GMA pallet (48 × 40 in)
Specifications
| Construction | Deck | Entry | Pallet height | Pallet weight | Rated load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Block, 4-way entry | block | 4-way entry | 5.56 in ≈ 141.22 mm (converted) | not stated by the sources | 2800 lb (uniformly distributed load) |
| Stringer, new build, partial 4-way entry | stringer | partial 4-way entry — check which side your equipment can use | 4.75 in ≈ 120.65 mm (converted) | 55 lb | 6000 lb (static); 2200 lb (dynamic); 2000 lb (racking) |
| Stringer, pooled in Canada, partial 4-way entry | stringer | partial 4-way entry — check which side your equipment can use | 143.002 mm ≈ 5.63 in (converted) | not stated by the sources | 2800 lb (uniformly distributed load) |
All heights are the empty pallet. Freight class is calculated from the handling unit, so the pallet's height is added to the load height before the volume is worked out.
The 48 × 40 inch footprint is the pallet U.S. grocery and consumer-goods distribution settled on, and the same footprint is built in more than one way. A pooled block pallet and a new stringer pallet are both called a GMA pallet and both measure 48 by 40 inches across the deck — but they are not the same height, and the height is part of the volume your freight class is calculated from. This page gives you the sourced numbers for each build and lets you load one up.
One footprint, three heights
A 48 × 40 pallet is described by its deck footprint, and that part is not in dispute: CHEP and PECO, the two largest pallet poolers in North America, both specify the pooled block version at 1219 × 1016 × 141 mm, and CHEP's own page states the footprint as 48 × 40 inches with a height of 5.6 inches. What changes between builds is everything above and below the deck.
Block pallets carry a full 4-way entry: a forklift or a pallet jack can enter from any of the four sides, and both poolers describe it that way. Stringer pallets usually give you partial 4-way entry instead — CHEP's Canadian stringer pallet is explicit that a forklift can reach all four sides, a pallet jack only from the 40-inch side, and a low-profile pallet truck only from the 48-inch side. If your loader uses a pallet jack, that difference decides whether the pallet goes in the trailer the way you intended.
The height difference is smaller than the entry difference and easier to get wrong. A new stringer pallet built from 0.625 inch deck boards, a 3.500 inch stringer and 0.625 inch bottom boards comes to 4.75 inches overall. A pooled block pallet is 5.56 inches. A pooled stringer pallet is taller still at 143.002 mm. None of those is wrong, and none of them is "the" height of a 48 × 40 pallet.
That matters because the density your class is based on is the weight of the whole handling unit divided by its whole volume, and the pallet is part of the handling unit. Stack the same cartons to the same load height on two different 48 × 40 builds and you get two different densities. It is usually a small difference. Near a band boundary, small is enough.
Frequently asked
Is a 48 × 40 pallet always 5.5 inches tall?
No, and the number to be careful with is the one you use for the load. The builds we can source are 4.75 inches (a new stringer pallet), 5.56 inches (a pooled block pallet, which CHEP also states as 5.6 inches) and 143.002 mm for CHEP's Canadian pooled stringer pallet. Use the height of the pallet actually under your freight.
Does the pallet height change my freight class?
It changes your density, and density selects the class. The pallet adds both height and weight to the handling unit. On a 48-inch unit the tallest and shortest builds we can source differ by about 0.8 inches, which is around 1.7 percent of the volume — rarely enough to move a band, but it can be enough right at a boundary.
Do I have to use a GMA pallet?
No. Many receivers require it because their racks, palletizers and trailers are set up for it, and a pallet that does not fit their equipment can be refused or re-handled. That is a commercial requirement, not a classification rule.
Data source verified: