02 Catalog line · 1200x800 Euro
1200x800 Euro plastic pallets
1200x800 Euro plastic pallets measure 1200 by 800 mm (about 47.2 x 31.5 in), the footprint European retailers, food makers and hauliers run on. We quote one-way and returnable 1200x800 plastic models for US exporters; send the destination, load, quantity and the ZIP where loads are built.
- Dynamic load
- European sheets quote kg (1 kg is about 2.2 lb); ask for both units
- Static load
- Ask whether the floor rating suits block stacking at the receiver
- Racked load
- Ask for the racked load with the 1200 mm side across the beams
The Euro footprint
A 1200x800 is 1200 mm long and 800 mm wide, about 47.2 x 31.5 in. It is the Euro pallet, the size that wood EPAL pallets are built to and the one European trailers, racks and store backrooms are laid out for. ISO 6780 lists it among the international footprints.
It is 8.5 in narrower than a US 48x40 and nearly the same length. A US shipper should not treat it as a cut-down 48x40, because the narrower deck changes the case pattern, the overhang allowance and how the load sits in the receiver's rack.
| Item | Figure | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 1200 x 800 mm | about 47.2 x 31.5 in |
| 53-ft US van, three across | about 39 | 3 x 31.5 = 94.5 in of 100, 630 / 47.2 = 13.3, so 13 rows |
| 53-ft US van, two across turned | about 40 on paper | 2 x 47.2 = 94.4 in, 630 / 31.5 = 20.0 with almost no slack |
| 20-ft container | about 11 | lane of 800 mm across (4 deep) plus lane of 1200 mm across (7 deep), 2000 mm of about 2347 |
| 40-ft container | about 23 to 25 | the same lanes: 10 plus 15 on paper, about 40 mm of length to spare |
| European 13.6 m trailer | 33 | 3 across, 800 mm edge forward |
Who works in 1200x800
European grocery and retail distribution uses it end to end, from the food plant to the supermarket shelf. Hauliers price and plan freight by Euro pallet spaces, so a load built on anything else can cost more to move. Pharmaceutical, cosmetics and consumer-goods supply chains in Europe use it as well.
In the US the buyers are exporters selling into those chains, and their freight forwarders. Building the shipment on the Euro footprint at the US plant means the European receiver can put it straight into racks or onto a delivery truck without restacking at the port.
| Receiver | What they check | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Supermarket chain DC | Euro outline, maximum loaded height, label placement | Pick faces, dock doors and shelf replenishment are planned around it |
| Pharmaceutical wholesaler | Clean one-piece deck, no wood, intact wrap | Hygiene and audit rules in temperature-controlled storage |
| Car or machinery plant | Runner direction, racked load in kilograms | Automated conveyors and high-bay racking |
| Contract logistics hub | Gross weight and height per pallet space | Hauliers and warehouses bill by space and weight |
| Online fulfilment center | Base flatness and bottom pattern | Shuttles, lifts and sorters reject warped pallets |
| Cash-and-carry wholesaler | Sturdy edges, stable wrapping | Customers wheel pallets through public aisles on trolleys |
| Bakery or confectionery depot | Smooth deck, no flaking paint or splinters | Crumbs, flour dust and allergen controls |
Plastic versus a wood Euro pallet
Wood Euro pallets move in an exchange system, where a receiver swaps an empty for each loaded one. That only works inside Europe. A US exporter sending wood across the Atlantic also has to meet ISPM 15, which requires treated, marked wood packaging.
A plastic 1200x800 sidesteps both. ISPM 15 covers wood, not plastic, and USDA APHIS lists plastic pallets as an alternative to wood packaging material that its WPM rules do not cover. A light one-way plastic Euro pallet can go out with the freight and stay with the receiver, with no treatment certificate and no exchange to settle.
Types in the Euro size
Ask the maker whether a model's runners run the 1200 mm way, as on a wood Euro pallet. European handling equipment and racking often assume they do.
- Light nestable one-way pallets for container freight that will not return
- Three-runner stackables, which match the base of a wood Euro pallet and run on European conveyors
- Rackable models with a published racked load, for the receiver's beam racking
- Hygienic one-piece decks for food, dairy and pharmaceutical loads
- Returnable pallets with RFID pockets for tracked loops between sites
Filling a container with Euro pallets
An ISO container is about 2347 mm wide inside. Three Euro pallets across would need 2400 mm, which does not fit, so the floor is loaded in two lanes: one with the 800 mm side across and one with the 1200 mm side across, 2000 mm in all. In a 20-foot box, about 5883 mm long, the first lane holds 5883 / 1200 = 4 and the second 5883 / 800 = 7, about 11 pallets.
A 40-foot box is about 12,040 mm long. The same lanes give 10 and 15, or 25 on paper, with about 40 mm of length left. Plan on 23 or 24 if the door needs clearance or the load overhangs the deck. In a US 53-foot van the narrow side makes three across possible, about 39 positions.
Hygiene areas and the half Euro
European food, dairy and pharmaceutical sites often keep wood out of production and clean areas, so goods arriving on wood Euro pallets get moved onto plastic ones at a changeover point. Shipping on a plastic 1200x800 from the start can remove that transfer. If the receiver's hygiene rules call for it, ask for one-piece, smooth-deck models with closed edges that a washer can reach.
Retail displays in Europe use a smaller format, the half Euro pallet at 800 x 600 mm. It is not the same as a US half pallet, so build European display programs to the European size.
Quoting Euro pallets from the US
Send the destination country, what goes on each pallet and how heavy it is, whether the pallets return or stay with the receiver, whether they are racked there, the quantity and the US ZIP where you build loads. We reply by email with the models that meet it and a delivered price. Full orders ship on a 53-foot van and smaller ones LTL.
Questions buyers ask
What size is a Euro pallet in inches?
About 47.2 x 31.5 in. Its exact size is 1200 x 800 mm.
How many Euro pallets fit in a 20-foot container?
About 11 one high, in two lanes: 4 with the 800 mm side across and 7 with the 1200 mm side across.
Do I need a heat treatment stamp on plastic Euro pallets?
No. ISPM 15 covers wood packaging, and plastic pallets fall outside it.
Can a plastic Euro pallet go into the European exchange pool?
The exchange system is built around wood EPAL pallets. A plastic one-way pallet is usually meant to stay with the receiver.
Is the European display pallet the same as a US half pallet?
No. The European half pallet is 800 x 600 mm, half of a Euro pallet, while a US half pallet is usually 24 x 40 in.
Sources
- USDA APHIS: wood packaging material and its alternatives
- Cabka: plastic pallets for export and ISPM 15
Last reviewed November 8, 2026.