Quick Answer: A pallet-wide shipping container has an internal width of 2.44m (96 in) instead of the standard 2.35m, fitting two Euro pallets (1200x800mm) side by side. A 40ft pallet-wide holds 30 Euro pallets versus 25 in a standard unit. In Canada, pallet-wides are source-to-order, carry a 20 to 30% premium, and rarely sit on Ontario yard stock. Real Brantford yards, real reviews (4.9 across 140+), real 1-3 day delivery. Family-operated since 1995.
In This Guide
- What Makes a Container “Pallet-Wide”?
- Why Do 9 Centimetres of Width Matter So Much?
- Euro Pallet vs North American GMA: What Is the Difference?
- Who in Canada Actually Needs a Pallet-Wide?
- What Are the Pallet-Wide Container Sizes and Specs?
- Why Do Pallet-Wide Containers Cost 20 to 30% More in Canada?
- How Does Source-to-Order Work from Brantford?
- When Is a Standard Container the Smarter Buy?
- FAQs
- Reach Van Blanc
Reading Time: 14 minutes
What Makes a Container “Pallet-Wide”?
A pallet-wide shipping container keeps the standard ISO external size but widens the inside to 2.44m instead of the usual 2.35m. That extra 90mm on each wall lets two 1200mm Euro pallets sit flush side by side. The box still stacks, lifts, and rides on standard equipment worldwide.
A pallet-wide container is a freight container built to ISO external dimensions but with the internal walls pulled outward by roughly 90 millimetres on each side. The external footprint is the same as a standard 20ft, 40ft, or 45ft box, so it stacks, lifts, locks, and rides on the same trailers and rail flats as everything else in the global fleet. What changes is the inside. A standard ISO container has an internal width of about 2.35m. A pallet-wide measures 2.44m wide on the inside, which is just enough to set two Euro pallets down side by side instead of one pallet beside an awkward column of empty floor.
That extra 90mm is not cosmetic. It is the entire reason this product exists. Euro pallets, the EPAL/EUR-1 standard, measure 1200mm by 800mm. Lay two of them down with the long edge running across the container, and you need 1600mm of internal width. A standard container gives you 2350mm, which fits two pallets stacked the wrong way and leaves 750mm of floor that has to be packed with bracing, dunnage, or accepted as dead space. A pallet-wide gives you 2440mm, which lets you orient the pallets the other way (two pallets at 1200mm each, 2400mm total) with 40mm of clearance for hand-jack tines and minor positional drift. The pallets sit flush along the long wall of the container, which is the whole point of the design.
This is a European supply-chain product. It was developed by intermodal operators on the Continent who needed containerised freight to move efficiently between trucks running EPAL-pallet-formatted cargo and ships running standard ISO slots. Pallet-wides are everywhere on European rail freight, common on intra-European short-sea shipping, and gradually appearing in trans-Atlantic and Asia-to-Europe lanes. the box dimensions you see on every other route follow one ISO standard worldwide; pallet-wide is the exception the European logistics industry built to fit its own pallet footprint.
ISO Reference Note
The ISO standard for freight container external dimensions is ISO 668:2020. Standard 20ft and 40ft containers have an external width of 2.438m (8 ft). Pallet-wide containers exceed the ISO 668 internal-width minimum because manufacturers thin the corrugated steel side walls and push the corrugation closer to the corner posts, recovering interior space without breaching the external envelope. The corner-cast spacing and lifting points stay ISO-compliant, so the container is interchangeable with standard equipment in cranes, spreaders, and twist-lock chassis worldwide.
Paul LeBlanc, owner: “A pallet-wide is the same box from the outside. Same corner castings, same twist-locks, fits the same trailer. The trick is all on the inside, those few centimetres of extra width. I spent 40 years in Asian trade before I moved Van Blanc fully into containers, and I can count on one hand the number of Ontario buyers who genuinely needed that width. It is a European answer to a European pallet. Most of the people who ask about it are better off with a standard box, and we tell them so.”
Why Do 9 Centimetres of Width Matter So Much?
The case for a pallet-wide container is built entirely on pallet-loading math. Here are the numbers most European 3PLs run when they decide whether the premium is worth paying.
| Container | Internal Width | Euro Pallets (single layer) | Density Gain vs Standard |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Standard | 2.35m | 11 pallets | baseline |
| 20ft Pallet-Wide | 2.44m | 14-15 pallets | 27-36% more |
| 40ft Standard | 2.35m | 25 pallets | baseline |
| 40ft Pallet-Wide | 2.44m | 30 pallets | 20% more |
| 45ft HC Pallet-Wide | 2.44m | 33 pallets | 32% more vs 40ft std |
That 20% increase on a full-length forty-foot box is the headline number. If you are running a European distribution operation that loads, ships, and unloads thousands of containers a year, fitting 30 pallets instead of 25 means six containers do the work of seven. On a high-volume lane, the math compounds: fewer container slot bookings, fewer chassis days, fewer port-handling fees, fewer pallets-per-mile in road tonne-kilometres. Logistics analysts working in EPAL-dominant supply chains routinely cite total operational savings in the 15% range when a fleet converts to pallet-wide on its main lanes.
The 27-36% figure on the 20ft pallet-wide is even more dramatic in percentage terms, but the 20ft pallet-wide is less common in real-world traffic because most pallet-heavy operators jump to 40ft or 45ft for the per-pallet economics. The 20ft pallet-wide tends to show up in dedicated short-sea routes and rail-feeder lanes where 40ft would be overkill for the cargo volume.
The Density Trap
The pallet count is only one variable. The other is cargo weight per pallet. A 20ft pallet-wide loaded to 15 pallets at 1,800kg each is 27,000kg of cargo, which is well over the road-haulage weight limit in most jurisdictions and approaches the container’s payload limit of 28,080kg. If your cargo is dense (drinks, tinned food, machine parts), pallet-wide adds payload risk before it adds payload value. If your cargo is light (textiles, packaged consumer goods, plastic mouldings), pallet-wide pays back fast.
Euro Pallet vs North American GMA: What Is the Difference?
The Euro pallet and the North American GMA pallet are different footprints, and that difference is the entire reason pallet-wide containers are rare in Canada. It is the part the European supplier websites rarely explain.
The North American pallet standard is the GMA (Grocery Manufacturers Association) pallet, also called the CHEP or 48×40 pallet. It measures 48 inches by 40 inches, or 1219mm by 1016mm. It is the most widely used wood pallet in Canada and the United States, accounting for roughly 35% of all new pallets produced annually in the U.S. and a comparable share in Canada. It is the pallet your local Costco, Sobeys, Loblaws, and Home Hardware distribution centre runs. It is the pallet that arrives on every truck pulling into every industrial park between Windsor and Cornwall.
Here is the critical fact: the GMA pallet fits a standard 2.35m-wide ISO container with no efficiency loss worth caring. Two 40-inch (1016mm) pallets laid side by side take 2032mm of width. The 2.35m container leaves 318mm of clearance, which is plenty for forklift tines, hand-jack manoeuvring, and minor pallet positional variance. A standard 40ft container loaded with GMA pallets fits 20 pallets in straight configuration at about 86% floor utilisation, or 21-22 pallets in pinwheel configuration at 91% utilisation.
| Pallet Standard | Dimensions | Two-Wide Loaded Width | Fits Standard 2.35m Container? | Needs Pallet-Wide? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMA / CHEP (North American) | 1219 x 1016mm | 2032mm | Yes, 318mm clearance | No |
| EUR-1 / EPAL (European) | 1200 x 800mm | 1600mm or 2400mm | Awkward, 750mm dead space if 1600mm orientation | Yes for 2400mm orientation |
| Australian Standard | 1168 x 1168mm | 2336mm | Tight, 14mm clearance | Recommended |
| Asian Standard (China / Japan) | 1100 x 1100mm | 2200mm | Yes, 150mm clearance | No |
The GMA pallet was engineered for the North American freight system, including 53-foot dry-van trailers (98.5 inches internal width) and standard ISO containers, and it fits both. Most Ontario shippers, 3PLs, and freight forwarders running domestic Canadian or trans-border lanes will never encounter a pallet-format efficiency problem because their pallets are 1016mm, not 1200mm. The container width that bothers a Hamburg distribution centre does not bother a Brampton distribution centre.
The Ontario Reality
Walk into any Ontario distribution centre between Windsor and Cornwall and the pallets you will see are GMA 48×40. Cannabis producers in Norfolk County, food processors in Brantford, automotive parts plants in Cambridge, retail DCs in Brampton, all running North American pallet stock. The 3PLs handling those clients ship out of standard 40ft containers and standard 53ft dry vans because that is what the cargo lives on. Pallet-wide only becomes relevant when a specific account converts to EPAL pallets, usually because they are importing finished goods from a European parent company or shipping back to a European partner that requires EUR-1 returnable pallets.
Who in Canada Actually Needs a Pallet-Wide?
Pallet-wide containers in Canada land in five buyer profiles. Outside of these five, the answer is almost always “you do not need this, save the premium.”
Importers of European goods on EPAL pallets. A specialty food distributor bringing in Italian wine, French dairy, German beverages, or Eastern European processed goods often receives shipments on EUR-1 pallets and keeps the pallet format inside its own warehouse to avoid re-palletising. If the company moves enough volume to justify dedicated container loads, pallet-wide pays back in pallet density and reduced handling damage.
Canadian subsidiaries of European parent companies. An automotive parts plant, pharmaceutical manufacturer, or specialty-chemical operation owned by a European parent often receives finished goods, intermediate parts, or tooling from the parent on EPAL pallets and is required to ship returns the same way. The pallet-wide spec usually flows down from the parent company’s logistics standard.
Large 3PLs with European-pallet-heavy accounts. A third-party logistics operator running 40-50 containers a month for clients on EPAL pallets has the volume to justify a pallet-wide fleet on those lanes. Most Canadian 3PLs do not have that account mix; the ones that do are typically GTA-based with cross-Atlantic ocean freight as a core service.
Specialty short-sea or rail operators on European-aligned lanes. Rare in Canada but real on a few St. Lawrence-Europe and Halifax-Antwerp lanes.
Static storage at warehouses dedicated to EPAL pallet stock. If your warehouse is already racked, slotted, and forklifted for 1200mm-wide pallets, buying static storage containers in the same width keeps the operation consistent. This is a small slice of the static-storage market in Canada, but it does exist.
Christian LeBlanc, second-generation operator: “Pallet-wide is mostly a European supply-chain thing. We get maybe two or three requests a year, and almost always it’s the same kind of buyer. A Canadian operation owned by a European parent company, or an importer bringing in EPAL pallets they don’t want to re-pallet at our docks. The Norfolk farmer storing equipment in his back forty has never asked for a pallet-wide. The Brampton contractor with a job-site office has never asked for one. Once you understand who actually uses EPAL pallets in Ontario, you understand why our yard inventory is standard-width.”
What Are the Pallet-Wide Container Sizes and Specs?
Pallet-wide containers exist in four common sizes, with 40ft and 45ft HC being the most common in real-world freight traffic. The 20ft and 40ft standard-height variants are rarer because most operators choosing pallet-wide also want the extra cube of high-cube height.
20ft Pallet-Wide
External: 6.06m length, 2.44m width, 2.59m height. Internal: 5.89m length, 2.44m width, 2.39m height. Tare weight roughly 2,400 kg. Payload capacity 28,080 kg. Cubic capacity around 34.4 m³, slightly larger than a standard 20ft’s 33.2 m³ thanks to the wider floor.
40ft Pallet-Wide (Standard Height)
External: 12.19m length, 2.44m width, 2.59m height. Internal: 12.03m length, 2.44m width, 2.39m height. Tare weight roughly 3,800 kg. Payload capacity 26,680 kg. Cubic capacity around 70.2 m³ versus a standard 40ft’s 67.7 m³.
40ft HC Pallet-Wide
External: 12.19m length, 2.44m width, 2.90m height. Internal: 12.05m length, 2.44m width, 2.69m height. Cubic capacity around 78.9 m³. This is the most common pallet-wide spec because it stacks EPAL pallets two-high inside the box with clearance for safe loading.
45ft HC Pallet-Wide
External: 13.71m length, 2.44m width, 2.90m height. Internal: 13.55m length, 2.44m width, 2.69m height. Cubic capacity around 88.9 m³. The 45ft HC pallet-wide is the densest single container slot in the EPAL-pallet world, holding 33 Euro pallets in a single layer.
