Stackable Pallets, 48 x 32 in Footprint

Stackable pallets at 48 x 32 in

A 48 x 32 in pallet, roughly the Euro size, is a lighter stackable. It is used for half-pallet retail displays and for lighter loads that do not need the common footprint. Few makers print a high static figure at this size, so read the sheet for the exact model.

Stackables do not nest, so their empties stand at full height. For scale, a 30,000 lb static rating spread over the 1,536 sq in of a 48 x 32 in deck is 19.5 lb per sq in; the same rating on a 48 x 40 in deck is 15.6 lb per sq in. This is arithmetic for comparison only, and the rating that counts is the maker's.

Shape and size

• Perimeter: 160.0 in (4,064 mm).
• Diagonal corner to corner: 57.7 in (1,465 mm), which is the room a pallet needs to turn in an aisle.
• Area: 0.991 square metres, 10.67 square feet.
• Aspect: the long side is 1.500 times the short side.

In practice

A 48 x 32 in stackable is a light pallet for light jobs. It suits half-pallet retail displays, partial loads and lighter products that do not justify the full common footprint. Because the deck is narrow, the stack height is limited by stability long before it is limited by the rating, so the arithmetic of the load matters less than its tilt.

Few makers print high static figures for this size, and the sheets are thinner. That is a reason to read the one you are given closely: note which lines are blank, and treat a blank racking line as a no rather than a maybe.

The area, next to the common size

48 x 32 in against the other sizes

Questions for the maker

• Static rating for the stack
• Whether the receiver accepts the size
• Entry type

A note on this page

Half-height retail displays and promotional pallets are where this footprint turns up most often. They are filled with light, attractive cases and rolled onto the floor, so handling and looks matter at least as much as the stacking rating.

From the dock

• Warehouse floors are rarely flat; a slight slope turns a safe stack into a tall lever.
• Plastic gets stiffer in the cold and softer in the heat, so the same stack behaves differently in two seasons.

Words on this page

Stretch wrap

Elastic film wound around a loaded pallet to hold the load together.

Dynamic load

The weight a pallet holds while it is moved by a forklift, pallet jack or conveyor. It is lower than static because motion adds shock.

UL

Underwriters Laboratories, a safety testing body that publishes fire test standards, including one for storage pallets.

Bulk bag

A large woven bag, often sold as a Super Sack, that holds a ton or so of powder or granules and sits on a square pallet.