Packrift · Pallet Protection

Pallet Covers Size Guide

Read a gusseted cover as opening × drop: length and width match or slightly exceed the pallet footprint, and height clears the load by at least 4 in. On a standard 48×40 pallet that means 48×42×48 for loads to about 44 in, 48×42×66 to about 60 in, and 48×40×100 for tall loads. Then pick the route that finishes the job: hand stretch film, machine stretch film, covers & bags, or shrink.

Find by load & method → Cover size chart Compare the four routes How to wrap a pallet Shop pallet covers

FIG. 1 — 48×40 PALLET · FILM-WRAPPED LOAD

Quick answer

The sizes that cover most pallets.

Standard 48×40 pallet, loads to ~44 in	48×42×48 · 1, 2, or 3 mil
Loads to ~60–62 in	48×42×66 clear · 46×42×68 black
Tall or square-pallet loads	48×40×100 (to ~94 in) · 48×48×96
Film thickness (mil)	1 dust · 2 transit · 3 outdoor + reuse
Stability only, no weather	18 in × 80 ga hand film + 60×60 top sheet

01 — START WITH THE LOAD

Find your cover by load & method

The load decides the protection, and your volume decides the method. Find your row, read the verdicts across hand film, machine film, covers, and top sheets, then start with a real SKU.

What's on the pallet	Hand film	Machine film	Cover / bag	Top sheet	Start here
Light & uniformeven cartons, low weight, short indoor moves	BestQuick bands hold an even, light stack.	SkipA wrapper pays off at volume, not here.	OK1 mil clear keeps dust off stored loads.	OKCloses the top on loads that just sit.	80 ga hand film → 48×42×48 · 1 mil →
Standard 48×40mixed cartons, general transit	Best80 ga blown film is the workhorse duty.	At volumeSame job with consistent force, less labor.	Best2 mil black rides transit and staging.	OKCheapest top closure under the wrap.	80 ga hand film → 46×42×68 · 2 mil →
Heavy or sharp-edgeddense cases, hard corners, metal or lumber	Add passesBlown film resists punctures — double up at corners.	BestPowered pre-stretch keeps heavy loads tight.	OK3 mil is the toughest cover in this lineup.	SkipAdds nothing to containment.	48×42×48 · 3 mil → 80 ga blown film →
Outdoor or long storageweather, winter staging, weeks not days	Pair itFilm stabilizes, but the top stays open.	Pair itContainment only — no weather protection.	BestBlack 2–3 mil, skirt banded against wind.	OKSheds drips indoors; outdoors go full cover.	48×42×48 · 3 mil → 48×40×100 · 2 mil →

Film math — feet per pallet, rolls per case — lives in how much stretch film per pallet. Loads that need a heat-shrunk skin instead of a slip-over cover: pallet shrink covers.

02 — THE SIZE CHART

Cover sizes, drawn to scale

Six sizes cover this lineup. Opening (length × width) matches the pallet footprint; drop (height) clears the load with overlap to spare. Load heights below already subtract a 4 in overlap allowance.

48×42×481·2·3 mil · to ~44 in 48×42×661 mil clear · to ~60 in 46×42×682 mil black · to ~62 in 54×44×762 mil black · to ~70 in 48×48×961 mil clear · to ~90 in 48×40×1002 mil black · to ~94 in

Heights drawn to scale · fill shows film color (clear vs black) · dashed lines mark the gussets. Confirm current dimensions and case counts on each product page.

Cover (L×W×H, in)	Film	Fits	Case
48×42×48	1 mil clear	Standard 48×40, loads to about 44 in	150/case
48×42×48	2 mil black	Standard 48×40, loads to about 44 in — transit duty	50/case
48×42×48	3 mil black, moisture-resistant	Standard 48×40 — outdoor staging and reuse	50/case
48×42×66	1 mil clear	48×40, loads to about 60 in	150/case
46×42×68	2 mil black, moisture protection	Footprints to about 44×40, loads to about 62 in	50/case
54×44×76	2 mil black	Oversized and overhanging loads, to about 70 in	50/case
48×48×96	1 mil clear	48×48 square pallets, loads to about 90 in	100/case
48×40×100	2 mil black	Snug on 48×40, tall loads to about 94 in	50/case

The 60×60 route: that's top sheeting, not a full cover

Searching for 60×60 pallet cover poly sheeting usually means this: a flat sheet laid over the finished load before the last wrap passes, leaving roughly 6–10 in of drop on a 48×40 pallet for the film to catch. It stops dust and overhead drips only — the sides are protected exactly where the wrap covers — so for weather or full-surface protection, use a gusseted cover from the chart above.

