Pallet Sizes: Euro, Industrial, US & Half Pallets

There is no single world pallet — each region standardised its own footprint, and the size you ship on changes how many units fit a trailer and what your part-load costs. This page lays out the pallet sizes you will actually meet in European and global road, sea and air freight.

Standard pallet sizes compared

Pallet	Footprint (mm)	Footprint (m²)	Typical use
Euro / EPAL 1	1200 × 800	0.96	European road freight standard
Industrial / EPAL 2	1200 × 1000	1.20	"UK pallet", heavier or wider goods
US / GMA	1219 × 1016 (48 × 40 in)	1.24	North American grocery and general freight
Asia standard	1100 × 1100	1.21	Far East ocean freight, ISO container fit
Half pallet / EPAL 6	800 × 600	0.48	Retail display, smaller part-loads
Quarter / display / EPAL 7	600 × 400	0.24	In-store displays, light goods

The empty pallet adds weight too. An EPAL 1 Euro pallet weighs about 25 kg before you load anything on it, which matters once you reach the trailer's payload ceiling.

Euro vs industrial: the two you ship most

Across the Baltics and the EU, almost everything moves on one of two footprints. The Euro pallet (EPAL 1) at 1200 × 800 mm is the default — 33 fit on the floor of a 13.6 m curtainsider. The industrial pallet (EPAL 2) at 1200 × 1000 mm, often called the "UK pallet", gives more deck area for heavier or wider goods but fits fewer per trailer. Pick the wrong one and you either waste deck space or overhang the edge.

For the full breakdown of the European standard, see euro pallet dimensions.

Block vs stringer construction

Footprint is only half the spec — how the pallet is built decides how a forklift can lift it:

• Block pallets use blocks at the corners and midpoints, giving 4-way forklift entry. EPAL pallets are block pallets.
• Stringer pallets use long boards (stringers) along two sides, giving 2-way entry (or partial 4-way if the stringers are notched). Many US GMA pallets are stringer-built.

Four-way entry speeds up loading and is worth specifying when goods are handled often or transhipped.

Why pallet size drives your freight cost

Part-load (LTL) freight is priced on the space you occupy, not just the weight. A Euro pallet takes about 0.4 loading metres; an industrial pallet takes more. Get the footprint and count right and your CBM and pallet-space numbers line up with what the carrier quotes. UMERA turns those figures into booked carrier quotes, so the pallet count you enter is the count you pay for — no guessing on the cost to ship a pallet.

FAQ

What is the most common pallet size?

In Europe it is the Euro pallet (EPAL 1) at 1200 × 800 mm. In North America it is the GMA pallet at 1219 × 1016 mm (48 × 40 in).

What is the difference between a Euro and an industrial pallet?

The Euro pallet (EPAL 1) is 1200 × 800 mm. The industrial pallet (EPAL 2) is 1200 × 1000 mm, giving more deck area for heavier or wider loads but fitting fewer per trailer.

What is a half pallet?

A half pallet (EPAL 6) measures 800 × 600 mm — half a Euro pallet footprint. It suits retail display goods and smaller part-loads. The quarter or display pallet (EPAL 7) is 600 × 400 mm.

What is the difference between block and stringer pallets?

Block pallets allow 4-way forklift entry from any side, while stringer pallets usually allow only 2-way entry. Four-way entry is faster to handle and is standard on EPAL pallets.