A pallet standard is a set of rules established for the creation and safety of pallets. Pallets are platforms, often created from plastic, wood, or metal, with the most common material being wood. Such platforms are used for moving, storing, and transporting goods in a variety of settings. The material used to make one does not affect the standard for length and width. There are several different sets of rules for pallet dimensions.
The most recognized agencies to set such regulations are the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). The importance of the pallet standard can be related to their use for storing and transporting goods. If sizes are not regulated, shipping companies, retail stores, and storage facilities may have difficulty estimating the number of items that a given space will hold. Standardization also allows for the estimation of the total storage ability of the pallets themselves.
List of Approved ISO Pallet Standard Measurements:
48 by 40 inches (1219 by 1016 mm)
39.37 by 47.24 inches (1000 by 1200 mm)
44.88 by 44.88 inches (1165 by 1165 mm)
42 by 42 inches (1100 by 1100 mm)
43.30 by 43.30 inches (1067 by 1067 mm)
31.5 by 47.24 inches (800 by 1200 mm)
List of Approved ANSI Pallet Standard Measurements:
48 by 40 inches (1219 by 1016 mm)
42 by 42 inches (1067 by 1067 mm)
48 by 48 inches (1219 by 1219 mm)
40 by 40 inches (1016 by 1016 mm)
48 by 45 inches (1219 by 1067 mm)
44 by 44 inches (1118 by 1118 mm)
36 by 36 inches (914 by 914 mm)
48 by 36 inches (1219 by 914 mm)
35 by 45.5 inches (889 by 1156 mm)
48 by 20 inches (1219 by 508 mm)
Two other governing bodies that regulate such standards are the European Pallet Association and the Australian Pallet Standard. The dimensions required to build approved pallets for these two standards are usually used only in Europe and Australia. The Australian pallet was created for use with the Railways of Australia Container Express (RACE). The RACE is a shipping container that is larger than the standard ISO transport container. An Australian pallet measures 46 by 46 inches (1168 by 1168 mm).
The European Pallet Association has more stringent pallet-building regulations. The association monitors sizes and the wood and nails used in pallet construction. There are four approved pallet sizes but only one differs from ISO standards. This is the smallest European pallet, which measures 31.5 by 23.6 inches (800 by 600 mm), and is not ISO approved.