Cargo pallets are the unsung heroes of global commerce, serving as the fundamental building blocks of modern logistics and supply chain operations. These flat transport structures enable businesses to move goods efficiently across warehouses, trucks, ships, and planes, transforming how products travel from manufacturers to consumers. In today’s interconnected economy, approximately 2 billion pallets are in circulation across the United States alone, facilitating trillions of dollars in trade annually.
What Are Cargo Pallets?
Cargo pallets are horizontal platforms, typically made of wood, plastic, or metal, designed to support goods and materials during storage and transportation. They feature a deck for stacking products and openings underneath that allow forklifts, pallet jacks, and other handling equipment to lift and move them. Most pallets are rectangular in shape, measuring anywhere from 32 inches by 40 inches to 48 inches by 48 inches, with the 48-inch by 40-inch size being the most common in the United States.
The standardization of pallet dimensions has been one of the most significant efficiency gains in modern logistics, enabling automated handling systems, optimized truck loading, and seamless exchange between supply chain partners. Understanding cargo pallets—their types, standards, and applications—is essential for anyone involved in shipping, warehousing, or supply chain management.
Types of Cargo Pallets
Cargo pallets can be categorized by material, entry configuration, and intended use. The four primary material categories—wood, plastic, metal, and paper/cardboard—each offer distinct performance profiles that make them optimal for different applications. Within these categories, pallets are further classified by whether they allow two-way or four-way forklift entry, and whether they are designed for single-use or multiple-trip reuse.
Wood Pallets
Wood pallets account for approximately 95% of all pallets in circulation in North America, representing an estimated 1.8–2 billion units in active use. Their dominance stems from the combination of relatively low cost ($10–$25 for a standard new pallet), adequate strength for most applications (2,500–5,000 pound capacity), widespread availability, and repairability—damaged wood pallets can often be restored to serviceable condition by replacing individual boards.
The two primary wood pallet designs are stringer pallets and block pallets. Stringer pallets use three parallel boards (stringers) connecting the top deck boards to the bottom deck boards, allowing forklift entry from only two sides. Block pallets use square or rectangular blocks at the corners and midpoints, connected by stringboards around the perimeter, which allows forklift and pallet jack entry from all four sides. Block pallets offer greater handling flexibility and are the standard design for the EUR pallet used across Europe.
Wood pallets used in international trade must comply with ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15), which requires that wood packaging materials be treated to prevent the spread of plant pests. Compliant pallets carry an official IPPC mark indicating the treatment method—heat treatment (HT) or dielectric heating (DH). Failure to use compliant pallets can result in shipments being rejected at customs or subjected to costly fumigation upon arrival.
Plastic Pallets
Plastic pallets represent a growing share of the pallet market, valued for their consistency, longevity, and suitability for regulated industries. Manufactured from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP), plastic pallets offer significant advantages in applications where hygiene, consistent dimensions, or extreme durability are paramount. The food processing, pharmaceutical, and beverage industries have broadly adopted plastic pallets because they can be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized without absorbing moisture, bacteria, or chemical residues.
Plastic pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 treatment requirements, simplifying international shipping compliance. Their lifespan of 50–100+ trips in well-managed closed-loop systems can make their higher purchase price ($50–$120) economical over the long term, particularly when compared to the recurring cost of purchasing or repairing wooden pallets. Lightweight plastic pallets have also found application in air freight, where their combination of ISPM 15 exemption and consistent weight (25–35 pounds) provides advantages over heavier wood alternatives.
Metal Pallets
Metal pallets serve specialized industrial applications where extreme load capacity, fire resistance, or chemical resistance is required. Steel pallets are particularly common in heavy manufacturing, steel mills, and automotive production facilities where load requirements may exceed 10,000–30,000 pounds—capacities that no wood or plastic pallet can match. Steel pallets also perform well in high-temperature environments (paint curing ovens, foundry applications) where other materials would fail.
Aluminum pallets combine high strength with significantly lower weight than steel, making them particularly valuable in air cargo where weight directly drives cost. An aluminum aircraft pallet (ULD) weighing 200–300 pounds can support several thousand pounds of cargo, providing better weight efficiency than steel for aviation applications. Aluminum is also naturally corrosion-resistant and approved for food contact, making it suitable for food industry applications where metal pallets are preferred for hygiene reasons.
