Standard Plastic Pallet Dimensions - ISO 6780 Lookup Table

Standard plastic pallet sizes (1200x1000mm, 1100x1100mm), the ISO 6780 table, how to read load ratings and a 4-step selection checklist.

Table of Contents

Standard plastic pallet sizes under ISO 6780
Japan’s T11 standard: why Japanese partners often ask for 1100 x 1100 mm
Plastic pallet sizes in the ICD Vietnam catalogue
Height and load ratings - the most misread part
- How pallet height affects warehouse design
- Static load and dynamic load: two figures to read correctly
Comparing plastic pallet sizes 1200 x 1000 mm and 1100 x 1100 mm
Pallet size and container loading efficiency
Small plastic pallets: when to choose a size under 1000 mm?
4-step checklist for choosing the right plastic pallet size
3 common mistakes when choosing plastic pallet specifications
Frequently asked questions about plastic pallet sizes
Contact for plastic pallet size advice
References
Related articles

Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 43/2026

Standard plastic pallet sizes under ISO 6780 come in 6 sizes: 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000, 1219 x 1016, 1067 x 1067, 1100 x 1100 and 1140 x 1140 mm, with a plan tolerance of +3/-6 mm. In Vietnam the two most used sizes are 1200 x 1000 mm for domestic warehouses and goods to Europe and Southeast Asia, and 1100 x 1100 mm for goods to Japan and Korea. ISO does not set height; in the ICD Vietnam catalogue, 88 of 176 codes are 150 mm high. A 1200 x 1000 mm pallet weighs from about 6 to 22 kg depending on construction.

New customers asking about plastic pallets usually start with “what is the standard size”, and since I started at ICD Vietnam in 2011 my question back has stayed the same: where do the goods go, and what forklifts and racking does the warehouse use? Pallet size is rarely the hard decision, but a wrong choice usually shows only after the racking is installed or the container is packed. This article goes from the standard, through real catalogue figures, to how to count pallets in a container and four questions to ask before ordering.

Plastic pallets stacked at the ICD Vietnam workshop.

Standard plastic pallet sizes under ISO 6780

ISO 6780:2003 is the international standard for the principal dimensions and tolerances of flat pallets used in intercontinental transport, and ISO reviewed and confirmed it as current in 2026. Vietnam adopted it verbatim as TCVN 9022:2011. It is a voluntary standard: it binds only when the buyer writes an ISO size into the contract. The six sizes are three rectangular sizes, 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000 and 1219 x 1016 mm, and three square sizes, 1067 x 1067, 1100 x 1100 and 1140 x 1140 mm. Models on sale are in the warehouse storage plastic pallets section.

What ISO 6780 specifies and what it does not

It specifies: pallet deck length and width with a tolerance of +3/-6 mm, with plastic pallets measured at 23 °C ± 2 °C; the height of the fork openings for hand pallet trucks at a minimum of 100, 95 or 89 mm depending on whether the pallet is tall, standard or low; and a distance from the top of the opening to the pallet base of no more than 156 mm. TCVN 9022:2011 adds a deck flatness deviation of no more than 7 mm and a difference between the two diagonals of no more than 1%. It does not specify: overall height, material or load capacity, with load covered by the ISO 8611 series.

The three square sizes are where mix-ups happen most. The 1140 x 1140 mm size is the ISO one; 1165 x 1165 mm is the Australian standard under AS 4068, created for that country’s rail containers and not part of ISO 6780, although many tables online still copy it in. And 1100 x 1100 mm is Japan’s T11 size. The three differ by a few tens of millimetres but cannot replace each other on pre-designed racking, so for goods to Australia or Japan ask for the exact dimensions rather than writing a general “square pallet”.

Size (mm)	Mostly used in	Notes
1200 x 1000	Vietnam, Europe, Southeast Asia	ISO size, the most codes in the ICD catalogue
1200 x 800	Europe, retail	ISO size, same dimensions as the EPAL 1200 x 800 x 144 mm wooden pallet
1100 x 1100	Japan, Korea, Taiwan	ISO size, Japan’s T11 standard under JIS Z 0601
1219 x 1016 (48 x 40 inch)	North America	ISO size, commonly called the GMA pallet
1067 x 1067 and 1140 x 1140	North America, Europe, some Asian countries	ISO size, uncommon in Vietnam
1165 x 1165	Australia	Not part of ISO 6780, follows the Australian standard AS 4068

Besides these sizes, domestic warehouses also use 1000 x 1000, 1000 x 600 and 800 x 600 mm for internal goods that do not go in export containers. The EPAL 1200 x 800 x 144 mm wooden pallet weighs about 25 kg and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg according to EPAL, a reference point when European partners compare plastic pallets of the same size.

