Euro Pallet Size and Carton Planning Guide

Start from 1200 × 800 mm

The EUR 1 footprint is 1200 × 800 mm. Convert carton dimensions into the same unit before calculating how many fit along each pallet edge.

Test both box orientations. A 400 × 300 mm carton fits 3 × 2 in one direction but 4 × 2 when rotated, producing eight cartons per simple layer rather than six.

Add the vertical limit

Cartons per layer is only the first step. Subtract pallet deck height from the permitted overall loaded height, then divide the remaining height by packed carton height to estimate complete layers.

If the customer specifies a lower maximum pallet height than the carrier, use the stricter operational limit because the load must survive the whole supply chain.

Validate the physical load

A mathematically efficient pattern can still be unstable or too heavy. Review carton compression, center of gravity, total gross weight, wrap and edge protection before releasing a production pallet pattern.

Document the approved pattern with a photo or diagram so warehouse teams can reproduce it consistently.

Check a carton that sits exactly on the boundary

The eight-carton uniform pattern depends on two 40 cm edges fitting exactly across 80 cm. Increase that carton edge to 40.2 cm while keeping the other edge at 30 cm: the aligned grid holds floor(120/40.2) × floor(80/30) = 2 × 2 = 4. The rotated grid also holds 4 × 1 = 4.

This is a sensitivity check for the two uniform grids, not a claim that no mixed layout can hold more than four. It shows why nominal dimensions and zero-clearance drawings need physical verification. Measure the packed cases and check any required handling gap before approving a pattern.

• EPAL dimensions: 1200 × 800 × 144 mm