Bulletin 183 · footprints
A retired 48 x 45 in plastic pallet is sorted by resin, colour and condition, then reused or ground into regrind. It is a footprint with its own users and its own sorting questions.
Five questions and a photo. We say what we think happens next once the pallets have been seen.
The automotive pallet. Its footprint matches the heavy-duty bulk containers North American automakers use for parts. It is built for heavy dynamic and static loads, and it often runs in closed loops between a supplier and a plant.
Auto parts plants at the end of a vehicle programme, and assemblers when a container standard changes. One supplier can hold thousands of one model.
Uniform stock sorts quickly: one size, one colour, usually one maker. Check for plant or supplier marks, which usually mean company-owned stock, and confirm it.
Give the model if it is moulded in, and say whether the pallets are still in the loop. Then the count, the resin, the colour, any marks and the ZIP.
Size matters for the trailer. Deck area here is 15.0 sq ft, and 45 x 45 is next closest at 14.1 sq ft, so check you have not got the two mixed together.
The deck is 48 inches by 45 inches, which is 1219 by 1143 millimetres, 2,160 square inches or 1.393 square metres. The diagonal is 65.8 inches. In shape it is nearly square, with a long side 1.07 times the short one.
If a pallet in the pile measures within an inch of 48 by 45 but not exactly, it may be a metric cousin. The table of every footprint shows which ones are close.
A 48 x 45 in deck has 186 inches of edge, and forks, beams and straps all land on it. When the corners are intact on a deck of 2,160 square inches the pallet may still sell. When they are broken the pallet is feedstock, and the photograph that shows it is the one of the damaged corner.
When you ask about 48 x 45 in pallets, give the count, the resin if known, the colour and the condition of the decks and runners. Say how the pallets are stored, loose or banded, because that decides how a truck is loaded. A photograph of the underside of one pallet shows the maker marks and any steel.
Auto parts plants and assembly plants, mostly. The size is built around heavy-duty bulk containers, so the pallets carry weight for years and show it. They are usually stacked near the line they serve.
A supplier may hold thousands of one model, and a programme ending retires them all at once. If a model number is moulded in, photograph it. It tells a recycler the resin and the weight in a glance.
| Measure | Value |
|---|---|
| Deck, inches | 48 x 45 |
| Deck, millimetres | 1219 x 1143 |
| Deck area | 15.0 sq ft |
| Against a 48 x 40 | +12.5% deck area |
| Typical use | North American automotive; matches heavy-duty auto parts bulk containers |
| Footprint | Deck, in | Deck area, sq ft | Area against this | Width difference | Depth difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | 48 x 40 | 13.3 | -11.1% | 0 in | -5 in |
| 48 x 48 | 48 x 48 | 16.0 | 6.7% | 0 in | +3 in |
| 45 x 45 | 45 x 45 | 14.1 | -6.3% | -3 in | 0 in |
| 43 x 43 | 43 x 43 | 12.8 | -14.4% | -5 in | -2 in |
| 42 x 42 | 42 x 42 | 12.3 | -18.3% | -6 in | -3 in |
| 40 x 40 | 40 x 40 | 11.1 | -25.9% | -8 in | -5 in |
| 36 x 36 | 36 x 36 | 9.0 | -40.0% | -12 in | -9 in |
| Euro 48 x 32 | 47.2 x 31.5 | 10.3 | -31.2% | -0.8 in | -13.5 in |
| 56 x 44 beverage | 56 x 44 | 17.1 | 14.1% | +8 in | -1 in |
| 1200 x 1000 mm | 47.2 x 39.4 | 12.9 | -13.9% | -0.8 in | -5.6 in |
| 1100 x 1100 mm | 43.3 x 43.3 | 13.0 | -13.2% | -4.7 in | -1.7 in |
| Measure | Inches | Millimetres | Centimetres | Feet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 48 | 1219 | 121.9 | 4.00 |
| Depth | 45 | 1143 | 114.3 | 3.75 |
| Diagonal | 65.8 | 1671 | 167.1 | 5.48 |
| Pallets | Square feet | Square metres |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15.0 | 1.4 |
| 10 | 150.0 | 13.9 |
| 25 | 375.0 | 34.8 |
| 50 | 750.0 | 69.7 |
| 100 | 1500.0 | 139.4 |
| 250 | 3750.0 | 348.4 |
| 500 | 7500.0 | 696.8 |
Typical use: North American automotive; matches heavy-duty auto parts bulk containers.
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 48 x 45 in, 1219 x 1143 mm. 45 x 45 is 14.1 sq ft, against 15.0 here.
Some auto suppliers run closed loops. If yours did, say so, and say who owns the loop.
It matches the bulk containers used in the trade, so a used pallet is worth more to someone running the same containers.
Sources, reviewed Nov 12, 2026: nelsoncompany.com.