Euro pallet or one-way pallet - which fits your shipment?

What sets the Euro and one-way pallet apart?

The Euro pallet (EUR or EPAL pallet) is a standardised reusable pallet measuring 1200 x 800 mm with exactly 78 nails and a branded quality mark. The one-way or lightweight pallet is a non-standard pallet for a single transport, usually lighter, thinner and without any exchange claim.

The EPAL pallet weighs around 25 kg, carries up to 1500 kg dynamically and up to 4000 kg statically when stacked. One-way pallets often weigh just 9 to 18 kg and are rated for loads of roughly 300 to 900 kg, ideal when the pallet stays with the recipient.

Is the pallet exchange worth it?

Euro pallets run in an open exchange pool: on delivery the recipient hands back equivalent empty pallets, so no purchase price is due per shipment. This pays off with regular traffic between fixed partners inside your country and the EU.

Only exchangeable pallets in proper condition to the EPAL and UIC criteria are swapped. Damaged, bleached or badly repaired pallets without correct marks are rejected and must be replaced.

• The pool makes sense for recurring deliveries and stable partners.
• A one-way pallet makes sense when it stays with the customer or goes abroad.
• No empty return transport saves freight and CO2 on the way back.
• Pallet accounts and exchange vouchers document credit and debit.

Which pallet does export require?

For shipments to third countries outside the EU, solid wood packaging must be treated to the ISPM 15 standard. Heat treatment (HT) is accepted, where the wood core reaches at least 56 °C for 30 minutes, documented by the IPPC stamp with country code, registration number and the abbreviation HT.

EPAL Euro pallets have generally been heat treated since 2010 and are therefore ISPM 15 compliant. For one-way pallets you must order the IPPC treatment explicitly, otherwise customs may reject, fumigate or destroy the shipment at the sender's expense.

Frequently asked questions