The Engineering Trade-Off
To gain 90mm of internal width on each side without breaching the ISO 668 external envelope, manufacturers thin the side wall corrugation and reduce the wall flex tolerance. The result is a container that is slightly less forgiving of off-centre loads and rough handling. The corner castings, end frames, and floor structures stay ISO-standard, so the container is still rated for ocean shipping with a CSC plate. But experienced operators handle pallet-wides with slightly more care during loading: avoid uneven pallet stacks, use proper dunnage, and respect the floor’s standard 28,080 kg payload limit. We walk through which CSC plate marks to read before you pay when inspecting any used unit, and the same checks apply to pallet-wide stock.
Why Do Pallet-Wide Containers Cost 20 to 30% More in Canada?
Pallet-wide containers in Canada run at a 20 to 30% premium over comparable standard containers, sometimes more depending on availability. Two factors drive the markup. First, the units are manufactured in lower volumes and the supply chain is European-centric, so a Canadian buyer is usually paying ocean freight to bring a container in from a European depot or paying a depot fee for one of the rare units that has landed in North America through normal trade flows. Second, demand in Canada is limited, so dealers do not hold pallet-wide stock the way they hold standard 20ft and 40ft units, which means there is no domestic competition driving prices down.
What a Canadian buyer should expect when sourcing through a domestic dealer is a premium that scales with size and grade. The table below shows where the markup lands relative to a comparable standard container, and why it moves:
| Spec (Cargo Worthy) | Pallet-Wide Premium vs Standard | Domestic Stock Depth | What Drives the Markup at This Size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft | ~35% | Effectively none on Ontario yards | Lowest-volume pallet-wide size, so the premium is widest in percentage terms; almost always sourced one unit at a time. |
| 40ft | ~25-30% | Source-to-order only | The workhorse pallet-wide size, but still no domestic competition to compress the markup. |
| 40ft HC | ~25-30% | Source-to-order only | Most-requested spec; demand is steadier than 20ft, so the premium holds nearer the middle of the band. |
| 45ft HC | ~25-30% | Rare, often purpose-sourced | Densest EPAL slot, usually built or sourced to order, so ocean freight and depot fees set the markup. |
One-Trip pallet-wide units run higher still, carrying the steepest premium of any pallet-wide grade because a near-new unit on a low-volume spec has the thinnest supply of all and is usually built to order. One-Trip is the industry term for a box that made exactly one loaded ocean voyage, so it arrives in essentially new condition; if you want that grade in a standard width instead, our freshest single-voyage stock is the place to start. Used Wind & Watertight grade pallet-wides are scarce in Canada because the units that do arrive tend to stay in active freight service longer than standard containers; most pallet-wides offered to Canadian buyers are Cargo Worthy or One-Trip rather than older WWT stock.
Set against what a regular box runs across the Canadian market, the pallet-wide premium is real money. On a 40ft HC at the high end, that roughly 30% uplift is what the 90mm of extra width per side actually costs you. If your account converts to EPAL pallets at scale, the math returns fast. If it does not, the premium is dead weight against the operation.
When the Math Returns Fast
A simple back-of-envelope: a premium on a 40ft HC pallet-wide pays back in roughly 30-40 container-loads if your operation actually loads 30 EPAL pallets per box instead of 25. That assumes a meaningful operational saving per box from reduced container slot bookings, less re-palletisation, and faster turn at the loading dock. For a high-volume EPAL operator, that is six months of trade. For a single-container buyer using it for static storage, the premium never returns.
How Does Source-to-Order Work from Brantford?
Source-to-order is how Van Blanc supplies pallet-wide containers, because the spec is rare on Ontario yard stock. Van Blanc carries hundreds of standard yard-stock boxes ready to deliver across our four Brantford yards at any given time, in 20ft, 40ft, 40ft HC, and 45ft HC plus reefers, but pallet-wide units are not part of the standing inventory because the demand does not justify the holding cost. Customers who need pallet-wide get them through source-to-order: we identify a unit in the global resale market or at a depot with available stock, confirm the spec and CSC status, lock the price, and arrange ocean freight or domestic road transport to our Brantford yard for final delivery to the customer’s site.
