48 x 45 plastic pallets, by the trailer
48 x 45
- Inches
- 48 x 45
- Millimetres
- 1,219 x 1,143
- Deck area
- 15.00 sq ft
- Against a 48 x 40
- 112.5 percent
- Typical use
- Automotive bulk containers
- Trailer count
- Not published
The 48 x 45 in pallet, 1219 x 1143 mm, matches heavy-duty auto parts bulk containers in North American automotive plants, according to Nelson Company. It is the footprint automotive buyers specify when the container, not the pallet, sets the size.
It is five inches wider than a 48 x 40 and has 12.5 percent more deck. We publish no per-trailer count for it, because none of the makers we cite does; we size it from a maker's stack height when you ask.
The container sets the size
An automotive line moves parts in rigid bulk containers that return empty. The pallet under the container has to match it, or the container overhangs the deck, or deck is left unused. Nelson says the 48 x 45 is the one that matches in North American plants.
Automotive docks also run 48 x 40 for small parts. Both footprints appear on one dock more often than one might expect, so name each in the request and the quantity of each.
The arithmetic against a 48 x 40
| Measure | 48 x 40 | 48 x 45 |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | 48 x 40 | 48 x 45 |
| Millimetres | 1,219 x 1,016 | 1,219 x 1,143 |
| Deck area, sq in | 1,920 | 2,160 |
| Deck area, sq ft | 13.33 | 15.00 |
| Corner to corner, in | 62.5 | 65.8 |
The extra five inches is on the short side, which is why a 48 x 45 does not tile a trailer floor like a 48 x 40. We state the floor plan as a question for the maker rather than a promise.
Ratings an automotive buyer reads
- Static load, because the container stacks and the bottom pallet carries the column.
- Dynamic load, because tuggers and lift trucks move them constantly.
- Racking load, if any storage is on beams; many designs carry none.
- Resin and colour, so that your pallets are recognisable in a closed loop.
No 48 x 45 model rating is quoted here, because our sources give none. The nearest published examples are for 48 x 40: a Rehrig heavy-duty nestable at 10,000 lb static and 3,500 lb dynamic, a Rehrig rackable at 10,000 / 4,000 / 2,000 lb, and a PHS 48 x 48 stackable at 30,000 lb static and 4,000 lb dynamic. They show the range, not the answer for your container.
All sixteen footprints against the 48 x 45
The table sets every other footprint on this site against the 48 x 45, whose deck is 2,160 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 45 | Difference, sq in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 1,920 | 88.9% | -240 |
| 48 x 48 | 2,304 | 106.7% | +144 |
| 45 x 45 | 2,025 | 93.8% | -135 |
| 43 x 43 | 1,849 | 85.6% | -311 |
| 42 x 42 | 1,764 | 81.7% | -396 |
| 40 x 40 | 1,600 | 74.1% | -560 |
| 36 x 36 | 1,296 | 60.0% | -864 |
| 48 x 32 Euro | 1,536 | 71.1% | -624 |
| 1200 x 1000 mm | 1,860 | 86.1% | -300 |
| 1200 x 1200 mm | 2,232 | 103.3% | +72 |
| 1100 x 1100 mm | 1,876 | 86.8% | -284 |
| 56 x 44 | 2,464 | 114.1% | +304 |
| 48 x 20 half | 960 | 44.4% | -1,200 |
| 40 x 24 half | 960 | 44.4% | -1,200 |
| 24 x 20 quarter | 480 | 22.2% | -1,680 |
How the request goes
- Say 48 x 45 and give the container model or the weight it carries.
- Give the number of pallets and the delivery plant.
- Say whether a second footprint, usually 48 x 40, is on the same order.
- We come back with the model, the three ratings and a count from the maker's sheet.
See the automotive page for the states where the work is, and the load quote tool to start a request.
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.
- Dynamic load
- Weight a pallet carries while moving on a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor.
- 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.
- Closed loop
- Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
- PP
- Polypropylene. More rigid than HDPE and better with heat and harsh chemicals; used where rack stiffness matters.
- 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.
- 4-way entry
- Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
- Cruciform base
- Bottom with a cross-shaped member as well as a perimeter, for strength and automated handling.
Questions at the dock
What is a 48 x 45 pallet used for?
It matches heavy-duty auto parts bulk containers in North American automotive plants, per Nelson Company.
How many fit on a trailer?
No published count exists in our sources, so we do not quote one. We size it from a maker's stack height.
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.
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Last reviewed 2026-11-12.