Pallet dimensions: EUR1, EUR2, EUR6, US 48×40in and Asia
Updated · Sky Team Labs
A EUR1 pallet is 1,200 × 800 mm and weighs about 25 kg empty; a EUR2 is 1,200 × 1,000 mm at 33–35 kg; a EUR6 half pallet is 800 × 600 mm at 9.5 kg; a US 48×40in (GMA) pallet is 1,219 × 1,016 mm at 15–22 kg; a 1,100 × 1,100 mm Asia (T11) pallet is 15–25 kg. The number that decides how many fit in your container is not the footprint alone but which way each one is turned — a straight grid and a mixed-lane layout give different answers for the same box.
Pallet dimensions and weight
These 5 footprints cover the pallets the calculator's own presets ship with, plus the US 48×40in and 1,100 × 1,100 mm Asia (T11) sizes. All 5 are among the 6 sizes standardized by ISO 6780:2003 for intercontinental handling, which is why the same footprints recur across EU, US and Asian supply chains regardless of local pallet brand.
| Pallet | Footprint mm | Deck height mm | Tare kg | Dynamic load kg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EUR1 (EPAL 1) | 1,200 × 800 | 144 | ~25 | 1,500 |
| EUR2 | 1,200 × 1,000 | 144 | 33–35 | 1,500 |
| EUR6 (EPAL 6, half pallet) | 800 × 600 | 145 | 9.5 | 500 |
| US 48×40in (GMA) | 1,219 × 1,016 | 152–165 | 15–22 | 1,134–2,087 |
| Asia / T11 (JIS Z 0604) | 1,100 × 1,100 | — | 15–25 | 1,000–1,500 |
Sources: EPAL Euro Pallet and EPAL 6 Half Pallet specifications; GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) 48×40in pallet range as commonly published; JIS Z 0604 (T11 pallet, Japan Pallet Association). All 5 are stacked to a static load of 1,500–4,000 kg depending on type — the dynamic figure above is the safe moving load.
How many fit on the floor of a container
Two different answers exist for the same pallet and container: a straight grid (every pallet turned the same way) and a mixed-lane layout (some pallets turned 90° from the rest to use the width better). EUR1's own published figure — 11 in a 20ft container — is a mixed-lane count: 7 pallets in one lane plus 4 turned crosswise in the remainder, not a single 8-pallet grid. The table below gives the mixed-lane figure where an established one exists (EUR1, US 48×40in) and a straight-grid figure, computed against each container's inside floor from the container dimensions table, where it does not (EUR2, EUR6, Asia).
| Pallet | 20ft floor count | 40ft / 40ft HC floor count |
|---|---|---|
| EUR1 | 11 (mixed-lane) | 23–24 (mixed-lane) |
| EUR2 | 8 (straight grid) | 20 (straight grid) |
| EUR6 | 21 (straight grid) | 45 (straight grid) |
| US 48×40in | 10 (mixed-lane) | 20–22 (mixed-lane) |
| Asia (square, no turn benefit) | 10 (straight grid) | 20 (straight grid) |
40ft and 40ft HC share the same floor, so the count is identical between them; the HC's extra 305 mm of height only changes how high you can stack, not how many fit per layer. EUR2's own straight-grid count (20 for 40ft) lands inside the 20–21 range independently reported for that pallet, which is the check that keeps the EUR6 and Asia grid figures in this table honest rather than invented.
Deck height, tare and load — what varies between suppliers
EPAL 1 and EPAL 2 share the same 144 mm deck height and 1,500 kg dynamic rating; EPAL 2's heavier build (33–35 kg versus 25 kg tare) comes from the larger deck, not a higher load limit. EUR6 is the outlier for weight: at 9.5 kg it is the only one of the 5 rated for 500 kg dynamic rather than 1,000 kg or more, so use it for cartons and small parts, not for a single heavy skid. The US 48×40in range (1,134–2,087 kg) is the widest because "GMA pallet" is one name covering both hardwood and softwood deck-board builds — check the rating stamped on the block, not the nominal size, before loading close to the ceiling. Whichever pallet you use, the calculator's Tare and Max load fields (see Pallets in Help) take the figures from this table directly, and Deck height feeds the loaded-height check the calculator runs against your container.
Using these pallets in the calculator
Step 2 of the Container Loading Calculator's palletizing walkthrough offers EUR 1, EUR 2, EUR 6, US 48×40 in and Asia as ready presets — enter this page's tare and max load if you're building a custom pallet instead. Max loaded height defaults to 180 cm, which clears the door on every standard container in the container dimensions table; a 40ft high cube's extra headroom raises that ceiling to roughly 260 cm. The floor counts above are a starting estimate — run your actual mix of pallets and container through the calculator for the loading sequence and the exact number that fits with your cargo's real height and weight.