UK Pallet Sizes Explained: Standard, Euro and Industrial

Palletised transport is one of the most efficient ways to move goods across the UK, but choosing the wrong pallet size or exceeding payload limits can lead to loading issues, unexpected delays or additional transport charges.

If you are booking dedicated courier transport, shipping stock between warehouses or distributing goods to customers, understanding standard UK pallet dimensions, weight restrictions and vehicle capacities is essential.

In this guide, we break down the most common UK pallet types, their dimensions, their load ratings and how many fit into each of our dedicated delivery vehicles.

Standard UK pallet dimensions (1200mm x 1000mm)

The standard UK pallet (often called a full pallet or UK ISO pallet) is the most widely used pallet format across commercial supply chains in the United Kingdom.

Key dimensions and specifications:

• Base dimensions: 1200mm (L) x 1000mm (W)
• Base height: approximately 150mm
• Dynamic load rating (being moved by forklift or pallet truck): 1,000kg to 1,500kg
• Static load rating (sitting on the floor): 2,000kg to 4,000kg
• Racked load rating: 750kg to 1,000kg

Those ratings describe what the pallet itself can take. The limit that matters when booking transport is the vehicle payload, which on our fleet runs from 450kg on an SWB van to 1,000kg on an XLWB or Luton. A pallet rated to carry 1,200kg does not mean a van can carry it.

Because of its balanced rectangular shape, the standard UK pallet is optimised for UK road haulage, distribution centres and warehouse racking systems.

Euro pallet dimensions (1200mm x 800mm)

The Euro pallet (EUR-1) is the standard format used across mainland Europe and international supply chains. It is 200mm narrower than a standard UK pallet.

Key dimensions and specifications:

• Base dimensions: 1200mm (L) x 800mm (W)
• Base height: approximately 144mm
• Load ratings: broadly the same as the UK standard pallet, up to 1,500kg dynamic and 4,000kg static

The narrower footprint helps in two ways. In our 1.2m wide vans, pallets load one behind the other with the 1200mm edge across the van, so a Euro pallet takes up 800mm of floor length against 1,000mm for a UK pallet. In the Luton and temperature-controlled vehicles, where the load floor is 2.0m wide, two pallets sit side by side either way. Nothing sits side by side in an SWB, MWB, LWB or XLWB.

Industrial and oversized pallets

Alongside the standard and Euro formats, some supply chains use larger pallets for heavy machinery, drums, chemicals and large-format goods.

• Industrial pallet: 1200mm x 1200mm, more common in process industries and international freight than in UK general distribution
• Oversized or non-standard: any pallet exceeding 1200mm on either side, or any load where the goods overhang the base

When shipping oversized or non-standard pallets, give exact measurements including any overhang so the right vehicle can be allocated.

How many pallets fit in each van?

Capacity depends on floor space and payload together. The counts below assume no overhang and a combined load inside the vehicle payload.

• SWB van (2.1m x 1.2m x 1.4m, 450kg payload): 1 standard UK pallet or 1 Euro pallet. Payload is usually the limit here rather than floor space.
• MWB van (2.7m x 1.2m x 1.5m, 800kg payload): 2 to 3 pallets, which is 2 standard UK pallets or 3 Euro pallets.
• LWB van (3.3m x 1.2m x 1.7m, 1,000kg payload): up to 3 standard UK pallets or 4 Euro pallets
• XLWB van (4.2m x 1.2m x 1.75m, 1,000kg payload): up to 4 standard UK pallets or 5 Euro pallets
• Luton van, box or curtain-side (4.2m x 2.0m x 2.1m, 1,000kg payload): up to 6 standard UK pallets or 6 Euro pallets
• Flat bed (2.7m x 1.2m x 1.5m, 800kg payload): 2 to 3 pallets, loading from any side
• Temperature controlled (4.2m x 2.0m x 2.1m, 1,000kg payload): up to 6 pallets, chilled or frozen

Key considerations for pallet transport

• Overhang and goods dimensions: Pallet dimensions refer strictly to the wooden base. If boxes or machinery overhang the edges, the overall footprint increases, which may reduce the number of pallets that fit in the vehicle.
• Height and weight limits: Give us the loaded height of the pallet, not just the base size. Internal height runs from 1.4m in an SWB to 2.1m in a Luton, so a tall pallet can rule out several vehicle classes before weight becomes a factor. Pallet networks group loads into quarter height (around 0.8m), half height (around 1.2m) and full height (around 2.2m), but because we run dedicated vehicles rather than a network, the actual measurement is more useful to us than the category. Always check the total combined weight of the load against the vehicle payload.
• Loading and unloading equipment: Check that both collection and delivery sites have suitable loading facilities, such as a forklift or loading bay. If there is no forklift at either end, tell us when you book. If pallets are being loaded by forklift, the curtain-side Luton opens along the side and is usually quicker.