Static — 4,000 to 6,000 lb
What the pallet holds sitting still on a flat floor, fully supported underneath. The largest number and the least useful one.
Footprint 01
48 × 40 GMA Pallet Size Guide
In short
A standard 48 × 40 inch GMA pallet is 1219 × 1016 mm, stands about 6 inches tall, weighs 33–48 lb, carries roughly 2,500 lb dynamic and 5,000 lb static, and fits two-across in a 53-ft trailer at 28 positions per floor. It has seven top deck boards, five bottom deck boards and three double-notched stringers giving partial four-way fork entry.
Quote: 48 × 40 GMA Pallet Size Guide
Send the details and a named person at the Evendale yard replies within one business day with pricing, freight and a piece count — in writing.
Full dimensional specification
| Dimension | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Length (stringer axis) | 48.0 in | 1219 mm |
| Width (deck board axis) | 40.0 in | 1016 mm |
| Overall height | 5.5 – 6.5 in | 140 – 165 mm |
| Stringer section | 1.5 × 3.5 in nominal | 38 × 89 mm |
| Top deck board thickness | 0.5 – 0.75 in | 13 – 19 mm |
| Lead board width | 5.5 in | 140 mm |
| Interior board width | 3.5 in | 89 mm |
| Maximum deck gap | 3.5 in | 89 mm |
| Fork entry height | 3.5 in min | 89 mm |
| Notch dimensions | 9 in wide × 1.5 in deep | 229 × 38 mm |
| Empty weight | 33 – 48 lb | 15 – 22 kg |
Load ratings and what they mean
Three ratings matter and they are not interchangeable. Confusing them is the leading cause of pallet failure in racking, which is also the most dangerous kind of failure.
Dynamic — 2,000 to 2,800 lb
What it holds while being moved by a forklift or pallet jack. This is the number that governs normal handling.
Racked — 1,500 to 2,500 lb
What it holds supported only at two edges in racking, over time. Always the smallest number, and always the one to design to if the pallet goes in a rack.
Trailer and container loading
| Equipment | Floor positions | Double-stacked | Empty stacked |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53-ft dry van | 26 – 28 | 52 – 56 | ~550 – 600 |
| 48-ft dry van | 24 | 48 | ~500 |
| 40-ft ocean container | 20 – 21 | 40 – 42 | ~440 |
| 20-ft ocean container | 10 – 11 | 20 – 22 | ~220 |
| 45-ft high cube container | 24 – 25 | 48 – 50 | ~500 |
| 26-ft box truck | 12 | 24 | ~140 |
Pinwheeling — alternating pallet orientation — can add a position in some trailer configurations but complicates unloading and is not worth it on high-turn lanes.
When not to use a 48 × 40
- Your load overhangs the deck — move to 48 × 48 or a custom footprint rather than accepting 30% strength loss
- You ship four 55-gallon drums — 48 × 48 seats them square with no overhang
- You ship kegs or short-bay racking — 36 × 36 is the beverage answer
- You export to Europe on a regular lane — 1200 × 800 Euro avoids handling friction at the destination
- You run tier-one automotive — 48 × 45 is the sector standard in most of the Midwest
Stack weights, heights and what a floor can take
Empty pallet stacks are heavier and taller than people estimate, and both figures matter — for fire separation limits, for mezzanine loading, and for whether a stack is going to stay upright.
| Stack height | Approx. stack height (in) | Weight, hardwood | Weight, softwood | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 pallets | ~72 in | ~540 lb | ~410 lb | Standard banded bundle. Safe to move as one unit. |
| 15 pallets | ~90 in | ~675 lb | ~510 lb | Common bundle size for A grade. |
| 20 pallets | ~120 in | ~900 lb | ~680 lb | Getting tall for manual handling; still stable banded. |
| 25 pallets | ~150 in | ~1,125 lb | ~850 lb | Our maximum banded bundle. Forklift only. |
| 40 pallets | ~240 in | ~1,800 lb | ~1,360 lb | Storage stack. Check your fire separation limits. |
A full 53-ft trailer of empty 48×40 hardwood — around 560 units — grosses roughly 25,000 lb of pallets alone. That matters on weight-limited lanes and it is the reason empty-pallet loads are occasionally heavier than the product loads they replace.
Rack bay fit, and the beam length worth specifying
| Beam opening | Pallets across | Clearance each side | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| 96 in | 2 | Essentially none | Works until a load overhangs by an inch. Unforgiving. |
| 99 in | 2 | ~1.5 in | Tight but workable for disciplined operations. |
| 108 in | 2 | ~6 in | The forgiving standard. Costs little more at installation. |
| 144 in | 3 | ~12 in total | Three across. Good density where load weights allow it. |
| 120 in | 2 with a pass | ~12 in each side | Used where clamp trucks or wide loads are handled. |
Availability, from our own intake
This footprint was 71.3% of everything that crossed our weighbridge in the twelve months to August 2026. It is the only size we never run short of, in any grade, in any month — which is worth knowing when you are weighing a non-standard footprint against the operational convenience of the standard one.
- Standing inventory in A/#1, B/#1, B/#2 and #2 economy, year round.
- Lead time 24–72 hours for delivery; same-day will-call at Evendale.
- Heat-treated adds 5–7 days for kiln scheduling — plan export orders around it.
- Height-sorted stock for automation is a separate line and needs to be requested at quote stage.
- Q4 is the tight quarter for A grade specifically, because A grade needs a near-perfect core and cores are scarcest then.
Common questions
What are the exact dimensions of a 48x40 pallet?
48.0 inches long by 40.0 inches wide, with an overall height of about 5.5 to 6.5 inches. In metric that is 1219 × 1016 mm.
How much does a 48x40 pallet weigh?
Between 33 and 48 pounds empty. Hardwood units sit at the top of that range, softwood at the bottom.
How many 48x40 pallets fit on a truck?
26 to 28 floor positions in a 53-ft dry van, or roughly 550 to 600 empty pallets stacked and banded.
Is a 48x40 pallet four-way?
Partially. Double-notched stringers allow fork entry on all four sides, but entry through the notches on the 48-inch side is structurally weaker than entry on the open 40-inch side. True four-way entry requires block construction.
Drawn to scale
The 48 × 40 GMA in plan and elevation, rendered at true proportion against a ghosted 48×40 GMA. Switch units if your drawing speaks millimetres.
View
Units
Reference
Footprint48″ × 40″
Height6″
Empty weight33–48 lb
Deck boards7 top / 5 bottom
Constructionstringer
Fork entrypartial 4-way
Static / dynamic5,000 / 2,500 lb
Racked2,000 lb
Per 53-ft trailer~560
Common inGrocery, Retail