Bulletin 191 · footprints
A retired 1200 x 1000 mm plastic pallet is sorted by resin, colour and condition, then reused or ground into regrind. Nelson lists a nestable 1200x1000 model.
Five questions and a photo. We say what we think happens next once the pallets have been seen.
ISO 2, common in Europe and Asia. Nelson lists a nestable 1200 x 1000 model. It is close to the 48 x 40 in size but not the same, which is why a mixed lot can hide one among the other.
Importers and exporters whose supply chain changed, and plants that had European equipment. Retired lots are often a handful of stacks.
Check for a 48 x 40 hiding in the pile. The difference is about 1.2 inches on one side. Measure.
Say the size in millimetres if it is stamped. Then the count, the resin, the colour, any marks and the ZIP.
Size matters for the trailer. Deck area here is 12.9 sq ft, and 43 x 43 is next closest at 12.8 sq ft, so check you have not got the two mixed together.
The deck is 47.2 inches by 39.4 inches, which is 1199 by 1001 millimetres, 1,859.68 square inches or 1.200 square metres. The diagonal is 61.5 inches. In shape it is a modest rectangle, with a long side 1.20 times the short one.
If a pallet in the pile measures within an inch of 47.2 by 39.4 but not exactly, it may be a metric cousin. The table of every footprint shows which ones are close.
The deck edge runs 173.2 inches all the way round, which is 14.4 feet, and every foot of it is a place where a fork strikes, a rack beam bears or a strap bites. Four sound corners on a 1,859.68 square inch deck mean the pallet may be reusable; four broken ones usually mean the grinder.
Tell us how many 47.2 x 39.4 pallets there are, what colour they are and whether the decks are whole. Loose or banded matters to the driver. One picture of an underside, showing any steel and the maker mark, answers questions the reply would otherwise have to ask.
Importers and exporters whose supply chain changed, and plants that had European equipment. The size is ISO 2, used in Europe and Asia, and a retired lot is often a handful of stacks.
The size is often moulded or stamped in millimetres. Photograph the stamp. It is the quickest way to tell this pallet from a 48 x 40 at a glance, since the two differ by less than two inches.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Deck, inches | 47.2 x 39.4 |
| Deck, millimetres | 1199 x 1001 |
| Deck area | 12.9 sq ft |
| Against a 48 x 40 | -3.1% deck area |
| Region | Europe and Asia |
| Footprint | Deck, in | Deck area, sq ft | Area against this | Width difference | Depth difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 48 x 40 | 13.3 | 3.2% | +0.8 in | +0.6 in |
| 48 x 48 | 48 x 48 | 16.0 | 23.9% | +0.8 in | +8.6 in |
| 48 x 45 | 48 x 45 | 15.0 | 16.1% | +0.8 in | +5.6 in |
| 45 x 45 | 45 x 45 | 14.1 | 8.9% | -2.2 in | +5.6 in |
| 43 x 43 | 43 x 43 | 12.8 | -0.6% | -4.2 in | +3.6 in |
| 42 x 42 | 42 x 42 | 12.3 | -5.1% | -5.2 in | +2.6 in |
| 40 x 40 | 40 x 40 | 11.1 | -14.0% | -7.2 in | +0.6 in |
| 36 x 36 | 36 x 36 | 9.0 | -30.3% | -11.2 in | -3.4 in |
| Euro 48 x 32 | 47.2 x 31.5 | 10.3 | -20.1% | 0 in | -7.9 in |
| 56 x 44 beverage | 56 x 44 | 17.1 | 32.5% | +8.8 in | +4.6 in |
| 1100 x 1100 mm | 43.3 x 43.3 | 13.0 | 0.8% | -3.9 in | +3.9 in |
| Measure | Inches | Millimetres | Centimetres | Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 47.2 | 1199 | 119.9 | 3.93 |
| Depth | 39.4 | 1001 | 100.1 | 3.28 |
| Diagonal | 61.5 | 1562 | 156.2 | 5.12 |
| Pallets | Square feet | Square metres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12.9 | 1.2 |
| 10 | 129.1 | 12.0 |
| 25 | 322.9 | 30.0 |
| 50 | 645.7 | 60.0 |
| 100 | 1291.4 | 120.0 |
| 250 | 3228.6 | 299.9 |
| 500 | 6457.2 | 599.9 |
Region: Europe and Asia.
Yes. Describe the count, the resin and the condition, and say how the pallets are stacked. We say what we think happens next.
Measure the deck. This one is 47.2 x 39.4 in, 1199 x 1001 mm. 43 x 43 is 12.8 sq ft, against 12.9 here.
It is 47.2 x 39.4 inches, within 1 inch of a 48 x 40 in each direction. They are easy to confuse.
Yes. The sources list a nestable model of this size.
Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: blog.containerexchanger.com.