02 Catalog line · 44x44
44x44 plastic pallets
44x44 plastic pallets are a 44 in square (1118 x 1118 mm) used for drums and chemicals, and unlike 48x48 they fit two across a shipping container. We quote solid-deck, lipped and stackable 44x44 models; send drum size and count, heaviest load, racking plans, quantity and delivery ZIP.
- Dynamic load
- Drums are dense; ask for the forklift figure with your drum count
- Static load
- Ask if the floor figure allows a second drum pallet stacked on top
- Racked load
- Point loads at the edges matter; ask how the racked load was tested
44x44 dimensions
The deck is 44 in on each side, or 1118 x 1118 mm. Industry pallet tables list it next to 48x48 for drums and chemicals. It is the smaller of the two drum squares, and the 4 in it gives up on each side is what lets it load two across a container.
| Item | Figure | Arithmetic |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 44 x 44 in | 1118 x 1118 mm |
| 53-ft van | about 28 | 2 across (88 in of 100), 630 / 44 = 14.3, so 14 rows |
| 20-ft container | about 10 | 2 across (88 in of 92.4), 231.6 / 44 = 5.3, so 5 rows |
| 40-ft container | about 20 | 2 across, 474 / 44 = 10.8, so 10 rows |
| Four 55-gallon drums, two by two | about 46 in square | about 2 in wider than the deck |
| Deck area | 1,936 sq in | 44 x 44 |
| Width spare, two across a container | about 4.4 in | 92.4 - 88 |
Drums on a 44 in deck
A steel 55-gallon drum is about 23 in across, so four of them set two by two make a square of about 46 in. On a 44x44 that leaves each drum hanging about 1 in past the edge. Some shippers accept that; others do not, because the overhang is the first thing a rack upright or a trailer wall hits.
Smaller containers sit inside the deck. 30-gallon drums, pails and cased jugs all fit a 44 in square without overhang. If your drums are full 55-gallon steel, compare this size with 48x48 and decide which matters more: no overhang, or container fit.
Who uses 44x44
Chemical makers and distributors are the main users, along with plants that handle oils, lubricants, coatings, adhesives and process liquids in drums and pails. Exporters of drummed product use it because a square that fits two across an ISO container ships more drums per box than a 48x48 does.
Plastic suits these sites for the same reason it suits most chemical handling. HDPE and PP decks do not absorb a leak, wash clean, and have no nails to puncture a drum's chime or a bag's side.
HDPE and PP copolymer both shrug off water, salts and most dilute acids and alkalis, which is one reason chemical plants moved to them. Strong oxidizers, such as concentrated nitric acid, and some aromatic or chlorinated solvents can swell, craze or weaken polyolefins over time. If a leaking drum could soak the deck with something aggressive, ask the maker for a compatibility chart for the exact resin.
Clean residue with water and a detergent suited to the product, and read the safety data sheet of whatever spilled before choosing a cleaner or a hot-water pressure washer. A pallet that has carried one chemical should not go back into food or pharmaceutical service.
Typical drum contents on these pallets include glycols, surfactants, printing inks, epoxies and edible oils.
Types made in 44x44
Fewer makers mold a 44x44 than a 48x48, and most models are built for dense loads. Read the sheet for the exact model, since ratings in this size cover a wide range.
- Drum pallets with a raised perimeter lip or molded drum seats
- Solid-deck stackables on runners for pails and cased chemicals
- Heavy-duty models with ribbed or reinforced decks
- Nestable 44x44s for lighter export loads that should not come back
- Used 44x44s, which appear in smaller lots than used 48x40s
Container and trailer loading
This is the reason many exporters pick 44x44. An ISO container is about 92.4 in wide inside. Two 44 in pallets take 88 in, with about 4 in left for walls and any overhang. A 20-foot box is about 231.6 in long, giving 5 rows and about 10 pallets; a 40-foot box is about 474 in long, giving 10 rows and about 20. A 48x48 manages only one across and about 9 in a 40-foot box.
In a 53-foot van, about 630 by 100 in inside, two fit across and 14 rows fit down the length, about 28 floor positions. Drum loads are heavy, so weight usually sets the limit before floor space does. Overhanging drums take up width, so measure the loaded pallet, not just the deck, before you count two across.
Brace drums against sliding with dunnage bags, blocking or load bars.
Placard rules for hazardous contents still apply.
Buying and selling used 44x44s
Turn a used one over before you accept a lot. The date clock on the underside shows the month and year of molding, and the chasing-arrows triangle carries a 2 for HDPE or a 5 for PP. Look for stains soaked into scratches, cracks at the leg corners, and a lip split where drums were dragged against it. Grade A means a whole deck, intact runners and no repairs; Grade B means sound but scuffed, faded or labelled.
When a drum fleet retires, whole pallets can be resold and broken ones are worth something as regrind. Tell us what they carried, the count, the resin if known, their condition and the pickup ZIP, and we reply with an offer.
What a 44x44 quote needs
Send the drum size and how many go on each pallet, the heaviest gross load, whether the pallets go into racks or stack on the floor, the deck you want, the quantity and the delivery ZIP. We reply by email with models or used grades that meet it and a delivered price. A truckload ships on a 53-foot van; a partial order ships LTL.
Questions buyers ask
Do four 55-gallon drums fit on a 44x44 pallet?
They fit with about 1 in of overhang on each side, since four drums make a square of about 46 in. A 48x48 holds them with no overhang.
Why choose 44x44 over 48x48?
Container fit. Two 44x44s fit across an ISO container, while a 48x48 fits only one across.
How many 44x44 pallets fit in a 20-foot container?
About 10 one high: 2 across and 5 rows.
Are plastic drum pallets safe for corrosive chemicals?
HDPE and PP resist most acids, alkalis and salts. Strong oxidizers and some solvents can attack them, so ask the maker for a compatibility chart.
Can I sell a retired 44x44 fleet?
Yes. Whole pallets resell as used, and cracked ones have regrind value. Send the count, resin, condition, what they carried and the pickup ZIP.
Sources
Last reviewed November 8, 2026.