Typical source-to-order lead time runs 3-8 weeks depending on where the unit is starting from. A pallet-wide already in a Canadian depot (rare but it happens) can land in Brantford within 1-2 weeks. A unit sourced from a European depot via Halifax or Montreal ocean freight runs 4-6 weeks door to yard. A purpose-built one-trip pallet-wide from an Asian manufacturer is 6-8 weeks from order confirmation to Brantford delivery. Every quote we give on pallet-wide includes a real lead time, not a hopeful one. If a depot tells us 28 days, we tell the customer 35 days to leave room for the things that go wrong on long international supply lines.
Why Source-to-Order Works for This Spec
Van Blanc has been operating in Brantford since 1995. Paul LeBlanc spent 40 years in Asian trade before pivoting Van Blanc fully to containers, which is the relationship network that makes source-to-order work for specialty units. We are not guessing when we quote pallet-wide lead times; we are pulling from the same depots, brokers, and ocean carriers we have used for the last two decades. If a pallet-wide has to come from Europe, we know which Antwerp or Hamburg depot will actually have one available rather than the ones that will say “yes” and then ghost the order three weeks later. Source-to-order is the right format for a low-volume specialty product because nobody benefits from holding pallet-wide inventory that sits unsold for nine months.
Ready to price your container?
Tell us the size and your postal code and we’ll send back an honest, all-in number, container, delivery, and placement, usually within 1-3 days. No pressure, no mystery fees.
Family-run in Brantford since 1995 · 200+ containers in stock · 4.9★ across 140+ Google reviews · every box graded by a person, walk it before it lands.
When Is a Standard Container the Smarter Buy?
A standard container is the smarter buy for most Ontario buyers who arrive at the pallet-wide question, and they end up walking away with one, and that is the right outcome for them. Here is the honest filter we run before quoting pallet-wide.
If your pallets are GMA / CHEP 48×40, you do not need pallet-wide. A standard 40ft container fits 20 GMA pallets at 86% utilisation, and pallet-wide does not improve that number because the GMA pallet is already loaded across the standard 2.35m width with clearance. Paying a 25-30% premium for no operational gain is the worst outcome.
If you are storing equipment, machinery, building materials, or non-palletised goods, you do not need pallet-wide. The 90mm of extra width is irrelevant when the cargo is a snowmobile, a tractor implement, a stack of lumber, or pallets of mixed-size goods. Buy standard.
If you are converting the container to an office, shop, workshop, or accessory storage building, you do not need pallet-wide. The interior workflow does not care about EPAL pallets. The 90mm of extra width is not worth the cost premium plus the longer source-to-order lead time. Buy standard and put the savings into the insulation, wiring, doors, and windows we fit at the yard.
If you are running occasional ocean shipping or trans-border freight with mixed pallet formats, you do not need pallet-wide. Mixed-format freight rarely loads to the dense pallet count where pallet-wide pays back. Standard is fine.
You probably do need pallet-wide if: your warehouse runs EPAL pallets, your inbound cargo from a European parent or supplier arrives on EUR-1 pallets, your outbound freight is required to ship on EPAL pallets, and your annual container volume is high enough that the per-box pallet-density gain returns the premium within 12-24 months of operation.
Christian on the honest-disclosure conversation: “When a customer calls asking about pallet-wide, the first question I ask is what kind of pallets they are running. Nine times out of ten it is GMA, and I tell them the standard container is the right buy. That conversation usually goes for fifteen minutes because they have read something online about pallet-wide saving 20% on freight and they want to know why we are talking them out of it. The answer is the 20% is real for EPAL pallets and zero for GMA. The internet does not always explain the pallet-format difference. We do, because we would rather lose the upsell than sell a buyer the wrong container.”
The Facebook Marketplace Note on Pallet-Wide
If you see a pallet-wide container offered on Facebook Marketplace at a price significantly below the Canadian dealer market, treat it the way you would treat any other suspicious container listing. Pallet-wides are specialty units. A genuinely cheap pallet-wide does not exist in the Canadian market because there is no excess supply driving prices down. Many buyers call us saying they can get a bin suspiciously cheaper on Facebook. Two weeks later they call back saying they got scammed. Pallet-wide listings are particularly common targets because the buyer does not know the realistic price and the scammer can quote anything. Don’t fall for it. Confirm the unit exists at a real depot before paying anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the internal width of a pallet-wide container?
