GMA pallet dimensions
A GMA pallet is 48 by 40 inches (1,219 by 1,016 mm): 48-inch stringers and 40-inch deck boards. A standard wood one is typically 5.5 to 6 inches tall, weighs 33 to 49 lb, and gives about 13.3 square feet of usable surface.
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Footprint | 48 x 40 in (1,219 x 1,016 mm) |
| Stringers | 48 in long; IPPC pallets use three, nominally 4 in high and 3 in wide |
| Deck boards | 40 in long |
| Height | 5.5–6 in typical; 6½ in in another reference |
| Empty weight | 33–49 lb standard; 55–66 lb reinforced; 37 lb typical |
| Load, moving | 2,000–2,800 lb |
| Load, at rest | 2,500–4,600 lb |
| Usable surface | About 13.3 sq ft (1.23 m²) |
| Cartons per layer | Nine 16 x 12 in |
Where the name comes from
GMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association. In the 1960s its standard pallet was a 48 by 40 inch wooden platform with four-way entry. The association no longer governs pallet specifications, but the name stuck to the size. ISO accepts 48 x 40 as the North American standard size, and it is the most common wood pallet size in North America, about 30% of all new wood pallets produced in the US.
What the dimensions don’t tell you
48 x 40 is only a footprint. Two pallets of that size can be built very differently: three or four stringers, notched or solid, five or nine top boards, pine or oak. The heights, weights and load figures above describe common builds. If you are ordering, the build should be written down, not left to “GMA”.
Grades
For recovered pallets the trade uses grades such as A and B, which describe condition and repairs; a grade B pallet may have plugs or repaired stringers. A new pallet is built to its spec and has no repairs.
Inches and millimetres
Exact conversions put a 48 x 40 at 1,219 x 1,016 mm. Some references round to 1,200 x 1,000 mm, which is a different pallet: the ISO standard size used widely outside North America. If your freight crosses between the two systems, check which you mean.
How the 48 x 40 fills a trailer
Pallets should pack tightly into trailers and containers, so the truck doesn’t carry air. The size you choose matters for the same reason: trailers, racking and handling equipment are planned around the pallets they carry.
A build drawn to the size
A common build has three stringers, seven top deck boards and a bottom deck of three to five boards. The lead boards on each edge are sometimes wider than the rest. Notched stringers give partial four-way entry. That is a starting point, not a standard: the same footprint is built lighter for light freight and heavier for racked or dense loads.
Weight and capacity in context
The published capacity ranges are wide because they cover many builds. A 48 x 40 at the bottom of the range and one at the top look alike from a distance. If your load approaches the top of the range, specify the build rather than relying on the size.
Checking a 48 x 40 on delivery
Measure the stringer length and deck length at two corners, check the diagonals are equal so the pallet is square, measure the height at the corners and the centre, count the top and bottom boards, and check the notches if there are any. Compare each figure with the written build. Pallets for automated lines may have tighter tolerances than pallets for floor storage.
Pooled and rental pallets
Some shippers use pallets rented from a pool instead of buying them. Pool pallets are usually block builds in the 48 x 40 footprint. If your customer requires a pool pallet, a new purchased pallet may not be accepted; check before ordering.
Deck boards and stringers on a common build
On a typical new 48 x 40, the deck boards are 40 inches long and the stringers 48. The outside stringers sit flush with the edges of the deck, and the centre stringer is midway. Notches, when cut, sit roughly a third of the way in from each end, leaving space for forks. Lead boards cover the ends of the stringers, top and bottom, and take the first contact from forks and jacks.
Who uses it
Grocery, consumer goods, retail distribution, many manufacturers and most third-party warehouses. When in doubt about which size a customer wants, the 48 x 40 is the usual answer, but ask.
The 48 x 40 in metric
In millimetres the 48 x 40 is about 1219 x 1016. It is not the same as the ISO 1200 x 1000 pallet used in parts of Europe and Asia, which is slightly smaller, nor the 1200 x 800 Euro pallet. Loads built for one won’t sit square on another, so if a shipment crosses to a market that expects a metric pallet, give the destination’s requirement.
Canada and Mexico both use the 48 x 40 widely, so cross-border freight rarely needs a different footprint, though Mexico applies its own wood packaging standard, NOM-144, to pallets arriving there. Ask for both units on the drawing when overseas customers will read it.
The numbers above describe the familiar pallet most Americans picture. Your own version of it can be lighter, heavier, taller, notched or not, and should be written down precisely. Pine, oak, poplar or mixed hardwood; plain, ring-shank or spiral nails; three, five or seven bottom slats; notched or solid; reversible or not. Each choice changes cost, weight and durability while the footprint stays identical.