A Euro pallet (or Euro pool pallet in technical terms) is a reusable wooden pallet standardized according to DIN EN 13698-1. Each Euro pallet has a letter symbol in an oval frame on all four corner blocks of the long side (EPAL or EUR). EPAL Euro pallets must comply with the standard of the technical regulations of EPAL (European Pallet Association eV) in order to maintain the functionality of the exchange system.
Europallet © European Pallet Association eV
Euro pallets are made of solid wood, are repairable and fully recyclable and can carry loads of between 1500 kg and 2000 kg. The EPAL quality mark is located on the long side of the pallet on both corner blocks. It guarantees that the pallet has the specified dimensions and entitles it to national and international exchange. Euro pallets can be picked up from all four sides.
The EPAL 1 pallet, also known as the Euro pallet or Euro pool pallet, is the standard pallet in national and international trade. More than 5 million units are in circulation worldwide.
In addition to the EPAL 1 pallet (colloquially known as the Euro pallet), the following different types of pallets are commonly used in transport:
| pallet type | Pallet dimensions LxWxH or LxW | use and synonyms |
|---|---|---|
| display palette | 600 x 400 mm |
|
| Euro half pallet EPAL 6 |
800 x 600 x 144 mm |
|
| Euro half pallet EPAL 7 |
800 x 600 x 163 mm |
|
| basket pallet | 1000 x 1000 mm | Designed for use with dish racks (500 x 500 mm) |
| container pallet | 1140 x 1140 mm | Adapted to the transport of goods in sea containers and for the transport of big bags |
| Euro pallet EPAL 3 |
1000 x 1200 x 144 mm |
|
| Euro pallet EPAL 1 |
1200 x 800 x 144 mm | Europool pallet |
| EPAL Gitterbox | 1,200 x 800 x 970 mm |
|
| ISO pallet EPAL 2 |
1200 x 1000 x 162 mm |
|
| barrel pallet | 1200 x 1200 mm | For the transport of barrels and big bags |
| can pallet | 1300 x 1100 mm | Developed for the canning industry |
| EPAL CP pallets | Nine different dimensions (CP1 to CP9) |
|
| disposable pallets | Often corresponding to Europallet EPAL 1 |
|
| plastic pallets | Various sizes, standard EURO-H1 is widely used |
|
| INKA pallets | Typical: ¼, ½ or EPAL1 Euro pallet |
|
| corrugated cardboard pallets | Typical: ¼, ½ or EPAL1 pallet |
|
Industrial trucks have been optimally adapted to the dimensions of the standardized wooden pallet, so that a pallet truck or forklift can drive underneath it without any problems. As a four-way pallet, the Euro pallet can be picked up from all sides. Due to this versatility, Euro pallets are used across all industries - mainly in the B2B sector (business, industry and trade) for shipping all kinds of goods. Not only have the dimensions of pallet trucks and the like been adapted to the pallet, but also pallet racks , which are used for palletized goods storage, as well as freight containers and truck loading areas for shipping.
There are no legal regulations for loading a Euro pallet. However, the following should be observed:
The transport company determines the maximum loading height. Depending on the provider, this is between 1.50 m and 2.20 m including the height of the Euro pallet.
Each Euro pallet in the European Pallet Pool (EPP) has several markings that must be present. The marking is done by branding the wooden blocks. All four corner blocks show an EPAL symbol with an oval border. Until 2013, EPAL and a EUR symbol were branded into the oval border.
Due to the uniform dimensions and processing standards, Euro pallets are easy to exchange. According to EPAL, a Euro pallet is exchangeable if it has all the necessary markings, comes from a licensed manufacturing facility and is in good condition.
EPAL pallets that have the following defects cannot be exchanged:
A Euro pallet may only be repaired in a certified company in accordance with EPAL rules.
There is no legal right to exchange pallets. Without a corresponding contract, even reusable pallets are considered part of the packaging and become the property of the recipient. They are exchanged within a defined pool for pallets from the same pool. There is the open pallet exchange pool and the closed exchange pool. In the open pool, the pallets belong to the users; it is about the free availability of the loading equipment. EPAL as an association guarantees the quality and standard of the pallets in the open pool. The pallets in the closed pools belong to a pooling company such as CHEP or LPR. The two systems cannot be compared with each other.
Two clauses are preferably used:
A Euro pallet that can no longer be exchanged can be handed over to a pallet buyer or used as firewood.
