Pallet Dimensions

How much does a pallet weigh?

An empty 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 59 lb (14 to 27 kg), depending on the wood and how dry it is. A wood block pallet runs about 55 to 68 lb. Plastic ranges from 12 lb for a light nestable pallet to about 54 lb for a rackable pooled one.

Checked November 14, 2026 against Pallet Foundation / NWPCA, Nelson Company, PECO Pallet and iGPS.

Empty weight of a 48 × 40 pallet, by material

Range across makers
Ranges are the lowest and highest figure among the sources named on each row.
MaterialEmpty weightEmpty weightWhat moves itSource
lbkg
Wood, stringer (GMA)30–5914–27Lumber species and moisture: a new pallet of green lumber sits at the top, a dried one in service near the bottom.13141516117
Wood, block55–6825–31Softwood. Kamps lists a hardwood 9-block at 123 lb.21614
Plastic, nestable12–185–8Light, one-way or export pallets that nest when empty.345
Plastic, rackable or pooled30–5414–24Heavier decks and reinforcement for racking.6789
Presswood (moulded wood fibre)34–3915–18Nestable; sold mostly for export.1018
Aluminium46–5121–231920
Steel, galvanized65–7629–34Both listings are the same Vestil model and disagree by 11 lb.2122

Cite this table: Empty weight of a 48 × 40 pallet, by material, Pallet Dimensions, checked November 14, 2026, https://palletdimensions.com/pallet-weight/#weightDownload CSV

How much a pallet holds

Load ratings, evenly spread load
Not rated means none of the sources gives a figure for that case. Ratings are for an evenly distributed load; a point load or poor rack support lowers them.
Pallet typeStatic, on the floorDynamic, on a forkliftRacked, edge-supportedSource
lblblb
Wood stringer (GMA)The 4,600 lb static figure repeated across the web matches Kamps’ design rating. The NWPCA example design rates 4,225 lb static, 2,504 lb dynamic and 1,558 lb racked across the length.2,500–6,0001,134–2,722 kg2,000–2,800907–1,270 kg1,558–2,000707–907 kg13232414171
Wood block, pooled (PECO, CHEP)not rated2,8001,270 kg2,8001,270 kg11212
Plastic, rackable or pooled8,400–30,0003,810–13,608 kg5,0002,268 kg2,8001,270 kg987
Plastic, nestable3,500–10,5001,588–4,763 kgnot ratednot rated35
Presswood6,000–7,5002,722–3,402 kg1,500–2,500680–1,134 kgnot rated102526
Aluminium (two products)30,00013,608 kgnot rated5,0002,268 kg2019

Cite this table: How much a pallet holds, Pallet Dimensions, checked November 14, 2026, https://palletdimensions.com/pallet-weight/#capacityDownload CSV

Static, dynamic and racked

Static load is what a pallet bears at rest on a flat floor under an even load. Dynamic load is what it bears while a forklift or conveyor moves it. Racked load is what it bears supported only at its edges across open rack beams.26 Racked is almost always the lowest, so it is the rating that matters in a warehouse.

The 4,600 lb figure quoted for a standard wood pallet is a static rating for one design, with the forks parallel to the stringers.23 The same pallet on a forklift is good for roughly 2,000 to 2,800 lb.14

What changes the answer

Moisture
Green lumber is heavy. The NWPCA design example weighs 59 lb new.13 The same pallet loses weight as it dries in service.
Species and board thickness
Hardwood and thicker deck boards add weight and capacity. Two pallets of the same size can differ by 20 lb.
How it is supported
Racked capacity depends on the beam span and which way the pallet sits on the rack. The NWPCA example rates 1,558 lb across its length and 1,630 lb across its width.
Freight weight
Carriers weigh the whole handling unit, so the pallet counts toward billed weight and density.

Questions about pallet weight

How much does a standard pallet weigh?

A 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 59 lb empty. Most quoted averages sit near 37 to 48 lb.

How much does a plastic pallet weigh?

From about 12 lb for a light nestable 48 × 40 to about 54 lb for a heavy rackable or pooled one.

How much weight can a pallet hold?

A standard wood pallet is commonly rated around 4,600 lb static and about 2,000 to 2,800 lb on a forklift. Racked, it may be rated under 2,000 lb.

Should I include the pallet in freight weight?

Yes. LTL carriers bill on the weight and size of the whole unit, pallet included. Use the freight class calculator with the loaded weight.

Sources

  1. PWN-4840-GMA-S wood pallet specification, Nelson Company. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  2. Pallet spec sheet (Spanish edition), PECO Pallet. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  3. CP-4840-N-100 plastic pallet specification, Nelson Company. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  4. GL-4840-N-ExNest plastic pallet specification, Nelson Company. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  5. NPP-4840-N-RackNest plastic pallet specification, Nelson Company. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  6. 40 × 48 P3 pallet, ORBIS. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  7. 40 × 48 RCKO LD pallet, ORBIS. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  8. 40 × 48 GMA rackable 2800 pallet, Rehrig Pacific. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  9. Pallet spec sheet, iGPS. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  10. PWN-4840-PRESS-N presswood pallet specification, Nelson Company. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  11. Pallet specifications, PECO Pallet. Primary source. Read November 14, 2026.
  12. CHEP North America 48 × 40 in pallet specification, CHEP (sheet hosted by Qimarox). Primary source. Read November 14, 2026. chep.com itself refused automated reads; this is CHEP’s sheet on a third-party site.
  13. Pallet Design System specification, drawings and analysis (example printout), Pallet Foundation / NWPCA. Read November 14, 2026. One example design run through NWPCA’s PDS software, not a published standard.
  14. GMA pallet, Interlake Mecalux. Read November 14, 2026.
  15. Pallet, Wikipedia. Read November 14, 2026. Its line that a GMA pallet holds “up to 460 pounds” is a typo and is not used.
  16. Understanding pallet weight, Kamps Pallets. Read November 14, 2026.
  17. Standard pallet size and dimensions, CSA Transportation. Read November 14, 2026.
  18. Pressed wood pallet, 48 × 40 in (H-1032), Uline. Read November 14, 2026.
  19. Aluminum pallet, 48 × 40 in (H-4062), Uline. Read November 14, 2026.
  20. Aluminum pallet 40 × 48 × 5¼ in, four-way (New Age), Global Industrial. Read November 14, 2026.
  21. Galvanized steel open-deck pallet 40 × 48 in (Vestil SPL-4048), Global Industrial. Read November 14, 2026.
  22. Vestil SPL-4048 galvanized steel pallet, WebstaurantStore. Read November 14, 2026.
  23. GMA pallet guidelines, Kamps Pallets. Read November 14, 2026.
  24. Pallet sizes take-away chart, Kamps Pallets. Read November 14, 2026.
  25. Recycled pressed wood pallet 40 × 48 in (PWP-4840), Zoro. Read November 14, 2026.
  26. The science behind pallet load capacity, Pallet Enterprise. Read November 14, 2026.
  27. How much does a wood pallet weigh?, ParcelPath. Read November 14, 2026.