Sizing guide
Euro 1200 x 800 or UK standard 1200 x 1000?
Two footprints dominate British warehouses, and they are not interchangeable. Racking, vehicle fill, automation and your customers should decide which one you standardise on.
The two footprints
The UK standard pallet measures 1200 x 1000mm. It is the default for British distribution, pallet networks and general haulage, usually built as a stringer or bearer pallet with four-way entry. The Euro pallet measures 1200 x 800mm and is built as a block pallet on nine blocks, which is the format European customers and most automated handling systems expect.
Vehicle fill
A standard curtainsider trailer takes 26 UK standard pallets on the floor, or 33 Euro pallets. If your product is dense and you fill by weight, this rarely matters. If you fill by volume, the footprint you choose directly changes your cost per pallet delivered — worth modelling before you standardise.
Racking and handling
Beam racking is usually configured around one footprint. Mixing sizes creates overhang, wasted bay space and safety problems. Block construction gives clean four-way entry and better support on beams, which is why automated systems, shuttles and conveyors are normally specified around Euro pallets.
Who your customers are
- shipping into Europe or to a European parent group: Euro footprint, almost always
- delivering through UK pallet networks and to British retailers: UK standard
- feeding an automated line or AS/RS: whatever the equipment was configured for, and be strict about it
- exporting overseas: the footprint matters less than the treatment — see our ISPM15 guide
A note on EPAL
EPAL is a licensed, inspected specification for Euro pallets with strict rules on timber, nailing and marking, which makes the pallets interchangeable within exchange pools. Plenty of businesses need the Euro footprint without needing the exchange scheme, in which case a Euro-size block pallet is the sensible buy. If you genuinely need pool-compatible pallets, say so when you order.
Our recommendation
Standardise on one footprint per operation wherever you can, and stock a small buffer of the other for the exceptions. If you are unsure which way to go, send us your rack dimensions, vehicle type and main delivery destinations. We supply both in new and used grades — see the full pallet range.