages: Plastic pallets are easily sanitized or disinfected, highly durable, and resistant to acids, fats, solvents, and odors.
- Limitations: They cost more upfront than wooden options. They are also more susceptible to sagging or deformation under excessive static loads and are difficult or impossible to repair if damaged.
Paper and Cardboard Pallets
Corrugated paper and cardboard pallets are lightweight alternatives suited to lighter loads and single-use shipments where reducing packaging weight is a priority.
- Key Advantages: They are among the least expensive and lightest pallet options, easy to handle manually, and completely recyclable.
- Limitations: They’re designed for single-use, lightweight shipments and degrade rapidly when exposed to moisture or humid environments.
Metal Pallets
Metal pallets (typically made from steel or aluminum) are used for specialized industrial loads.
- Key Advantages: Metal pallets are the most resistant and durable pallet type, capable of supporting exceptionally heavy static and dynamic loads. They are long-lasting, fire-resistant, and easy to clean.
- Limitations: They are the heaviest type of pallet, with a high upfront purchase cost.
Types of Pallets in Warehouse Handling: Stringer vs. Block
Stringer and block pallets are two widely used types of wooden pallets.
Their main difference lies in the support structure, which determines which sides forklifts and pallet jacks can access. This directly affects how easily operators can move and position goods in the warehouse.
Stringer Pallets
Stringer pallets use parallel wooden support members, called stringers. They typically have three stringers running along the pallet’s length.
Key benefits: Stringer pallets generally cost less to manufacture and are easier to repair than block pallets, and they are also widely available in North America.
Limitations: Restricted side access for pallet jacks can require operators to approach the load from a different direction.
Equipment access depends on whether the stringers have notches:
- Unnotched stringer pallets provide two-way entry: forklifts and pallet jacks can enter through the two opposite ends.
- Notched stringer pallets provide partial four-way entry: forklifts can enter from all four sides, but pallet jacks remain limited to the two end openings.
Block Pallets
Block pallets use individual supporting blocks, often arranged in a nine-block pattern. The spaces between these blocks allow full four-way entry for both forklifts and pallet jacks.
Benefits: This 4-side access gives operators more flexibility when positioning and retrieving loads, especially in operations that rely heavily on pallet jacks or work within congested warehouse and staging areas.
Limitations: They are more expensive to manufacture and repair.
Pallet Types: Sizes and Regional Standards
Pallet dimensions vary by region, with the standard U.S. pallet and the Euro pallet among the common formats used for storage and distribution.
Standard U.S. Pallets (GMA Pallets)
The GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) pallet is the standard across North America – originally designed in the 60’s by the CBA (Consumer Brands Association) to establish a unified logistics platform for national food, retail, and consumer goods distribution.
GMA Pallet Dimensions and Specifications
The standard U.S. pallet, commonly called a GMA pallet, has a 48″ × 40″ footprint. Its height, load capacity, and handling access vary with its construction.
| Specification | Details |
| Standard footprint | 48″ × 40″ (approximately 1,219 × 1,016 mm) |
| Height | Typically 4.5–6.5 inches, depending on the design |
| Load capacity | 2,500 lbs minimum, with heavy-duty or reinforced versions supporting up to 4,600 lbs, depending on the specific pallet |
| Construction | Available in stringer and block designs |
| Forklift access | Four-way entry with either notched stringers or block construction |
| Pallet-jack access | Two-way entry for notched stringer pallets; four-way entry for block pallets |
The 48″ × 40″ footprint also supports efficient use of trailer space. A 48-foot trailer accommodates 26 GMA pallets in a standard loading arrangement, while a 53-foot trailer holds 24–30 pallets, depending on their orientation.
EURO Pallet Dimensions and Specifications
The EUR pallet has an 800 × 1,200 mm footprint. The certified EPAL 1 version follows defined construction requirements, including a fixed height and component count.
| Specification | Details |
| Standard footprint | 800 × 1,200 mm (approximately 31.50″ × 47.24″) |
| Height | 144 mm (approximately 5.67″) |
| Construction | Wooden block design with 11 boards, 9 blocks, and 78 nails |
| Pallet weight | Approximately 25 kg (55 lbs) |
| Safe working load | 1,500 kg (approximately 3,300 lbs) |
| Stacking limit | When loaded pallets are stacked on a firm, level surface, the bottom pallet may bear a maximum total load of 5,500 kg |
Pallet Sizes by Region (Quick View)
Around the world, different regions commonly use different standard sizes of pallets.
Different Types of Pallets: Industries and Uses
Pallet selection depends on the products being handled, the working environment, and the requirements of the receiving facility.
Grocery and Retail Distribution
The standard GMA pallet is widely used for groceries, consumer goods, and general warehouse distribution.
Food, Beverage, and Hygiene-Sensitive Operations
Wooden pallets serve many food and beverage supply chains, with plastic pallets being a favorable option where frequent washing and sanitation are priorities.
Manufacturing and Heavy Loads
Machinery, automotive components, and other bulky products may require heavy-duty metal pallets or custom-sized pallets – often made of wood.
International Distribution
Export shipments require pallet sizes suited to the destination and transport equipment – such as EUR pallets for European distribution.
StorX Plans Racking Around Your Pallet Dimensions
StorX Solutions designs and installs pallet racking systems planned around your pallet dimensions, lift equipment clearances, and daily workflows. Whether you are building a new facility or retrofitting an existing one, the right system starts with knowing exactly what sits on your racks, how high it can stack, and how it moves through your operation.
Get more from every square foot with a pallet racking system built to fit. Contact us today.