Paper and Cardboard Pallets
Paper-based pallets—including corrugated cardboard and honeycomb paperboard constructions—have grown significantly as businesses seek to reduce shipping costs and simplify international logistics. These pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 requirements, making them particularly attractive for export shipments that would otherwise require wood pallet treatment. Their very low weight (6–15 pounds) compared to wood (30–70 pounds) provides significant freight savings especially in air cargo, where charges are weight-based.
Cardboard and paper pallets are designed primarily for single-use or limited trips (1–5), making them most cost-effective for one-way shipping applications where pallets would not be returned anyway. They are not suitable for wet environments or heavy-duty industrial applications. For detailed information on paper-based pallet options, see our dedicated guides on cardboard pallets and cardboard boxes on pallets.
Standard Pallet Sizes
Pallet size standardization has been a key enabler of modern supply chain efficiency, allowing automated handling systems, optimized truck loading, and interoperability between supply chain partners. Different regions have adopted different standards, creating complexity for companies operating across multiple markets.
| Pallet Name | Dimensions (inches) | Dimensions (mm) | Primary Region | Common Industries |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMA (Standard US) | 48 × 40 | 1219 × 1016 | North America | Grocery, general retail |
| EUR/EPAL | 47.2 × 31.5 | 1200 × 800 | Europe | General commerce, export |
| EUR2 | 47.2 × 47.2 | 1200 × 1200 | Europe | Square goods, chemical drums |
| ISO 1 | 47.2 × 39.4 | 1200 × 1000 | Asia, international | Industrial, international trade |
| Grocery (US) | 42 × 42 | 1067 × 1067 | North America | Telecommunications, paint |
| Military (US) | 48 × 45 | 1219 × 1143 | North America | Defense, automotive |
Load Capacity and Weight Limits
Understanding pallet load capacity is critical for safe and efficient warehouse operations. Three distinct capacity figures are relevant for any pallet: static capacity (when stored on a flat floor), dynamic capacity (during active forklift handling), and racking capacity (when stored in pallet racking supported only at the pallet edges). These figures can differ substantially—a pallet with a 5,000-pound static capacity might have a 3,000-pound dynamic capacity and a 2,500-pound racking capacity.
| Pallet Type | Static Capacity | Dynamic Capacity | Typical Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Standard Wood (48x40) | 4,000–5,500 lbs | 2,500–3,000 lbs | $10–$25 |
| Hardwood Block Pallet | 5,500–8,000 lbs | 3,500–5,000 lbs | $20–$40 |
| Standard Plastic | 5,000–6,000 lbs | 3,000–4,500 lbs | $50–$90 |
| Heavy-duty Plastic | 7,000–10,000 lbs | 5,000–7,500 lbs | $90–$150 |
| Steel Pallet | 15,000–30,000 lbs | 10,000–20,000 lbs | $150–$500 |
| Cardboard (Heavy-duty) | 4,400–6,600 lbs | 2,200–3,300 lbs | $15–$35 |
Industry Applications
Different industries gravitate toward specific pallet types based on their unique requirements for load capacity, hygiene, regulatory compliance, and logistics economics. Understanding these patterns helps procurement professionals make appropriate pallet selections for their specific contexts.
The food and beverage industry heavily favors plastic pallets in production environments where hygiene is paramount, with wood pallets remaining common in distribution. The pharmaceutical sector has broadly adopted FDA-compliant plastic pallets for manufacturing and distribution. Automotive manufacturing uses a mix of wood, steel, and heavy-duty plastic pallets depending on the specific parts and process requirements. E-commerce fulfillment centers predominantly use standard wood GMA pallets for domestic operations and cardboard or lightweight plastic pallets for direct consumer shipments and international export.
How to Choose the Right Pallet
Selecting the optimal cargo pallet involves evaluating your specific requirements across several dimensions: load weight and distribution characteristics, handling environment (temperature, humidity, chemical exposure), entry requirements (2-way vs 4-way), trip frequency (single-use vs multi-trip), geographic scope (domestic vs international with ISPM 15 implications), industry regulatory requirements, and sustainability goals.
For domestic multi-trip applications where pallets will be returned and reused, standard wood GMA pallets typically offer the best value. For international export, cardboard or plastic pallets eliminate ISPM 15 complexity. For air freight, lightweight cardboard or aluminum pallets minimize weight-based freight costs. For food, pharmaceutical, and beverage production environments, plastic pallets offer washability and regulatory compliance. For extreme loads in industrial manufacturing, metal pallets are the appropriate choice.