Wooden Pallet Dimensions: Standard Sizes - ISO, EPAL, Vietnam and Export

Reviewed and updated by ICD - Week 43/2026

The most common standard wooden pallet sizes are 1200 x 1000 mm, 1100 x 1100 mm and 1200 x 800 mm, with a height usually between 120 and 160 mm. The EPAL Euro pallet is 1200 x 800 mm and 144 mm high, the Asian standard pallet is 1200 x 1000 mm and 156 mm high; ISO 6780 recognises 6 footprint sizes for pallets used in international transport.

Choosing a wooden pallet size means choosing three numbers at once: the length x width of the deck, the overall height and the clearance for forklift tines. These three numbers must match the load, the warehouse racking and the container or truck that will carry it. This article gathers sizes under ISO 6780, under the EPAL system and in the models ICD Vietnam currently makes, then shows how to check stack height before loading a container.

Standard Wooden Pallet Sizes Today

It helps to group wooden pallet sizes into three: sizes used most in Vietnam, the 6 ISO 6780 sizes for international transport, and the models under the EPAL size system and the Asian standard.

Wooden pallet sizes used most in Vietnam

In warehouses and factories in Vietnam, the three sizes met most are 1200 x 1000 mm, 1100 x 1100 mm and 1200 x 800 mm. The 1200 x 1000 mm size fits most selective racking and hand pallet trucks; 1100 x 1100 mm is the square pallet common in Asia; 1200 x 800 mm is the EPAL Euro pallet size, often met when cargo goes to Europe. Besides these three, many orders use pallets built to the size of their own packages.

ISO standard for international wooden pallet sizes

ISO 6780:2003 (Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling - Principal dimensions and tolerances) recognises exactly 6 footprint sizes: 1200 x 800, 1200 x 1000, 1219 x 1016, 1067 x 1067, 1100 x 1100 and 1140 x 1140 mm. The permitted manufacturing tolerance on length and width is +3 mm / -6 mm. The standard pallet usually seen in Australia is 1165 x 1165 mm, a size that is not in the ISO table. The table below lists the 6 sizes with inch conversions:

Pallet size is always written as length x width, where length is the side parallel to the stringer boards (bottom boards). So 1000 x 1200 mm and 1200 x 1000 mm have the same area but a different fork entry direction, which must be stated when ordering.

Export wooden pallet specification standards

For export cargo, choose the size by destination market. Cargo to Europe usually uses 1200 x 800 or 1200 x 1000 mm, cargo to the US and Canada uses 1219 x 1016 mm (48 x 40 inches), cargo to Japan and Korea often uses 1100 x 1100 mm square pallets; for the chemical industry, the CP models 1000 x 1200 and 1140 x 1140 mm are often requested. See also EPAL wooden pallets.

Whatever the size, wooden pallets going with export cargo must be treated and stamped with the IPPC mark under the ISPM 15 standard. ICD Vietnam wooden pallets for export cargo are treated and stamped with the IPPC mark through a licensed treatment provider.

Wooden pallet sizes in the EPAL system

The 800 x 1200 mm size is the EPAL Euro pallet, whose design is set by the European Pallet Association (EPAL). By EPAL’s specification, the EPAL Euro pallet 1200 x 800 x 144 mm has 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails, weighs about 25 kg and has a safe working load of 1,500 kg; boards must be 22 - 24 mm thick. A pallet with the EPAL mark may only be heat treated. Pallets stamped EUR by the railways (UIC) have no longer been treated as equivalent to EPAL pallets since 1 May 2017, so when a partner asks for “EPAL” you need to ask whether they need a pallet carrying the EPAL mark or only the right size.

Besides the 800 x 1200 mm model, the EPAL system has many other sizes. The table below lists the models ICD Vietnam currently makes in EPAL system sizes, the CP chemical industry system and the Asian standard, with data taken from product pages (October 2026):

The names EPAL 1, 2, 3 and 6 in the table refer only to sizes in the EPAL system. Models marked “Per drawing” or “Ask for the spec sheet” have no load rating published on the product page, so ask ICD to send the spec sheet before choosing for heavy cargo.

Warehouse storage pallet sizes

In a warehouse, pallet size is chosen by rack bay and aisle more than by industry. Pallets of 1200 x 1000 mm and 1100 x 1100 mm are easy to place on common selective racking; 1000 x 1000 mm pallets or custom sizes are usually used for small square packages. Whatever size you choose, the load should cover the pallet deck fully and not overhang the edge, so force goes evenly into the blocks and nothing snags when racking or loading a container.

Standard Wooden Pallet Height

Standard wooden pallet height is usually 120 to 160 mm: the EPAL Euro pallet is 144 mm, the Asian standard pallet 156 mm, the CP chemical pallet 138 mm, and the North American GMA 48 x 40 inch pallet about 121 mm in the standard version. ISO 6780 sets the footprint, tolerances and the opening clearance for forklift tines, but does not fix a single overall height and does not set load ratings (load tests belong to the ISO 8611 set).

Heights of standard wooden pallet types

The EPAL Euro 1200 x 800 mm pallet is 144 mm high. The GMA 48 x 40 inch pallet (1219 x 1016 mm), the most common stringer pallet in the US, is about 121 mm (4.75 inches) high in the standard version, with 16 mm boards on 89 mm stringers; versions with thicker boards or stringers are about 121 - 152 mm high. Among ICD Vietnam models, pallets in EPAL 1, 3 and 6 sizes are 144 mm high, EPAL 2 is 162 mm, the Asian and Chinese style standard is 156 mm, and the CP1 - CP4 line for the chemical industry is 138 mm.

