56 x 44 plastic pallets, by the trailer
56 x 44
- Inches
- 56 x 44
- Millimetres
- 1,422 x 1,118
- Deck area
- 17.11 sq ft
- Against a 48 x 40
- 128.3 percent
- Example
- STK 285
- Ratings, example
- 2,500 lb dyn., 30,000 lb static
The 56 x 44 in pallet, 1422 x 1118 mm, is the beverage pallet. PHS lists STK 285, a 56 x 44 beverage pallet, at 2,500 lb dynamic and 30,000 lb static, a combination that points to stacking.
It has 28 percent more deck than a 48 x 40. This page covers the arithmetic, the rating to read first for a bottler and the questions that turn a request into a quote.
What the beverage footprint does
A beverage line stacks cases high and moves them by the layer. A larger deck keeps more cases on one pallet, and a pallet rated for 30,000 lb static lets the bottom pallet carry a column of others without bending.
The dynamic rating in the example, 2,500 lb, is lower than the heavy-duty examples at 48 x 40. High static with modest dynamic is how a stacking pallet looks on a data sheet.
The arithmetic against a 48 x 40
| Measure | 48 x 40 | 56 x 44 |
|---|---|---|
| Inches | 48 x 40 | 56 x 44 |
| Millimetres | 1,219 x 1,016 | 1,422 x 1,118 |
| Deck area, sq in | 1,920 | 2,464 |
| Deck area, sq ft | 13.33 | 17.11 |
| Corner to corner, in | 62.5 | 71.2 |
The 56 in side changes how pallets sit on a trailer floor. We publish no per-trailer count for a 56 x 44, and we do not scale one from the 48 x 40 examples.
What a bottler checks
- Static load first, since the column is the whole point.
- Dynamic load for conveyors and lift trucks.
- Footprint match to the filling line, palletiser and rack, if any.
- Resin and colourant papers for a food dock; see hygienic plastic pallets.
- Whether the line expects a closed loop with returns.
The industry is large: beverage manufacturing employs 316,938 people across 16,316 establishments, with California leading at 63,604 jobs (BLS QCEW 2025). The beverage bottling page lists the other leading states.
All sixteen footprints against the 56 x 44
The table sets every other footprint on this site against the 56 x 44, whose deck is 2,464 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 56 x 44 | Difference, sq in |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 1,920 | 77.9% | -544 |
| 48 x 48 | 2,304 | 93.5% | -160 |
| 48 x 45 | 2,160 | 87.7% | -304 |
| 45 x 45 | 2,025 | 82.2% | -439 |
| 43 x 43 | 1,849 | 75.0% | -615 |
| 42 x 42 | 1,764 | 71.6% | -700 |
| 40 x 40 | 1,600 | 64.9% | -864 |
| 36 x 36 | 1,296 | 52.6% | -1,168 |
| 48 x 32 Euro | 1,536 | 62.3% | -928 |
| 1200 x 1000 mm | 1,860 | 75.5% | -604 |
| 1200 x 1200 mm | 2,232 | 90.6% | -232 |
| 1100 x 1100 mm | 1,876 | 76.1% | -588 |
| 48 x 20 half | 960 | 39.0% | -1,504 |
| 40 x 24 half | 960 | 39.0% | -1,504 |
| 24 x 20 quarter | 480 | 19.5% | -1,984 |
Making the request
- Say 56 x 44 and the number of pallets.
- Give the stack height and the weight of one layer.
- Say how pallets move: conveyor, jack or forklift.
- Give the delivery ZIP and the month.
We return the model, the three ratings and a count from the maker's sheet where one is published, or say that none is. Start with the load quote tool.
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.
- Closed loop
- Pallets that travel between known sites and come back, so they are never lost to a downstream user.
- Racking load
- Weight a pallet carries bridging an open span in unsupported racking. Often the lowest rating.
- 4-way entry
- Forks or a jack can enter from all four sides.
- Nestable
- Empty pallets stack inside one another, cutting empty storage space by up to 75 percent.
- Cruciform base
- Bottom with a cross-shaped member as well as a perimeter, for strength and automated handling.
- Stackable
- Loaded pallets can sit on top of each other, up to the static rating.
- Nest ratio
- How many empty pallets fit in the height of one.
- Fork pocket
- Opening in the pallet where the forks go.
Questions at the dock
What is a 56 x 44 pallet used for?
Beverage stacks. PHS lists STK 285, a 56 x 44 beverage pallet, at 30,000 lb static.
How many fit on a trailer?
No count is published in our sources, so we size it from the maker's stack height when you ask.
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.