Freight handling in Frankfurt Oder © Image archive by D. Malzahn
The year 1961 can be considered the birth year of the Euro pallet. European railway companies agreed on a uniform transport pallet standard. Representatives of the "Union of International Railways" (UIC) signed a contract for an interchangeable pallet - the Euro pallet. This included specifications for standards, production and repair. For 60 years, the invention of the Euro pallet, as it is also called, has ensured that goods and products reach their destination safely - whether building materials to the construction site or food in supermarkets. Thanks to its nature and properties, the Euro pallet is not only ideal for transport, but also for storing goods.
The multiple use and easy exchange of pallets in retail is not only an absolute plus point from an economic point of view, but also from an ecological one. It is no wonder that there are now more than 600 million pallets in circulation worldwide. However, the history of the Euro pallet began earlier:
The first forerunners of today's Euro pallets were already in use in ancient Egypt. The sledges or skid pallets, which were already made of wood at that time, were used to transport building materials - they transported stone blocks weighing several tons from the excavation site to the construction site.
The invention of the forklift truck in 1920 by the American manufacturer Clark Equipment Company marked a major leap in history. This inevitably led to the development of space-saving and systematic loading units - including pallets. At that time, these still consisted of connected steel skids.
In 1939, the first patent for a wooden pallet was registered in the USA. In addition, the pallets, which were still made of steel at the time, were preferred as a means of transport in the American war economy for ammunition and other gun accessories in the 1940s. In 1949, the principle of the modern 4-way pallet was patented; previously only 2-way pallets were known.
Within Europe, there are different pallet dimensions for international rail transport. The problem of the practicality of sharing pallets was recognized in 1952 and an agreement was drawn up in the following years.
History of the Euro pallet
European railway operators were competing with road freight transport and needed universal load carriers that would simplify and speed up the trade in goods - exchangeable Euro pallets were intended to provide a solution. On July 1, 1961, the Euro pallet was finally standardized: 800 x 1,200 x 144 mm. Over time, other standardized pallets were added that were tailored to different transport needs. Regardless of which model of pallet was used, loading vehicles, whether trains or trucks, was much easier and faster.
After its introduction in 1961, the following decades saw further developments in the Euro pallet and in the pallet market.
The structural design of wooden Euro pallets is published in the utility model application by Julius Hofer (Erbach) of the German Patent Office under the number DE1935973 U1 (Appendix 1) on 31 March 1966.
In 1975, the German Federal Railway transferred its trademark rights to the EPAL, oval O and RAL-RG 993 (now RAL-GZ 993) symbols to the "Gütegemeinschaft Paletten", the predecessor of today's European umbrella organization of EPAL.
The main use of the pallet shifts from rail and ship transport to road transport. It becomes the most popular pallet in the world. It enjoys great popularity due to its practicality, standardized sizes and its properties.
The European Pallet Association (EPAL) was founded in 1991. Its purpose: to organize and control the EPAL Euro pallet pool. Its focus is on expanding and securing the pooling system for load carriers. It issues licenses to producers and repairers, thereby ensuring a consistently high quality of EPAL pallets worldwide.
DIN EN 13698 sets out requirements and specification instructions for the nominal load and carrying capacity, the construction and testing of pallets and their labelling. In 2004, the standardisation of Euro pallets was updated with DIN EN 13698-1, which is used by brands such as EPAL & EUR. This means that the pallets can be used not only in industrial conveying, but also in modern high-bay warehouse systems .
In 2016, the 100 million mark was broken for the first time and 100 million wooden pallets are produced and repaired every year. It is estimated that over half a billion of them are currently in circulation.
After the exchange agreement for the uniform European pallet pool was signed between EPAL and UIC in October 2014, it was dissolved in 2017. This means that the exchange of UIC/EUR pallets for EPAL pallets will be discontinued. The time limit runs until December 31, 2021.
The IML (Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics) and EPAL are developing an intelligent pallet network together with "IPAL". QR codes and GPS trackers expand the Euro pallets from a pure load carrier to an information carrier.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the increased demand for sawn timber - especially due to the construction boom in China and North America - pallet prices have risen dramatically since last year. The price explosion is due to the shortage of raw materials, which is why many companies are currently stockpiling. It remains to be seen how things will develop, and the situation will probably only ease at the end of the year.
60 years have passed since then, during which the pallet was invented, standardized and mass-produced, sold and transported. A wide variety of variants have emerged, processes have been accelerated and there is no end in sight. The business for the highly sought-after pallets is booming and will continue to do so, despite some challenges.
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