A Euro pallet is a standardised wooden pallet measuring 800 mm wide × 1,200 mm long × 144 mm high, managed by the European Pallet Association (EPAL) under the EUR/EPAL certification system. A standard certified pallet has a static load capacity of up to 4,000 kg and a dynamic load capacity of up to 1,500 kg, subject to the applicable loading conditions and pallet specification.

European palletised road freight is commonly quoted, loaded, and invoiced around this footprint as a standard load unit. Carrier rate cards, trailer configurations, warehouse handling equipment, and racking systems across European logistics are designed around the 800 mm × 1,200 mm footprint unless a different pallet type is specified at booking.

What Are the Technical Specifications of a Euro Pallet?

A certified EPAL Euro pallet is manufactured to a defined specification covering its dimensions, construction, timber, markings, and structural performance.

Dimensions: 800 mm wide × 1,200 mm long × 144 mm high
Weight: approximately 20–25 kg, depending on timber moisture content and manufacturing conditions
Static load capacity: up to 4,000 kg when goods are properly distributed on a stationary pallet under suitable conditions
Dynamic load capacity: up to 1,500 kg under specified handling conditions, including forklift or pallet truck movement
Racking load capacity: up to 1,000 kg under the applicable supported-racking test conditions
Material: heat-treated softwood, commonly pine or spruce
Construction: nine wooden blocks, three top deck boards, three bottom deck boards, and three longitudinal boards/stringers
Entry: four-way entry, allowing compatible forklift and pallet truck handling from all four sides

Euro pallet construction and performance are associated with standards and specifications including UIC 435-2, EN 13698-1, ISO 445, ISO 3676, and ISO 8611. These establish requirements relating to dimensions, construction, pallet terminology, and structural performance.

What Is EPAL and How Does Its Certification System Work?

EPAL — the European Pallet Association e.V. — was founded in 1991 to establish consistent quality and safety standards for exchangeable pallets used throughout European logistics. EPAL operates a licensing and inspection system covering pallet manufacture and certified repair.

EPAL-certified pallets carry identifying marks that allow users and logistics operators to verify their origin and certification status. The traditional markings include:

Left corner block: the EPAL logo within an oval, identifying the EPAL licensing system.
Right corner block: the EUR marking where applicable, associated with the European railway pallet standard.
Centre block: manufacturing and inspection information, including relevant licence and production details.

EPAL-certified repaired pallets can also carry additional repair identification. Pallets must meet the applicable EPAL quality requirements before they can participate as exchangeable pallets in the EPAL system.

The Go Trans logistics glossary documents freight terminology, load-unit definitions, and document requirements used across European road freight. Euro, industrial, half-pallet, and other pallet formats form part of the pallet types used in European logistics, each with different dimensions, load profiles, and handling requirements.

ISPM 15 and International Transport

Wooden pallets used in international trade may also need to comply with ISPM 15 (International Standards for Phytosanitary Measures No. 15). The standard addresses the treatment of wood packaging material to reduce the international spread of timber pests.

Heat-treated pallets normally carry the HT mark as part of the applicable ISPM 15 marking. Shippers moving wooden pallets across international borders should confirm the phytosanitary requirements of the countries involved, because non-compliant wood packaging can be subject to inspection, rejection, treatment, or other border measures.

How Many Euro Pallets Fit on a European Truck?

A standard European semi-trailer with a load floor of approximately 13.6 metres can typically carry 33 Euro pallets in a single floor layer when loaded according to the standard pallet configuration.

Double-deck or multi-level trailers can increase capacity to approximately 66 Euro pallets, depending on the vehicle design, pallet height, loading restrictions, and the nature of the goods.

The 33-pallet configuration is possible because the Euro pallet's 800 mm width and 1,200 mm length allow efficient use of the approximately 13.6-metre European trailer load floor. Actual capacity can vary when pallet dimensions, load overhang, pallet weight, axle limits, loading patterns, or other cargo restrictions have to be considered.

The 800 mm width also provides compatibility with many European warehouse and delivery-door configurations, although the actual clearance available depends on the specific vehicle and building entrance.

Go Trans arranges pallet delivery across Europe through its carrier network, matching vehicle configuration to pallet count, pallet dimensions, consignment weight, and delivery destination.

What Is the EPAL Pallet Exchange System?

The EPAL exchange system is based on the principle of exchanging equivalent usable Euro pallets. A shipper may send goods on loaded Euro pallets and the recipient can return an equivalent number of empty, exchangeable pallets, subject to the agreed commercial and operational conditions.

This exchange model forms part of the wider European pallet-pool system connecting manufacturers, distributors, carriers, warehouses, and receivers across European road freight networks.

Pallets presented for exchange must satisfy the applicable EPAL condition requirements. Damaged or unsuitable pallets may require certified repair before they can return to the exchange pool.

Where pallets are delivered but equivalent empty pallets are not returned, a pallet shortage charge may apply under the carrier's or logistics provider's agreed terms. Shippers booking palletised freight should therefore confirm pallet exchange conditions before collection and delivery.

How Does the Euro Pallet Compare to Other Pallet Types?

The Euro pallet at 800 mm × 1,200 mm is one of the principal standard pallet formats used in European road freight. Other common formats include:

Industrial Pallet

The common industrial pallet format measures 1,000 mm × 1,200 mm. Its larger width provides a different loading footprint and is frequently used for industrial, manufacturing, and heavier distribution applications.

