Size library
The 48″ × 40″ GMA pallet: the most consequential rectangle in American logistics.
Ask about 48" × 40" pallets
Give the quantity, the size and the ZIP code. We pass your request to a partner supplier, who follows up.
- Buy, sell, recycle or remove: tell us which way it flows
- Add the size, grade and quantity if you know them
- A partner supplier follows up
- Availability depends on partner suppliers
Unsorted
Mixed used pallets, before anyone has sorted them by grade.
Drawn to scale
48" × 40" — 1219 × 1016 mm
6,000 lb
Typical static load
3,000 lb
Typical dynamic load
2,100 lb
Typical racked load
45 lb
Typical unit weight
5.5″
Overall height
7/3
Deck boards, top / bottom
48" × 40" · 7 top boards · 3 stringers
Why this size
Forty-eight by forty is not an accident
The footprint is tied to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, and the usual explanation is simple: it fits an American trailer. Two 48-inch dimensions side by side is 96 inches, and a standard dry van interior is 98 to 100 inches wide. Two pallets across, turned, with a couple of inches of clearance.
Everything else follows from that. Grocery case sizes, racking beam lengths, the width of a standard warehouse aisle, the dimensions of a shrink-wrap turntable — all of it settled around a rectangle that was originally chosen to fit a truck.
The practical consequence for you is liquidity. A 48×40 is usually the easiest size to source and the easiest to resell at the end of its life, and it is the footprint most exchange and pool systems in North America are built around. No other size has that reach.
Loading
How many fit
| Equipment | Floor positions | Loaded, two high | Empties, stacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53′ dry van | 30 turned, 26 straight | 60 | ≈ 330 |
| 48′ dry van | 28 turned, 22 straight | 56 | ≈ 300 |
| 40′ container | 18, or 19 mixed | 36 | ≈ 200 |
| 20′ container | 8, or 9 mixed | 16 | ≈ 90 |
| Standard rack bay | 2–3 per level, by beam length | — | — |
Questions
48 × 40 questions
Is a GMA pallet the same as a standard pallet?
In North America, in casual conversation, yes. Strictly, GMA describes a specification — the deck layout, board count and notch pattern — not just the footprint. A 48×40 with five deck boards and no notches is 48×40, but it is not a GMA pallet.
Which dimension is the length?
The 48-inch dimension runs with the stringers and is conventionally quoted first. This matters for racking: the stringers are the load-bearing members, so a pallet loaded across the beams the wrong way is dramatically weaker.
How much does one weigh?
45 to 55 lb for a recycled hardwood unit, 35 to 42 lb for a new SPF unit, and 50 to 60 lb for new hardwood. Across those ranges that is a 25 lb spread from lightest to heaviest, or about 8,250 lb on a 330-unit trailer. The load still cubes out long before it reaches a legal payload limit.
What does one cost?
Recycled Grade B is usually the cheapest, then Grade A, then new. Prices move with lumber, diesel and the season, and pricing is by quote from partner suppliers.
The build, member by member
What a GMA specification actually says
| Member | Specification | Count | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top deck boards | 9/16″ × 3½″ – 5½″ × 40″ | 7 | Lead boards are usually the widest |
| Bottom deck boards | 9/16″ × 5½″ × 40″ | 3 | Coverage governs racked capacity |
| Stringers | 1⅜″ × 3½″ × 48″ | 3 | The load-bearing members |
| Notches | 9″ long × 1½″ deep | 4 (2 per outer stringer) | Partial four-way access |
| Fasteners | Helically threaded or stiff-stock | 78 – 90 | Holding power decides service life |
| Overall height | ≈ 5½″ | — | Varies with member sizes; measure a sample |
| Deck opening | 3½″ minimum | — | Below this some jacks will not enter |
| Species | Mixed northern hardwood | — | Oak, maple, poplar, gum, ash |
Common variants
Five things sold as 48×40 that are not GMA
- 01Five-board deckTwo fewer top boards, wider gaps, less deck coverage. Frequently a remanufactured unit and perfectly serviceable at Grade B ratings — but not a GMA.
