freightcalcsWalmart pallet requirements
GMA 48 × 40 Grade A · up to 72 in and 2,100 lb · OTIF and SQEP enforced. Part of freightcalcs.com.
GMA 48 × 40 Grade A · up to 72 in and 2,100 lb · OTIF and SQEP enforced. Part of freightcalcs.com.
Before you ship: the routing guide attached to your purchase order is the authority, and requirements vary by facility and change without much notice. Treat the figures below as the commonly published baseline for planning, then confirm against your current guide.
Walmart is the most heavily penalty-enforced retailer on this list. The pallet build itself is fairly permissive — 72 inches and 2,100 pounds is generous next to Costco or Amazon — but two automated compliance programs audit every shipment, and the fines are deducted from your remittance without a conversation. Getting the pallet right is necessary; getting the paperwork and the delivery window right is what actually protects your margin.
| Requirement | Commonly published rule |
|---|---|
| Pallet type | GMA standard 40 × 48 in, solid wood, 4-way entry, Grade A / #1 quality |
| Maximum height | Up to 72 in including the pallet — DC-specific, some facilities are lower |
| Maximum weight | Up to 2,100 lb including the pallet |
| Layer weight | Individual layers limited to about 500 lb |
| Overhang | None permitted |
| Stretch wrap | Required, securing load to pallet |
| Case labels | GS1-128 on all cases; SSCC-18 pallet licence plate |
| TI-HI | Must match the item setup — consistent, full layers expected |
The 500 lb layer cap is the constraint suppliers most often miss. A dense product can hit the layer limit long before the pallet reaches 72 in or 2,100 lb, which changes your TI-HI and therefore your cost per unit shipped. Work it out with the TI-HI calculator before you commit to a case size.
Walmart runs OTIF and SQEP in parallel. They penalise different failures and both can hit the same shipment:
| OTIF | SQEP | |
|---|---|---|
| What it measures | On-time, in-full delivery against the PO | PO accuracy, GTIN and barcode compliance, SSCC-18 labels, pallet configuration, ASN formatting |
| Target | Commonly 98% for most categories | Per-defect |
| Penalty | Around 3% of the cost of goods on the affected portion | Roughly $25–$500 per incident |
| Character | One large, visible deduction | Small fines that accumulate quietly |
SQEP is where pallet configuration errors land. An overhanging load or a TI-HI that does not match item setup is a SQEP defect, not an OTIF one — so a perfectly on-time delivery can still be fined. Figures are commonly cited rates; confirm current thresholds in Retail Link.
Walmart's supplier standards are split across several places, and the version that governs your shipment is the one attached to your PO:
| Source | Covers |
|---|---|
| Routing instructions on the PO | The authority — carrier, window, facility-specific limits |
| Retail Link › Supplier Academy | Packaging, labelling and pallet standards |
| Supply Chain standards documents | Channel differences — stores vs fulfilment centres |
Requirements differ by channel. Walmart Fulfillment Services (WFS) has its own inbound routing guide and does not follow the store-DC rules; if you are shipping to WFS, use that guide instead.
Commonly published guidance allows up to 72 inches including the pallet, but individual distribution centres set lower limits and the routing guide on your PO governs. Confirm before building to the maximum.
Up to about 2,100 lb including the pallet, with individual layers limited to roughly 500 lb. The layer cap often binds first on dense products.
No. Cases must sit within the 48 × 40 in footprint. Overhang is a SQEP defect and also damages cases in transit, since the overhanging edge carries no support from the pallet deck.
OTIF measures whether you delivered on time and in full, penalising roughly 3% of cost of goods on the affected portion below a 98% target. SQEP measures execution quality — labels, barcodes, ASN accuracy and pallet configuration — at roughly $25 to $500 per defect. A shipment can pass one and fail the other.
GMA standard 40 × 48 in solid wood pallets, 4-way entry, Grade A or #1 quality. See the GMA pallet specification for full dimensions and construction details.
No. Walmart Fulfillment Services publishes its own inbound routing guide for marketplace sellers, separate from the supplier standards that govern shipments to Walmart store distribution centres.
TI-HI calculator · 3D pallet calculator · Why overhang matters · GMA pallet specs · Carton fit table
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