48 x 40 plastic pallets, by the trailer
48 x 40 GMA
- Inches
- 48 x 40
- Millimetres
- 1,219 x 1,016
- Deck area
- 13.33 sq ft
- Height
- About 5 to 6 in
- Typical use
- Grocery, retail, manufacturing
- Trailer examples
- 540 to 2,340 per 53 ft
The 48 x 40 in pallet, 1219 x 1016 mm, is the North American standard and the default for general shipping. One supplier lists just over half of its plastic pallets in this footprint, and ISO 6780 names it for North America.
On this page you will find the numbers makers publish for six 48 x 40 models, from 296 to 2,340 per trailer, what each trade-off costs, and what to write in a request so the quote comes back with a count you can plan around.
Why this footprint is the default
The Grocery Manufacturers Association pallet is the default for general shipping in North America, and the racks and conveyors on most docks are planned around it. Container Exchanger puts its typical use at general shipping, grocery, retail and manufacturing, and reports that just over half of one supplier's plastic pallets are this size.
A plastic pallet in this footprint typically stands 5 to 6 in tall. Plastic pallets weigh about 3 to 15 lb when light and up to 300 lb when heavy, so the model matters far more than the size.
Six published models, side by side
| Model | Per 53 ft trailer | Weight | Ratings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rehrig 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable | 1,260 | 26.5 lb | 10,000 lb static, 3,000 lb dynamic |
| Rehrig 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable | 1,200 | 28.5 lb | 10,000 lb static, 3,500 lb dynamic |
| PHS EXP 116, 5.75 in | 1,260 | not listed | 15,000 lb static |
| Nelson 48 x 40 x 4.8 in nestable, stackable, rackable | 1,800 | 18.0 lb | 10,500 / 3,100 / 2,700 lb |
| Rehrig 40 x 48 rackable | 540 | 44.2 lb | 10,000 / 4,000 / 2,000 lb edge rack |
| PHS EXP 100 lightweight nestable | 2,340 | not listed | ask for the model sheet |
The two ends of the table tell the story. A rackable injection-moulded pallet gives 540 on a trailer. A lightweight nestable gives 2,340. The heavier pallet takes more trailers to move.
Nestable, stackable or rackable
| Style | Pick it when | Read first |
|---|---|---|
| Nestable | Empty pallets travel or sit in storage; you want the most on a trailer | Static load, since the bottom pallet may carry a stack |
| Stackable | Loaded pallets stack on each other in a warehouse or a trailer | Static load |
| Rackable | Pallets sit on beams with an open span | Racking load |
PHS lists 19 nestable models, with dynamic ratings from 1,102 to 3,500 lb and static ratings from 2,204 to 15,000 lb, so nestable spans light export pallets to heavy-duty stackers. Its stackable 48 x 40 line runs 2,500 to 5,000 lb dynamic and 3,000 to 30,000 lb static. Only pallets designed for unsupported racking carry a racking rating.
For the full explanation of the three ratings, read static, dynamic and racking load. To work out a load, use the truckload planner.
All sixteen footprints against the 48 x 40
The table sets every other footprint on this site against the 48 x 40, whose deck is 1,920 sq in. A figure under 100 percent means the other deck is smaller. The last column is the plain difference in area, which is what a lift truck driver would call extra or missing deck.
| Footprint | Deck area, sq in | Against the 48 x 40 | Difference, sq in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 48 | 2,304 | 120.0% | +384 |
| 48 x 45 | 2,160 | 112.5% | +240 |
| 45 x 45 | 2,025 | 105.5% | +105 |
| 43 x 43 | 1,849 | 96.3% | -71 |
| 42 x 42 | 1,764 | 91.9% | -156 |
| 40 x 40 | 1,600 | 83.3% | -320 |
| 36 x 36 | 1,296 | 67.5% | -624 |
| 48 x 32 Euro | 1,536 | 80.0% | -384 |
| 1200 x 1000 mm | 1,860 | 96.9% | -60 |
| 1200 x 1200 mm | 2,232 | 116.3% | +312 |
| 1100 x 1100 mm | 1,876 | 97.7% | -44 |
| 56 x 44 | 2,464 | 128.3% | +544 |
| 48 x 20 half | 960 | 50.0% | -960 |
| 40 x 24 half | 960 | 50.0% | -960 |
| 24 x 20 quarter | 480 | 25.0% | -1,440 |
What to put in the request
- Quantity, in pallets or in trailers.
- Style: nestable, stackable or rackable.
- The three ratings your use needs, in lb.
- Whether the load is food or pharma, so that resin papers can be sent.
- Delivery ZIP and month.
If you do not know a rating, describe the load: weight per pallet, stack height, whether it sits on racks. We turn that into a spec and a count from the maker's own sheet, and we say when no published count exists.
From request to trailer
- Send the ship-to. A delivery ZIP, a footprint and a quantity, in pallets or in trailers. If you do not know a rating, describe the load.
- We match a model. We pick a maker and model whose published static, dynamic and racking load fit the load, and say so when only one maker fits.
- You get a count. The quote carries the maker's own per-trailer figure where one is published, and says plainly where none is.
- Papers and delivery. For food or pharma we attach the resin and colourant documents. A standing supply repeats the same line on every order.
What a complete request carries
- The footprint, in inches or millimetres, and whether it is fixed by a rack bay or a container.
- How many pallets, or how many 53 ft trailers.
- The ratings the load needs: static for the stack, dynamic for the move, racking only if the pallet sits on beams.
- Food, pharma, chemical, automotive, warehouse or export use, which sets the papers.
- One load now, or a standing supply with the same line on every order.
- Where it goes and when, and anything marked on the pallet: colour, logo, RFID tag.
Terms on this page
- Static load
- Weight a pallet carries at rest, or the bottom pallet carries when stacked. The highest of the three ratings.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- GMA pallet
- The 48 x 40 in North American standard footprint.
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- Edge rack
- Resting on the rack beams by the pallet's edges only, with no support in the middle.
- Stackable
- Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
- Rackable
- Rated to sit on rack beams, with a stated racking load.
- Dynamic load
- Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
- 4-way entry
- Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
Questions at the dock
How many 48 x 40 plastic pallets fit on a truck?
It depends on the model. Published figures for empty pallets run from 540 for a rackable to 2,340 for a lightweight nestable, per 53 ft trailer.
Is 48 x 40 the GMA pallet?
Yes. It is the footprint the Grocery Manufacturers Association pallet uses and the default for general shipping in North America.
What rating should I choose?
Start with static if pallets stack, dynamic for lift-truck moves, and racking only if they sit on beams.
Ask for a load quote
The request ends here: we answer with the count that fits your footprint, and say where no maker publishes one.
Keep reading
Last reviewed 2026-11-12.
- Container Exchanger: plastic pallet dimensions
- Rehrig Pacific: 40 x 48 standard-duty nestable pallet
- Rehrig Pacific: 40 x 48 heavy-duty nestable pallet
- Rehrig Pacific: 40 x 48 rackable pallet
- Nelson Company: 48 x 40 nestable, stackable, rackable pallet
- Premier Pallet (PHS): nestable plastic pallets
- Premier Pallet (PHS): stackable plastic pallets
- Nelson Company: common plastic pallet sizes