Half Euro Pallet

The half Euro pallet measures 800 mm × 600 mm, giving it half the footprint of a standard 800 mm × 1,200 mm Euro pallet. It is useful for retail distribution, supermarket replenishment, and smaller consignments where a full-size pallet would leave unused capacity.

UK Standard Pallet

A common UK pallet format measures 1,000 mm × 1,200 mm, matching the dimensions of the common industrial pallet. UK-bound shipments may therefore require separate pallet management and exchange arrangements depending on the destination and carrier.

US GMA Pallet

The North American GMA pallet is approximately 1,016 mm × 1,219 mm. Its dimensions differ from the Euro pallet and it is not interchangeable with the standard EPAL pallet exchange pool.

Can Euro Pallets Be Used in Shipping Containers?

Euro pallets do not always make the most efficient use of the internal width of standard ISO shipping containers. The pallet footprint, container dimensions, door opening, and required loading clearance all affect how many pallets can be loaded and how efficiently the available volume is used.

Pallet-wide containers with increased internal width are commonly used in European logistics where the objective is to optimise loading of standard European pallets. These containers are particularly relevant to European short-sea and intermodal transport operations.

How Does Go Trans Arrange Euro Pallet Shipments?

Go Trans arranges pallet delivery across Europe through its carrier network, with Euro pallets serving as a standard load unit on European road freight lanes. Consignments are matched to suitable vehicle configurations based on pallet count, individual pallet dimensions, weight, loading requirements, and delivery destination.

Get a quote: Get a Euro pallet freight quote from Go Trans

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between an EPAL pallet and a EUR pallet?

EPAL and EUR are two certification marks that appear together on the same certified euro pallet — they identify the certification body and the product standard respectively, not two separate products. EUR is the original trademark of the European railways, designating the 800mm × 1200mm wooden pallet standardised in 1961 for cross-border rail freight. EPAL is the European Pallet Association, the independent certification body founded in 1991 to license manufacturers and repair workshops after the quality failures of the 1980s replica market. Every EPAL-certified pallet carries the EUR logo on the right corner block and the EPAL logo on the left corner block. A pallet bearing only one mark — or neither — is not fully certified and is not accepted in European Pallet Pool exchange.

What is the difference between a euro pallet and an industrial pallet?

A euro pallet measures 800mm × 1200mm and produces 33 loading positions on a standard 13.6m European semi-trailer. An industrial pallet (EUR 2 or EUR 3) measures 1000mm × 1200mm — the same 1200mm depth but 200mm wider. Two industrial pallets placed side by side span 2,000mm, which does not fit the two-wide repeating pattern within a standard trailer internal width of 2,400–2,440mm in the same configuration as euro pallets. Industrial pallets are used in heavy manufacturing, chemical distribution, and bulk supply chains where the wider load area suits the cargo type. They are classified within the EPAL system under EUR 2 and EUR 3 designations but operate in a separate pool from the standard EUR 1 euro pallet exchange.

What is a half euro pallet and when is it used in European freight?

A half euro pallet (EUR 6) measures 800mm × 600mm — exactly half the euro pallet footprint in the shorter dimension, covering 0.48 m² of floor space compared to 0.96 m² for a full euro pallet. Two half euro pallets placed end to end reproduce the footprint of one standard euro pallet. They fit directly onto standard euro pallet warehouse racking at half the depth. Half euro pallets are used in retail distribution for smaller product quantities, in supermarket replenishment where a full euro pallet would occupy excess floor space, and in consumer goods and beverage supply chains where shipment weight is low relative to package count. Carriers handling standard euro pallet freight can generally accommodate half pallets on the same vehicle without special equipment.

Can euro pallets be repaired and re-certified for European Pallet Pool exchange?

EPAL-certified euro pallets are repaired by EPAL-licensed repair workshops following the EPAL repair specification — damaged deck boards and blocks are replaced with timber meeting the same grade and dimension requirements as new production. Each repaired pallet is verified by an EPAL-authorised inspector before re-entering the pool. The completed repair is marked by a round verification nail pressed into the centre block alongside the original EPAL and EUR marks. A pallet that has been EPAL-repaired and re-verified is fully acceptable in European Pallet Pool exchange at the appropriate quality grade. This repair certification is what distinguishes a legitimately refurbished euro pallet from an uncertified replica carrying the EUR and EPAL marks without authorisation.

Can euro pallets be loaded into standard ISO shipping containers for sea freight?

Standard ISO 20-foot and 40-foot containers present a loading constraint for euro pallets. Two euro pallets placed side by side span 1,600mm, but a standard ISO container has an internal width of approximately 2,340mm — leaving only 370mm of combined clearance for door operation and safe loading margin, which is insufficient for standard freight handling in most configurations. Pallet-wide containers, built with an internal width of approximately 2,440mm, resolve this by allowing two euro pallets to sit side by side without overhang or margin problems. These containers are used on intra-European sea routes and on European export lanes to major global destinations. Shippers combining road freight and sea freight legs for euro pallet consignments should confirm pallet-wide container availability with the sea freight operator before finalising the booking.

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what is a Euro pallet