EUR1 vs 48×40 pallets: which fits more?

The EUR1 always gives the higher count because it is smaller: 25 against 20 in a 40ft container, 34 against 26 on a 13.6 m trailer. Measured by floor actually covered, the 48×40 does better in 14 of the 20 containers and trailers on PalletSpec, every container among them. The EUR1 does better in the other 6: 13.6 m curtainsider, mega trailer, EU box trailer, 53 ft dry van, 53 ft flatbed and 26 ft box truck.

By Oliver Bennett · Published 27 October 2026 · Data as of 27 October 2026, from spec sheets retrieved that day

The two pallets differ by only 19 mm in length, but the 48×40 is 216 mm wider: 1,219 × 1,016 mm against 1,200 × 800 mm. That makes its footprint 1.239 m², 29.1% more than the EUR1's 0.96 m². Heights are close: 144 mm for the EUR1 and 141 mm for the 48×40 as CHEP publishes it. EPAL gives the EUR1 as 25 kg; for the 48×40 the published weights run from 17 to 29 kg.

Because the 48×40 is bigger, it always gives the lower count. The useful comparison is how much of the floor each one covers, since that tells you how much space is paid for and left empty.

Head to head in 20 containers and trailers

The table gives the best single-layer count for each pallet and, beneath it, the share of the floor the pallets cover. The 48×40 covers more floor in 14 of the 20 units; the EUR1 covers more in 6.

Why containers suit the 48×40

Every standard dry and open-top container in the data has a planning width of 2,350 mm. Two 48×40 pallets side by side need 2,032 mm, which leaves a 318 mm strip. Two EUR1 pallets placed lengthwise use only 1,600 mm and leave 750 mm, while one turned across uses 1,200 mm and leaves 1,150 mm. No simple row of EUR1 pallets fills the width well.

The best EUR1 layout in a 40ft container mixes the two directions and reaches 25 pallets, against 20 if every pallet goes lengthwise. Even so it covers 84.9% of the floor. The 48×40 reaches 20 and 87.6% with a plainer pattern.

Reefer containers widen the gap. Their insulated walls bring the inside width down to 2,280 mm in a 40ft high cube reefer, and there the 48×40 covers 93.8% of the floor against 83.6% for EUR1 (20 and 23 pallets).

Why European trailers suit the EUR1

The European curtainsider is 2,480 mm wide inside. Three EUR1 pallets placed lengthwise take 2,400 mm of that, leaving 80 mm, and the 13,620 mm length takes 11 rows of them: 33 pallets. Turned across, two side by side also use 2,400 mm, and the length takes 17 rows: 34 pallets, the best count, covering 96.6% of the floor.

The 48×40 fits two across in either direction and reaches 26 (95.3%). The exception among the European units is the reefer trailer. At 13,310 mm long it takes only 16 rows of EUR1 pallets turned across instead of 17, so the best layout falls back to lengthwise rows and it takes 33 EUR1 (96.0%) against 26 48×40 (97.6%).

North American vans: almost level

In a 53 ft dry van the EUR1 gives 39 positions (92.3%) and the 48×40 gives 30 (91.6%). In a 48 ft van the figures are 36 (93.2%) and 28 (93.5%). The vans are wide enough that neither pallet loses much at the walls, and the difference in floor use is under one point.

The container built for EUR1 pallets

One container in the data is designed around the European pallet: the 45ft pallet-wide. It has the same 13,556 mm planning length as the ordinary 45ft high cube, but its inside width is 2,440 mm instead of 2,350 mm. Those 90 mm are enough for three EUR1 pallets across, and the count jumps from 27 to 33 (81.4% to 95.8% of the floor). The 48×40 gains too, from 24 to 26, and reaches 97.4%, but its gain is smaller because it was already filling the width well.

When you leave handling room

The counts above assume pallets packed edge to edge. With 20 mm added to each pallet's length and width, the EUR1 count in a 40ft container drops from 25 to 23, while the 48×40 stays at 20. On the pallet-wide container the margins are thinner for both: 32 EUR1 and 23 48×40 with play. A layout that fits only at zero clearance is worth checking against the real unit before you rely on it.

Reading the result

If your goods come in fixed pallet loads, the count is the figure to compare. If the goods can be built onto either pallet, the share of floor covered is closer to what you are buying. A 48×40 load in a 40ft container covers 87.6% of the floor; the same goods on EUR1 pallets would cover 84.9%, a difference of 2.7 points.

You can check any pairing, including both pallets in the unit you use, in the load planner. The pallet pages list every count: EUR1 and 48×40.

More guides: 20ft vs 40ft vs 40ft high cube containers · Why some pallet and container pairs waste floor space · Pallet sizes by region · European vs North American trailers · How to use the pallet load planner