Japan’s T11 standard: why Japanese partners often ask for 1100 x 1100 mm

According to the Japan Pallet Association (JPA), the 1100 x 1100 x 144 mm size (coded T11, with T short for through transit) was issued in 1970 as the through-transit pallet standard under JIS Z 0601. JPA statistics updated 1 June 2026 show that in 2025, among rental plastic pallets in Japan, 21,908,942 were 1100 x 1100 mm, about 88% against the other sizes counted: 1400 x 1100 mm (1,934,536 units), 1200 x 1000 mm (1,110,877 units) and 1100 x 900 mm (26,000 units).

An ICD Vietnam 3-runner plastic pallet, 1100 x 1100 x 150 mm, the T11 square size often used for goods to Japan and Korea.

This figure explains why Japanese partners often ask for 1100 x 1100 mm: their warehouses, forklifts and pallet rental services revolve around this size. Even so, JIS still recognises other sizes, and JPA still counts more than a million rental 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallets, so “exporting to Japan requires 1100 x 1100” is not an accurate way to put it. State the specific size in the contract.

Plastic pallet sizes in the ICD Vietnam catalogue

Of the 176 plastic pallet codes that publish full length, width and height on the ICD Vietnam website, 1200 x 1000 mm has 46 codes and 1100 x 1100 mm has 26 codes, 72 in total. The table below gathers the seven sizes with the most codes, with the real weights of the codes that publish them. One reference code for this need is the ICD plastic pallet with steel core, 1200x1000x150 mm.

Size (mm)	Codes	Common height	Weight (codes that publish it)	Dynamic load	Commonly used for
1200 x 1000	46	150, 145, 160 mm	6 - 22 kg, median about 17 kg	500 - 3,200 kg	Domestic warehouses, export to Europe and Southeast Asia
1100 x 1100	26	150, 120, 125 mm	7 - 18.5 kg	500 - 2,000 kg	Export to Japan, Korea, Taiwan
1200 x 1200	16	160, 150, 155 mm	14.5 - 20.5 kg	1,000 - 2,000 kg	Large sacks, drums, heavy goods
1200 x 800	15	150, 120, 140 mm	6.5 - 18 kg	800 - 1,500 kg	European standard, narrow warehouse doors
1300 x 1100	12	150, 120, 130 mm	11.5 kg (1 code)	1,000 - 2,000 kg	Wide goods on dedicated racking
1200 x 1100	7	150, 120, 160 mm	-	1,000 kg	On dedicated racking systems
1400 x 1200	5	150 mm	22 kg (1 code)	1,200 - 2,000 kg	Bulky goods, jumbo bags

Figures compiled from product specifications on the ICD Vietnam website, checked on 11 October 2026; weights count only the codes that publish them, with a manufacturer tolerance of about ±0.5 kg. The range is wide because one size has many constructions: nestable cup feet, 9-foot, 3-runner, steel core, closed deck. For example, at the same 1200 x 1000 mm, a 6 kg cup-foot code has a dynamic load of 600 kg, while a 21 kg code has a dynamic load of 1,500 to 2,400 kg. Double-face plastic pallets share these sizes, differing in the base deck rather than in length x width.

Height and load ratings - the most misread part

Pallet heights in the catalogue cluster at three levels: 150 mm has 88 codes, fitting most hand pallet trucks and selective racking; 160 mm has 19 codes, usually the 3-runner type or types with a steel core for racking; 120 mm has 16 codes, saving height when stacking goods in a container. About 12 codes lower than 100 mm are floor-level pallets, not for lifting with ordinary forklifts.

Measuring the foot height of a black plastic pallet with a tape measure — Measuring pallet foot height with a tape: the height of the fork opening decides whether a hand pallet truck fits in.

How pallet height affects warehouse design

Pallet height accumulates across rack levels. A 30 mm difference per pallet becomes 120 mm on a 4-level rack column, and in a low-ceiling warehouse that is enough to lose a storage level. Many people only notice this once the racking is built and test loads are placed. So if you are about to buy new racking, choose the pallet first and only then fix the beam-level height, not the other way round.

Static load and dynamic load: two figures to read correctly

Static load is what a pallet bears when it rests still on a flat floor. Dynamic load is what it bears while a forklift is lifting and moving it. Racking load is what it bears when resting on two support beams only, usually the lowest, and many codes are not for racking. Catalogues usually print the static load in the biggest type, but the figure that decides safety when lifting and lowering is the dynamic load. Among the 156 codes in the catalogue that publish both, the median dynamic load is about one third of the static load, and half of the codes fall between 25% and 37.5%.

