What Is a Half Pallet

The European half pallet follows the EPAL EUR 6 specification at 800mm wide × 600mm long × 144mm high — the 600mm dimension is exactly half the 1200mm depth of a standard EUR 1 euro pallet. Two half pallets placed end to end span 1,200mm, reproducing the complete euro pallet footprint in a single trailer position.

Three related sub-formats appear alongside the half pallet in European retail logistics:

• Quarter pallet: 400mm × 600mm — one quarter of the euro pallet footprint; used for end-of-aisle promotional displays and compact retail point-of-sale positions
• Third euro pallet: 400mm × 800mm — one third of the euro pallet footprint; used in narrow-shelf display positions and small-format retail environments

European half pallets are produced in four materials. Wooden half pallets are the most widely used in European road freight — self-weight approximately 9–15 kg; require ISPM 15 heat treatment for cross-border international movements. Plastic half pallets weigh 10–16 kg, need no ISPM 15 treatment, and are preferred in food, pharmaceutical, and hygiene-sensitive supply chains. Cardboard half pallets are single-use and disposable. Metal half pallets serve automotive and heavy industrial applications where load durability outweighs handling weight.

A wooden EUR 6 half pallet carries a dynamic load of approximately 750 kg under active forklift movement and a static load of up to 1,500 kg when goods are stacked on a stationary pallet resting on a flat surface. Load capacity differs by use context:

• Floor display or light retail consignments: 250–400 kg per half pallet
• Warehouse stacking with active forklift handling: 600–750 kg dynamic
• Stationary storage on a flat warehouse surface: up to 1,500 kg static

One naming distinction matters for shippers booking freight: in UK industrial pallet networks, "half pallet" refers to a load height tier on a full-size 1000mm × 1200mm industrial pallet — maximum height 1,200mm, maximum gross weight 500 kg — not a separate pallet format with its own footprint. The EUR 6 half pallet is a distinct physical format at 800mm × 600mm. These two uses of the term describe different objects and must not be treated as interchangeable when specifying load units at booking.

EPAL EUR 6 is a certified half pallet format managed by the European Pallet Association. EUR 6-certified half pallets carry the EUR 6 designation and EPAL certification marks burned into the block wood — the same quality and certification standard that governs the EUR 1 euro pallet. The Go Trans logistics glossary covers the full range of European pallet formats — EUR 1 through EUR 6 — alongside the freight terms and document requirements used across Belgian and European carrier networks.

EUR 6 half pallets do not participate in the standard EUR 1 pallet pool exchange. The 1-for-1 EPAL exchange system applies specifically to EUR 1 euro pallets; EUR 6 half pallets operate under separate pool arrangements where they exist. The pallet types and standards in European road freight classification — which covers EUR 1, EUR 2, EUR 3, EUR 6, industrial, and disposable variants — determines which exchange obligations and pool terms apply to each consignment. Shippers must confirm EUR 6 exchange terms with their carrier or logistics partner before the vehicle departs.

Wooden EUR 6 half pallets crossing international borders require the ISPM 15 HT (heat-treated) mark — the same phytosanitary requirement that applies to all wooden pallets regardless of format or size. Plastic EUR 6 half pallets are exempt from ISPM 15 because the standard covers timber packaging only.

Half pallets cover four European supply chain applications where the full euro pallet footprint creates a physical constraint.

• Retail display logistics — goods arrive on the half pallet from the distribution centre and are placed directly onto the shop floor without shelf transfer. The pallet itself becomes the display unit. Supermarkets, DIY stores, garden centres, and drugstores use this arrangement for high-turnover promotional items and seasonal lines.
• FMCG replenishment — two EUR 6 half pallets occupy the same floor space as one euro pallet but carry two separate product lines or SKUs. This doubles the variety of goods delivered to a retail point in the same number of trailer positions, reducing the frequency of individual replenishment runs.
• Supermarket beverage and packaged food distribution — beverage brands, snack manufacturers, and packaged household goods producers use EUR 6 half pallets for shelf-ready delivery. The 800mm × 600mm format matches supermarket aisle widths and positions goods at the display level without any transfer to shelving.
• Last-mile delivery to standard premises — the 800mm width of the EUR 6 half pallet passes through a standard European DIN door (850mm × 2,000mm). A full euro pallet at 800mm × 1,200mm cannot be wheeled through a standard doorway; a half pallet at 800mm × 600mm can. This allows direct delivery into a building without tail-lift unloading to kerbside — a practical advantage in urban last-mile logistics.

A standard European semi-trailer with a 13.6-metre load floor carries 66 half pallets in a single floor layer — two per euro pallet position (33 euro pallet positions × 2 half pallets = 66 total). Two EUR 6 half pallets placed end to end span exactly 1,200mm, matching the full euro pallet depth within the trailer without gap or overhang. The 800mm width of each half pallet fits the standard European trailer loading pattern without adjustment.

Half pallets can travel on the same vehicle as full euro pallets. Each pair of half pallets occupies one full euro pallet trailer position. Shippers mixing pallet formats on a single consignment must declare the pallet type and unit count for each format at the point of booking. Go Trans arranges pallet delivery across Europe through its carrier network, accepting EUR 6 half pallet consignments alongside standard euro pallet loads on all European road freight lanes.