UK Pallet Sizes Guide: Every Dimension Explained

There is no single "UK pallet size". The 1200mm x 1000mm wooden pallet is the unofficial UK standard and the most common by far, but Euro pallets, half pallets, US-spec pallets and bespoke sizes all appear in UK warehouses every day. Picking the wrong size costs money in wasted container space, forklift damage, rack incompatibility and rejected shipments. This guide covers every common pallet size used in the UK, the exact dimensions, typical weights, load ratings, and where each one fits.

UK standard pallet: 1200mm x 1000mm

The workhorse of UK logistics. Sometimes called the "GKN pallet", "UK standard" or just "the thousand by twelve hundred", this is the dominant pallet size across UK retail, manufacturing, FMCG and 3PL operations. It is a 4-way entry wooden block or stringer pallet with 9 blocks or 3 stringers.

Dimensions: 1200mm (length) x 1000mm (width) x 150mm (height). Empty weight is typically 22kg to 28kg depending on timber and build. Static load rating (pallet stacked on the floor) is 2,000kg to 4,000kg. Dynamic load rating (on a forklift or pallet truck) is 1,000kg to 1,500kg. Racking rating (unsupported in beam racks) is typically 750kg to 1,000kg.

Where it is used: supermarket distribution, retail deliveries, general industrial, construction merchants, chemicals, and anywhere a 20ft or 40ft container needs to be floor-loaded with maximum UK fit (11 pallets in a 20ft, 24 in a 40ft with tight loading). Palltech supplies new and reconditioned UK standard pallets in all grades. See our new wooden pallets and used wooden pallets pages for current stock.

Euro pallet (EPAL): 1200mm x 800mm

The Euro pallet is smaller than the UK standard and is the dominant pallet across continental Europe. If you are shipping goods into or out of mainland Europe, especially via DHL, DPD, Schenker or any pan-European 3PL, you will encounter Euro pallets constantly. It is a 4-way entry wooden block pallet with 9 blocks.

Dimensions: 1200mm (length) x 800mm (width) x 144mm (height). Empty weight is 20kg to 25kg. Load ratings match the UK standard: up to 4,000kg static, 1,500kg dynamic, 1,000kg racked.

The key feature of a Euro pallet is the EPAL stamp: you'll see "EPAL" or "EUR" branded on the corner blocks, plus a country code and registration number. Only EPAL-certified manufacturers can produce genuine Euro pallets, and only genuine EPAL pallets can be exchanged in the European pallet pool. Fake or non-certified "Euro-sized" pallets exist and are fine for one-way shipments but will not be accepted for pallet exchange. See our Euro EPAL pallets page for EPAL 1, 2 and 3 grade stock.

Half pallet: 1200mm x 800mm (half of a UK standard) or 800mm x 600mm (half of a Euro)

Half pallets are popular in retail and promotional display where a full pallet is too big for the shelf-edge footprint. The UK half pallet is typically 1200mm x 800mm (half the area of a standard), and the Euro half pallet is 800mm x 600mm (half the area of a Euro). Empty weight is 10kg to 15kg, static load up to 500kg. They ship flat in retail DCs and go straight into store aisles as ready-merchandised displays.

Quarter pallet: 600mm x 400mm

Used mostly for retail display, spare-parts kitting and small-parcel aggregation. Empty weight 4kg to 8kg, load rating 150kg to 250kg. Rarely used outside of retail and promotional contexts.

US / North American pallet: 1219mm x 1016mm (48" x 40")

If you import from or export to the United States, Canada or Mexico, you will handle 48" x 40" pallets. In metric that is 1219mm x 1016mm. Almost identical to the UK standard but slightly wider and slightly longer. The GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) pallet is the dominant US spec and is a 4-way entry stringer pallet, typically pine. US pallets shipped to the UK or into Europe must be ISPM15 heat-treated. See our heat-treated pallets guide for export compliance details.

Australian standard pallet: 1165mm x 1165mm

A perfectly square pallet. Load rating is comparable to the UK standard but the square footprint is designed to fit the internal dimensions of Australian road trains. Rare in UK warehouses but appears in trans-Tasman freight. Empty weight around 35kg.

Asia pallet / Isopallet sizes

The most common Asian pallet sizes are 1100mm x 1100mm (Japan/Korea) and 1140mm x 1140mm (China export). ISO 6780 recognises six standard pallet footprints globally: 1200x1000, 1200x800, 1219x1016, 1100x1100, 1067x1067 and 1140x1140. For import containers from East Asia you will mostly see 1100x1100.

Custom and bespoke pallet sizes

If your goods do not fit cleanly on any standard pallet, a bespoke pallet is usually cheaper than under-filling a standard one. Typical custom requests: oversized machinery, wind-turbine components, IBCs, electrical switchgear, and long-format goods like steel sections or timber. We manufacture bespoke pallets to exact spec, heat-treated if required for export. Contact us for a quote via the main pallet products page.

Load ratings explained: static, dynamic and racking

Load ratings are quoted three ways, and getting them mixed up is one of the most common buying mistakes.

• Static load: the maximum weight a pallet can hold when stacked on a solid floor. Highest of the three numbers.
• Dynamic load: maximum weight when the pallet is being lifted by a forklift or pallet truck. Around half the static rating.
• Racking load: maximum weight when the pallet is sitting unsupported in beam racking (only two edges supported). Lowest of the three. A pallet rated 2,000kg dynamic is often only rated 750kg racked.

Always buy to the worst-case load profile in your operation. If your pallets will ever sit in racks, the racking rating is the number that matters, not the static rating. Overloading a racked pallet is the most common cause of pallet failure in UK warehouses.

Entry types: 2-way, 4-way and partial 4-way

4-way entry means a forklift can pick up the pallet from any of its four sides. This is the dominant modern standard in UK warehousing and the default for all block pallets. 2-way entry (stringer pallets without notches) only allows entry from two opposite sides. Partial 4-way has two full-entry sides and two notched sides for limited entry.

For modern operations with automated cross-docking, conveyor infeed or pallet wrappers, 4-way is effectively mandatory. For simpler manual operations with pump-trucks only, 2-way works and is cheaper. Most UK standard pallets sold today are 4-way or partial 4-way.

Materials: wood, plastic, presswood and metal

Wooden pallets cover 90% of UK logistics. They are cheap, strong, repairable and recyclable. Plastic pallets are lighter, hygienic and non-absorbent, which makes them the standard for food, pharma and pharmaceutical clean-supply chains. Presswood (molded from compressed wood fibres) is lightweight and ideal for export where one-way pallets are needed and weight is critical. Steel pallets are used for very heavy industrial applications.

How to choose the right pallet size

Walk through these four questions:

1. Where are the goods going? If domestic UK retail, UK standard 1200x1000. If EU, Euro 1200x800. If US, 48x40 heat-treated.
2. How heavy is the load? Match dynamic and racking ratings to the heaviest load you will ever place on it (not the average).
3. What's the handling environment? Automated warehouse means 4-way entry and consistent dimensional tolerance. Manual only means 2-way is fine.
4. Is hygiene a constraint? Food contact, pharma or cleanroom means plastic. Otherwise wood.

If you're near the North West we can quote same-day on any UK size at grade A, B or C. Check our regional delivery pages for new pallets in Liverpool or heat-treated pallets in Manchester.