A pallet-wide container has an internal width of 2.44m (96 inches), compared to the standard ISO container internal width of approximately 2.35m. The external width is the same 2.438m as a standard container, so it remains ISO-compatible for stacking, lifting, and trans-modal transport.
How many Euro pallets fit in a 40ft pallet-wide container?
A 40ft pallet-wide container holds 30 Euro pallets (1200mm x 800mm) in a single floor layer, compared to 25 in a standard 40ft container. That is a 20% pallet density gain, which is the central economic case for pallet-wide in EPAL-pallet supply chains.
Can I buy a pallet-wide container in Canada?
Yes, but they are source-to-order rather than yard-stock. Pallet-wide demand in Canada is limited because most domestic operations run GMA 48×40 pallets that fit a standard container with no efficiency loss. Van Blanc sources pallet-wide units through global depot networks and delivers to our Brantford yard for final placement. Typical lead time is 3-8 weeks depending on starting depot.
Why are pallet-wide containers more expensive?
Three reasons. They are manufactured in lower volumes than standard containers. The supply chain is European-centric, so units sourced for Canadian buyers typically travel further to reach a Brantford yard. And Canadian demand is low enough that there is no domestic competition driving prices down. Expect a 20-30% premium over comparable standard containers.
Do I need a pallet-wide if I am storing GMA pallets?
No. The North American GMA pallet measures 48 inches by 40 inches (1219mm x 1016mm). Two GMA pallets side by side take 2032mm of width, which fits a standard 2.35m container with 318mm of clearance. Pallet-wide adds cost without adding operational value if your pallets are GMA format.
What is the difference between a pallet-wide container and a high cube container?
Different axes. Pallet-wide adds internal width (2.44m instead of 2.35m). High cube adds internal height (2.69m instead of 2.39m). A 40ft HC pallet-wide combines both, which is the most common pallet-wide spec in active freight service. A standard 40ft HC adds height only.
Can pallet-wide containers be shipped on standard rail and road equipment?
Yes. The external envelope matches ISO 668 dimensions, so pallet-wides ride on the same chassis, twist-lock to the same rail flats, and lift with the same spreader bars as standard containers. No special equipment is required, which is the point of the design.
Does a pallet-wide container have the same payload limit as a standard container?
Roughly yes. A 20ft pallet-wide is rated at about 28,080 kg payload (versus ~28,200 kg for a standard 20ft). A 40ft pallet-wide carries approximately 26,680 kg payload (versus ~27,800 kg for a standard 40ft). The slightly lower payload reflects the thinner side walls used to recover internal width.
Sources
- International Organization for Standardization. (2020). ISO 668:2020, Series 1 freight containers, Classification, dimensions and ratings. iso.org
- European Pallet Association (EPAL). (2024). EUR-pallet specifications, EPAL 1 standard pallet. epal-pallets.org
- Container xChange. (2025). Pallet wide container: Dimensions, benefits and prices. Industry market analysis. container-xchange.com
- iGPS Logistics. (2025). Standard GMA Pallet Dimensions: Why 48″x40″ Uniformity Matters. igps.net
- Transport Canada. (2025). Cargo Securement Standard 10, Containerized Cargo. tc.canada.ca
Reach Van Blanc in Brantford
We have been supplying shipping containers across Ontario since 1995. Our warehouse is at 90 Morton Avenue E in Brantford, and we deliver right across the province on a cash-on-delivery basis. No surprise fees, no chase-the-paperwork.
Van Blanc Ent. Inc. 90 Morton Ave E Unit 1B, Brantford, ON N3R 7J7. 519-754-6844 or toll-free 1-888-509-6658.
If your operation runs EPAL pallets and you want a real quote on a pallet-wide unit, call Christian. He will walk you through the source-to-order timing, the depot options, and the honest math on whether the premium pays back for your account. If your pallets are GMA, he will tell you to buy standard and save the markup.