Height depends directly on load and structure: thicker deck boards to cut sag under heavy cargo, taller blocks to raise the fork opening. So two pallets with the same footprint can differ by several tens of millimetres in height, and the exact figure should be taken from the drawing of each model.

What makes up the height of a wooden pallet?

Pallet height is the total thickness of its layers: deck boards, connecting boards (on block pallets), blocks or stringers, and bottom boards. On the EPAL Euro pallet, boards are 22 - 24 mm thick and the fork opening (clearance for forklift tines) is 100 mm, giving a total height of 144 mm. The fork opening is the most important part of the height: hand pallet truck tines must fit into this gap, so a pallet lower than standard may not take the tines.

Calculating stack height when loading a container

When loading a container, the height to check is the door height, not the inside height, because the forklift must take the pallet through the door. By the specifications of the carrier Hapag-Lloyd, a standard 20 foot container usually has an interior of 5,900 x 2,352 x 2,395 mm and a door of 2,340 x 2,292 mm; a 40 foot High Cube has an interior of 12,032 x 2,350 x 2,700 mm and a door of 2,340 x 2,597 mm.

Example of loading 2 tiers of 144 mm EPAL pallets into a standard 20 foot container: door height 2,292 mm minus 2 x 144 mm of pallets leaves 2,004 mm, so each tier of cargo can be at most about 1,000 mm high, before handling clearance. If the cargo is taller, a High Cube container can be used or a lower pallet such as the 138 mm CP line. The tool below helps you check quickly:

How to Choose a Wooden Pallet Size

Choose a wooden pallet size in 3 steps: measure the load, check the size of the destination market or the customer’s request, then check against warehouse racking, forklifts and the transport vehicle.

1. Measure the length, width and height and weigh the package, and choose a pallet deck that the cargo covers fully without overhanging.
2. Check the size against the destination market or the receiving customer’s request.
3. Check against rack bays, forklift tines and the height of the container door or truck body.

A standard size makes the pallet fit racks, forklifts and containers without adjustment, makes good use of container floor area and is easy to share among partners in the supply chain. An off-size pallet makes cargo overhang the edge and get knocked, wastes space in the container and can jam on automated racking or conveyors.

When the timber section and load need to be calculated in advance for a custom size, manufacturers use pallet design software such as Pallet Design System (PDS) to simulate instead of building trial pallets and adjusting. For a custom size order, send the size and weight of the package to get a suitable structure proposed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wooden Pallet Sizes

What is the standard wooden pallet size in Vietnam?

Vietnam has no mandatory pallet size. The three most used sizes are 1200 x 1000 mm, 1100 x 1100 mm and 800 x 1200 mm, with a height usually 138 - 162 mm depending on the model.

What types of wooden pallet are there by fork entry?

A 2-way pallet lets the tines in from two sides only and is usually a stringer pallet; a 4-way pallet has blocks and lets the tines in from all four sides, so it is more flexible for warehouse stacking and container loading.

What does the right wooden pallet height depend on?

It depends on cargo load, the type of forklift and the rack height or container door. Check that the fork opening is enough for the tines and the total stack height against the container door, for example 2,292 mm for a standard 20 foot container.

What is the Asian standard wooden pallet size?

The Asian standard wooden pallet ICD Vietnam supplies is 1200 x 1000 x 156 mm (Asian style and Chinese style), with a static load of 6,000 kg, a dynamic load of 1,500 kg and a weight of about 30 kg ±5%. The standard pallet in Australia is 1165 x 1165 mm.

What export wooden pallet size should you choose?

Choose by destination market: Europe uses 1200 x 800 or 1200 x 1000 mm, the US and Canada use 1219 x 1016 mm (48 x 40 inches), Japan and Korea often use 1100 x 1100 mm. Every wooden pallet going with export cargo must be treated and stamped under ISPM 15.

What are the board dimensions of an EPAL pallet?

By EPAL, the EPAL Euro pallet 1200 x 800 x 144 mm uses 11 boards, 9 blocks and 78 nails; boards are 22 - 24 mm thick (connecting boards up to 25 mm), the fork opening is 100 mm high and total weight is about 25 kg.

Are the EUR pallet and the EPAL pallet the same?

They share the 1200 x 800 x 144 mm size, but since 1 May 2017 pallets stamped EUR by the railways (UIC) have no longer been treated as equivalent to EPAL pallets. A pallet with the EPAL mark may only be heat treated.

Should you buy or rent wooden pallets?

For long-term use circulating in your own warehouse, buy standard size pallets. For one-way export or short-term needs, consider a pallet pool rental service, depending on the cost of recovering pallets.

Contact ICD Vietnam

For advice on wooden pallet sizes by package, warehouse racking or export market, contact ICD Vietnam (icdvietnam.com.vn). See also: wooden pallet prices

References

• ISO 6780:2003, Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling - Principal dimensions and tolerances.
• EPAL, specification of the EPAL Euro pallet 1200 x 800 x 144 mm.
• Hapag-Lloyd, specification of the 20 foot standard container and 40 foot High Cube.
• Pallet Design, specification of the GMA 48 x 40 inch pallet.
• Material Handling Industry (MHI) - Pallets.
• ICD Vietnam, size and load specifications on the wooden pallet category product pages (October 2026).