Underestimating pallet weight is a common and costly procurement error. It leads to unexpected freight surcharges, inefficient trailer loading, and potential violations of highway weight limits. These miscalculations silently inflate your total shipping costs and disrupt logistical planning.
Knowing the precise answer to how much a pallet weighs is a fundamental component of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Accurate weight data allows you to optimize freight spend, ensure load safety, and select the most cost-effective pallet for your application.
This guide provides the essential data and frameworks you need. You will learn the weight ranges for every major pallet type, understand why average wood pallet weight changes, and correctly interpret load capacity ratings for safer operations.
At A Glance
A standard 48x40 GMA wood pallet typically weighs between 30 and 48 lbs, heavily influenced by moisture content.
Block pallets generally weigh significantly more (55–75 lbs) than stringer pallets due to increased lumber volume and fasteners.
"Green" wood pallets can weigh more than kiln-dried pallets due to trapped water weight, directly increasing freight costs.
Plastic pallets offer consistent tare weights (often 15–50 lbs) unaffected by humidity, making them ideal for precise air freight calculations.
Do not confuse the pallet's weight with its rating. A heavier pallet does not always equate to a higher dynamic load capacity.
For high-volume shippers, auditing pallet weight can reveal opportunities to switch materials and reduce annual freight spend by thousands.
How Much Does a Standard Pallet Weigh?
The standard 48" x 40" GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) wood pallet weighs between 30 and 48 lbs (13 to 22 kg). This wide range exists because wood is a natural, porous material.
A pallet made from high-density hardwood like oak will weigh significantly more than one made from softwood like pine, and a "green" (wet) pallet will outweigh a kiln-dried unit even if the dimensions are identical.
While the GMA standard is the most common, different materials and construction styles yield vastly different tare weights.
What Are the Different Pallet Types and Their Weights?
Procurement managers must account for the specific material composition of their pallet fleet. Switching from a stringer design to a block design, or from wood to metal, fundamentally changes your shipping weight profile.
Here is a breakdown of common pallet types:
Standard Wood GMA Stringer Pallet
The workhorse of the US supply chain. These weigh 33 to 48 lbs. They use three "stringers" (2x4s) to support the deck. They are relatively lightweight, making them cost-effective for one-way shipping where tare weight must be minimized to maximize product payload.
Wood Block Pallet
Common in rental pools (like CHEP or PECO). These weigh 55 to 75 lbs. They use solid wood blocks and full perimeter bases for durability. While stronger, their heavier weight reduces the total amount of product you can load on a truck before hitting DOT weight limits.
Plastic Pallet
These offer precise weight consistency. They range from 15 lbs (nestable export) to 50 lbs (rackable heavy-duty). Nestable plastic pallets are often the lightest option available, significantly reducing air freight costs where every pound is billable.
Metal Pallet
Used for heavy industrial loads or extreme environments. These weigh 65 to 150 lbs. While extremely durable, their high tare weight makes them unsuitable for standard transport unless the product itself is exceptionally heavy and requires steel support.
Presswood/Composite Pallet
Molded from wood chips and resin. These weigh 30 to 40 lbs. They are stiffer than standard wood and do not hold moisture, offering a consistent middle-ground weight for export compliance.
Summary of Standard Pallet Weights
Pallet Type | Average Weight Range (lbs) | Primary Use Case |
GMA Stringer | 33 – 48 lbs | General Shipping / One-Way |
Wood Block | 55 – 75 lbs | Rental Pools / Heavy Automation |
Lightweight Plastic | 10 – 30 lbs | Air Freight / Export |
Heavy-Duty Plastic | 40 – 55 lbs | Closed-Loop / Food & Bev |
Metal (Aluminum/Steel) | 65 – 150 lbs | Heavy Manufacturing |
Presswood | 30 – 40 lbs | Export / Space Saving |
Even if you stick to a single wood pallet spec, you will notice weight discrepancies due to environmental factors.
Why Does Wood Pallet Weight Change Over Time?
Wood is hygroscopic, meaning it absorbs and releases moisture from its environment. This physical property causes the weight of a wooden pallet to fluctuate throughout its lifecycle, complicating precise freight calculations.
Here are the variables affecting your normal pallet weight:
Moisture Content
This is the single biggest variable. "Green lumber" (freshly cut) contains high water volume. A green pallet can weigh 70 lbs, while the same pallet kiln-dried (KD) to 19% moisture might weigh 40 lbs. Shipping water weight is a direct loss of operational budget.
Environmental Absorption and Loss
A pallet stored outdoors in humid Florida will absorb moisture and gain weight. The same pallet stored in a dry Arizona warehouse will lose moisture and shed weight. Procurement teams must consider storage conditions when estimating tare weight.
Physical Wear and Tear
As pallets age, wood dries out and sheds fibers, slightly reducing weight. However, repairs often involve adding new, denser "companion stringers" or metal plates, which can incrementally increase the weight of a recycled pallet over time.
Impact on Freight and Tare Weight
For LTL shipments, carriers verify weight. If your bill of lading (BOL) lists a 35 lb pallet but you ship a waterlogged 55 lb pallet, you risk re-weigh fees. For FTL (Full Truckload), 20 extra pounds per pallet across 26 pallets equals 520 lbs, potentially pushing a maxed-out truck over the legal limit.