- 02Two-way (unnotched)No fork notches, so entry only from the 40-inch ends. Cheaper and a nuisance if your operation assumes four-way access.
- 03Light deck (5/16″)Thinner top boards. Measurably weaker under concentrated loads and a common feature of very cheap new pallets.
- 04Block construction, 48×40Nine blocks rather than three stringers. Genuinely four-way, better dimensional consistency, more expensive and much harder to repair.
- 05Softwood buildSPF rather than hardwood. Lighter, cheaper, worse nail retention, and it will not last as long in a returnable fleet.
Buying advice
How to specify a GMA order so it arrives right
Say GMA and say the grade. 'Forty-eight by forty' describes a rectangle. 'Grade A recycled 48×40 GMA' describes a product.
Ask whether their Grade A permits a repaired stringer. The single most informative question in the trade, and it explains most of the price difference between two apparently identical quotes.
State whether it racks. It changes which units come off the stack, and it is the difference between a specification and a preference.
Give a delivered ZIP rather than asking for a unit price. Freight is a large share of the delivered cost of a pallet, and comparing FOB prices between suppliers at different distances compares nothing.
Say if appearance matters. Display grade is a separate sort and nobody supplies it unless asked.
Questions
More 48 × 40 questions
Is the GMA specification a formal standard?
It is a widely-followed convention originating with the Grocery Manufacturers Association rather than a legally binding standard. There is no certifying body, which is precisely why buyers should compare written criteria rather than the letters A and B.
How tall is a GMA pallet?
It is commonly quoted at about 5½ inches, but the real figure depends on the deck and stringer stock in a given build, so measure a sample if height matters. Automated storage systems plan clearances around a fixed height, and a unit that runs tall may not fit.
How many fit in a 40-foot container?
Eighteen on the floor in one orientation, or 19 with one pallet turned in the gap at the end. Empty, at about 11 units to a floor stack, that is around 200. The load planner works out mixed orientations for any equipment.
What does a GMA weigh empty?
45 to 55 lb recycled hardwood, 50 to 60 lb new hardwood, 35 to 42 lb new SPF. Across those ranges that is a 25 lb spread from lightest to heaviest, or about 8,250 lb on a 330-unit trailer. The load still cubes out long before it reaches a legal payload limit.
Can a GMA be repaired back to specification?
Deck boards, yes — a full-length replacement of matched thickness restores it. Stringers, structurally yes with a companion, but many buyers grade that B, because racked loads test stringer repairs first.
Trailer maths
How many of these fit where.
53′ dry van
30
on the floor
≈ 60 stacked two high
48′ dry van
28
on the floor
≈ 56 stacked two high
40′ container
18
on the floor
≈ 36 stacked two high
20′ container
8
on the floor
≈ 16 stacked two high
Questions
48" × 40" pallets, answered.
What are the exact dimensions of a 48" × 40" pallet?
48" × 40" (1219 × 1016 mm), standing about 5.5″ tall. A recycled unit weighs roughly 45 lb, built on 3 stringers with 7 top and 3 bottom deck boards.
How much weight can a 48" × 40" pallet carry?
Around 6,000 lb static, 3,000 lb dynamic and 2,100 lb racked. Racked capacity is the number that matters if the pallet is going into beam storage unsupported, and it is always the lowest of the three.
What is a 48" × 40" pallet typically used for?
Grocery, CPG, beverage, general freight. The most common footprint in North America. Turned, two fit across a 53-foot trailer with a couple of inches to spare.
Can I ask for 48" × 40" in recycled as well as new?
Yes. Choose the size and the condition on the form, and a partner supplier follows up. Recycled Grade A usually costs less than new; see pallet grades for what the letters mean before you ask.