ICD’s recommendation when choosing by load

Weigh a real load unit instead of estimating, then choose a pallet whose dynamic load is at least 1.5 times that weight. For example, for goods of 900 kg per pallet, choose a code with a dynamic load of 1,350 kg or more. If the goods go on racking, also check the racking load of that exact code.

Comparing plastic pallet sizes 1200 x 1000 mm and 1100 x 1100 mm

The two sizes have almost the same area, 1.20 m² against 1.21 m², but cannot replace each other. 1200 x 1000 mm is more flexible in the domestic market: the most codes, both 2-way and 4-way entry types, easy to buy more or rent short term, and fitting most racking installed in Vietnam. 1100 x 1100 mm is square so it lifts the same from any direction, matches Japanese and Korean warehouse standards, and packs one more per layer in a 20-foot container.

If the export market is unclear, or you sell mainly in Vietnam, 1200 x 1000 mm is the safer choice. When an order to Japan or Korea comes in, you can add a separate batch of 1100 x 1100 mm for that route without changing the whole warehouse system.

A forklift carrying a loaded pallet out to a yard for loading onto a truck — The pallet size travels with the goods through warehouse, truck and container, so it is usually settled by the final destination.

Pallet size and container loading efficiency

According to the container dimensions published by shipping lines, the interior of a 20-foot container is about 5,900 x 2,352 mm, and a 40-foot and 40-foot high cube (HC) about 12,032 x 2,350 mm; the 40-foot HC is only taller, 2,700 mm inside against about 2,393 mm, not wider on the floor. By geometry, before allowing handling gaps, each layer holds:

1200 x 1000 mm: 9 units in 20 feet, 20 units in 40 feet.
1100 x 1100 mm: 10 units in 20 feet, 20 units in 40 feet.
1200 x 800 mm: 11 units in 20 feet, 24 to 25 units in 40 feet when stacked alternating in both directions.
1140 x 1140 mm and 1219 x 1016 mm: 10 and 9 units in 20 feet respectively, both 20 units in 40 feet.

The difference lies in the 20-foot container: 1100 x 1100 mm gets one more position per layer than 1200 x 1000 mm, about 10% more positions. In a 40-foot, the 1200 x 1000 mm size could theoretically fit 22 units alternating, but the length leaves only about 32 mm spare, so in practice it usually stops at 20 to 21 units. A detailed stacking method is covered in the article on how to load pallets into a container.

Calculate pallets for your own container

The number of units per layer is the whole-number part of the interior length divided by one pallet side, multiplied by the whole-number part of the interior width divided by the other side; try both orientations and alternating layouts. The number of layers is the whole-number part of the interior height minus clearance, divided by the height of the load unit including the pallet. Finally, check the total weight against the container’s maximum payload.

Small plastic pallets: when to choose a size under 1000 mm?

Small pallets such as 1000 x 1000, 1000 x 600 or 800 x 600 mm fit when the warehouse has narrow aisles, uses hand pallet trucks, handles loose goods on a production line and does not go in export containers. But under the same name of 1000 x 1000 mm, three codes in the ICD catalogue have very different loads: the 120 mm code has a static load of 1,500 kg and a dynamic load of 1,000 kg; the 9-foot 150 mm code has a static load of 6,000 kg and a dynamic load of 2,000 kg; the 3-runner 165 mm code has a static load of 3,000 kg and a dynamic load of 1,000 kg. When asking to buy a small size, ask by code and dynamic load, not only by length x width.

A warehouse door looking out on a truck waiting for goods — When goods do not go in export containers, the pallet size can be chosen by the aisles, warehouse doors and forklifts inside the plant.

4-step checklist for choosing the right plastic pallet size

The four questions below are enough to settle the pallet size in most cases, in order of priority:

Which market the goods go to, and what size the partner writes in the contract.
What type of forklift, and how wide and high the rack bays are.
How many kg one load unit weighs when actually weighed.
Whether the pallets circulate fast or slowly, and how much forklift impact they take.

The first question matters most, because the recipient’s warehouse, forklifts and racking are designed around their size. The second decides the height and foot type. The third decides the code by dynamic load. The last decides whether to invest in a more durable type or a lighter, cheaper one.

3 common mistakes when choosing plastic pallet specifications

Choosing the size by habit. You are used to 1200 x 1000 mm and only learn when signing an order to Japan that the partner needs 1100 x 1100 mm, so the old batch of pallets cannot be used for that order.

Forgetting pallet height when designing racking. A few tens of millimetres per pallet added across many levels can cost a rack level, and the racking has to be modified after installation.

Taking static load as the safety basis. Exceeding the dynamic load does not break the pallet at once, but gradually cracks the feet, bends the deck and then fails while lifting goods.