Accurate tare weight is essential for freight cost control. To discuss how precise pallet specifications can stabilize your shipping spend, contact us.
While weight determines your shipping cost, the capacity determines if the pallet can actually hold your product safely.
The 48×40 Pallet Weight Capacity
Do not confuse the pallet's self-weight with its load capacity. A lightweight plastic pallet might hold less weight than a heavy block pallet, but engineering advances are narrowing that gap. You must specify the load type to ensure safety.
Here are the three critical load ratings:
Static Load
The maximum weight a pallet can hold when resting on a solid, flat surface (like a concrete floor). This is the highest rating. For a standard GMA pallet, this is typically around 4,600 lbs.
Matching pallet capacity to your loads is a safety and efficiency necessity. Contact us for expert guidance on right-sizing your pallet specifications.
Dynamic Load
The maximum weight a pallet can hold when being moved by a forklift or pallet jack. Because motion creates stress and torque, this rating is lower. A standard GMA pallet is usually rated for a 2,500 lbs dynamic load.
Racking Load
The maximum weight a pallet can support when spanning the open space between two beams in a warehouse rack. This is the most critical safety rating. A standard GMA stringer pallet usually supports 2,200 to 2,500 lbs edge-supported.
Weight Capacity Comparison:
Pallet Type | Static Capacity | Dynamic Capacity | Racking Capacity |
Standard GMA Stringer | ~4,600 lbs | ~2,500 lbs | ~2,200 lbs |
Heavy-Duty Block | ~6,000 lbs | ~4,600 lbs | ~2,800 lbs |
Lightweight Plastic | ~1,500 lbs | ~1,000 lbs | Not Rackable |
Rackable Plastic | ~15,000 lbs | ~4,000 lbs | ~2,000 lbs |
Managing these variables, weight, moisture, and capacity, across a fragmented supplier base, is where inefficiencies occur.
How Meridian Simplifies Pallet Specification and Sourcing
Managing the variables of pallet weight, capacity, material, and consistent quality across multiple suppliers is a complex procurement challenge. Inconsistent specifications lead to freight inefficiencies, while misunderstanding capacity ratings risks safety and product damage.
Meridian transforms this complexity into a controlled, optimized procurement category. We provide the technology, market intelligence, and nationwide network to ensure you source the right pallet, with the correct weight and capacity specs, for every application.
Guaranteed Specification Compliance: We ensure every pallet order meets your exact requirements for dimensions, construction, and material, eliminating surprises in weight or performance.
Data-Driven Procurement Platform: Our automated RFQ platform allows you to source pallets based on precise specifications from pre-vetted suppliers, ensuring transparency and competitive pricing.
Expert-Loaded Guidance and Audits: Our specialists can help you right-size your pallet specifications through packaging optimization audits, potentially revealing 15-30% in savings by aligning pallet choice with actual need.
Consistent Nationwide Supply: With a network of over 2,400 trusted partners, we provide reliable, next-day delivery of uniform pallets across all your U.S. locations, ensuring operational consistency.
Total Cost of Ownership Focus: We help you analyze beyond unit price, factoring in variables like pallet weight's impact on freight spend and lifespan, to make decisions that lower your total pallet spend.
Meridian acts as your strategic procurement partner, providing the expertise and leverage to turn pallet sourcing from a fragmented cost center into a streamlined, efficient component of your supply chain.
Conclusion
Knowing how much a pallet weighs is more than a trivia question; it is a calculation that impacts your freight budget and safety compliance. By understanding the weight differences between pallet types and the impact of moisture, you can make smarter procurement decisions that reduce your total cost of ownership.
Meridian provides the expertise and supply network to standardize your pallets and eliminate weight-related inefficiencies. Whether you need lightweight export pallets or heavy-duty block pallets, we deliver consistent quality nationwide.
FAQs
Q. What is the weight of an empty 48x40 pallet?
A standard wooden 48x40 GMA pallet typically weighs between 30 and 48 lbs (13-22 kg). This variance is due to the type of wood (hardwood vs. softwood) and the moisture content of the lumber.
Q. How much does a plastic pallet weigh?
Plastic pallets vary widely based on design. A light-duty nestable export pallet can weigh as little as 10-15 lbs, while a heavy-duty rackable plastic pallet can weigh 40-55 lbs or more.
Q. How much weight can a standard pallet hold?
A standard GMA wooden pallet can typically hold a static load (stationary) of 4,600 lbs and a dynamic load (in motion) of 2,500 lbs. Always verify the specific manufacturer ratings.
Q. Does pallet weight affect shipping costs?
Yes. In LTL (Less-Than-Truckload) shipping, the total weight of the shipment includes the pallet (tare weight). Heavier pallets increase the billable weight. In air freight, this impact is significantly higher.
Q. Why do some pallets weigh more when it rains?
Wood is porous and absorbs water. A pallet left in the rain can increase its weight by 30% or more due to water saturation. This is why kiln-dried (KD) pallets are preferred for weight consistency.
Q. Can I assume all wood pallets weigh 40 lbs?
No. While 40 lbs is a safe average for estimation, relying on it for strict weight limits is risky. It is best to weigh a sample of your specific pallet inventory to establish an accurate tare weight for your bills of lading.