In summary

ISO 6780 has 6 sizes, and the third square size is 1140 x 1140 mm, not 1165 x 1165 mm. 1200 x 1000 mm is the most flexible for domestic use and Europe; 1100 x 1100 mm is the most common in Japan. The common height is 150 mm. Choose the code by dynamic load, check the height against racking, and calculate pallets by container interior before packing. The standards file for export goods is in the article on ISO standards for export plastic pallets.

Frequently asked questions about plastic pallet sizes

What size is a pallet?

There is no single size. ISO 6780 recognises 6 sizes: 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000, 1219 x 1016, 1067 x 1067, 1100 x 1100 and 1140 x 1140 mm. In Vietnam the most common are 1200 x 1000 mm and 1100 x 1100 mm, usually 150 mm high.

How many kg does a plastic pallet weigh?

According to the ICD Vietnam catalogue, a 1200 x 1000 mm pallet weighs from about 6 kg (the nestable cup-foot type) to 22 kg (the 9-foot, 3-runner and steel-core types); a 1100 x 1100 mm pallet from about 7 to 18.5 kg. The heavier the pallet, the higher the dynamic load usually is. How material affects this is covered in the article on HDPE plastic pallets.

How many m3 is one pallet?

Calculate it by the load unit: length x width x total height, including the pallet. A 1200 x 1000 mm pallet stacked with goods 1.5 m high including the pallet takes 1.2 x 1.0 x 1.5 = 1.8 m3. An empty 1200 x 1000 x 150 mm pallet alone takes about 0.18 m3.

A black 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallet laid on the floor for measuring — Load unit volume is counted from the pallet base to the top of the goods, so pallet height is also part of the m3 figure.

How much does a 1200 x 1000 plastic pallet cost?

Price depends on construction (open or closed deck, cup feet, 9-foot, 3-runner, steel core), height, plastic weight and order quantity. Contact ICD Vietnam for a quote on a specific code.

Does Vietnam have a national standard for pallet dimensions?

Yes, TCVN 9022:2011, fully equivalent to ISO 6780:2003. It is a voluntary standard, not mandatory; in practice, pallet size is decided by the customer contract or the warehouse system.

Can plastic pallets be ordered in a custom size?

Yes, for businesses with automated lines or special packing specifications. Minimum quantity and production time depend on the design and whether a new mould is needed, so send a drawing for ICD Vietnam to quote specifically.

How do I check that a plastic pallet is the right size?

Measure length and width with a tape at room temperature, about 23 °C, then compare with the nominal size: under ISO 6780, the permitted deviation is +3 to -6 mm. Also measure both diagonals, with a difference of no more than 1%. Pallets in the same batch that differ widely are a sign of poor quality control.

A hand holding a tape measure along a bar of material on a table — Measure each unit in the batch: length, width and both diagonals, against the +3/-6 mm tolerance of ISO 6780.

What should I note when exporting to Japan with plastic pallets?

On size, the most common in Japan is 1100 x 1100 mm, but state the size clearly in the contract. Plastic pallets do not need ISPM 15 treatment, a standard that applies only to wooden pallets and raw wood packaging. Other paperwork depends on what the partner requires.

What is the standard European pallet size?

The EUR 1 European pallet under EPAL is 1200 x 800 x 144 mm; the 1200 x 1000 mm size is also widely used for industrial goods. A 1200 x 800 mm plastic pallet fits when goods enter European retail systems.

Do blue and black plastic pallets differ in size?

No. Colour usually reflects the plastic type (virgin or recycled) or a warehouse’s zone-coding convention, and does not decide size. In the ICD Vietnam catalogue, the same 1200 x 1000 mm size has both blue and black codes, with different loads by construction.

Contact for plastic pallet size advice

ICD Vietnam advises on choosing plastic pallet size and construction to suit each business’s warehouse, forklifts and export market.

North: 0983 797 186
090 345 9186
090 5859 186
South: 098 6784 186
Email: Sales@icdvietnam.com.vn
In stock - VAT invoice - Nationwide delivery - Free advice

References

Pallet classification and sizes - Material Handling Industry (MHI) - Pallets.
Principal dimensions and tolerances of flat pallets - ISO 6780:2003; TCVN 9022:2011.
T11 standard and rental pallet statistics in Japan - Japan Pallet Association (JPA), updated 1 June 2026.
European pallet sizes and loads - EPAL Euro Pallet.
Pallet 1165 x 1165 mm - Standards Australia, AS 4068-1993.
Interior dimensions of 20-foot, 40-foot and 40-foot HC containers - specifications published by the shipping lines Hapag-Lloyd and Maersk.
Number of codes, height, weight and load - ICD Vietnam plastic pallet catalogue, checked 11 October 2026.