60×60 · 1.25 mil clear · 250 sheets → 60×60 · 1.5 mil black · 250 sheets → 48×48 · 1.5 mil clear · 500 sheets →

03 — THE FOUR ROUTES COMPARED

The pallet-protection types compared

Film contains, covers protect, shrink does both at a labor cost. Honest downsides included, because the wrong route fails on the truck or in the yard, not at checkout.

By hand · low volume

Hand stretch film

One person and a roll. Gauge is the duty rating: 80 ga blown film is the all-purpose middle of the range — go lighter only for light, even stacks, and step up or add passes for dense and abrasive loads.

+No equipment — wraps the odd pallet or the daily dozen.
+Blown film stretches deep and resists punctures on rough loads.
−Tension depends on the person pulling — consistency varies.
−Hand pre-stretch is limited, so film use runs higher than a machine's.

Real SKU 18" × 80 ga × 1500' blown hand film · 4/case→

Browse: stretch wrap · stretch film · film math: how much per pallet

Turntable & rotary arm · volume

Machine stretch film

Film for powered wrappers: the carriage pre-stretches the web to a multiple of its length, so every pallet gets the same containment force with less film and less labor.

+Consistent wrap, pallet after pallet — no tired-arm variable.
+Less film per pallet once daily volume justifies the machine.
−The wrapper is capital equipment — it earns its keep at volume, not on one-offs.
−Film spec is tied to the machine: match carriage width and pre-stretch rating.

Honest note

No machine-grade roll is listed on this page — the stocked start point here is hand film. Size machine film to your wrapper, then start from the stretch film collection.

Volume planning: bulk stretch film pallet wrap

Weather, dust & dark

Pallet covers & bags

A gusseted poly bag pulled over the load — top and all four sides, no heat. Opening matches the footprint, drop clears the load by 4 in, and mil matches the duty: 1 for dust, 2 for transit, 3 for outdoors and reuse.

+The only route here that covers top and sides in one piece.
+Clear film scans through; black keeps light off and contents out of view.
−Loose fit until the skirt is banded down with stretch film.
−Cost rises with mil — don't buy 3 mil for indoor dust duty.

Real SKUs 48×42×48 · 1 mil clear · 150/case→ 46×42×68 · 2 mil black · 50/case→ 48×42×48 · 3 mil moisture-resistant · 50→ 48×40×100 · 2 mil black, tall · 50/case→

All eight sizes in the chart above · Browse: pallet covers & liners · bin & gaylord liners · poly bags

Heat-shrunk skin & edge cases

Shrink covers & other routes

A shrink cover goes on loose, then a heat tool pulls it into a tight skin that grips the load and sheds weather — the snuggest cover there is, at the cost of a tool and time per pallet.

+Conforms to the load — nothing flaps in wind or transit.
+Strong outdoor performance once shrunk tight.
−Needs a heat tool, trained hands, and minutes per pallet.
−Wrong tool for quick in-and-out warehouse moves.

Where it lives

Shrink sizing and film specs live in the pallet shrink covers guide. Load riding on something other than a pallet? Slip sheets vs pallets settles the platform question first.

04 — DO IT RIGHT

How to wrap a pallet

Cover first, film second, and the load and pallet leave as one unit. Five steps, same order every time.

Stack tight and square

Heavy cartons low, nothing past the pallet edge — overhang punctures film and crushes box corners. Planning layers? How many boxes fit on a pallet does the math.

Cover before you wrap

Weather or dust in the picture? Pull the gusseted cover on, or lay the top sheet, before the film — so the wrap pins it down. Sizes are in the chart.

Anchor and band the base

Tie the film tail to a corner block, then band the base with two or three passes that catch the pallet deck. Load and pallet should move as one.

Spiral up at half-web overlap

Each pass covers about half the web below it. Keep steady tension and let the film do the stretching — jerking it at corners is how film tears.

Lock the top and test

Band the top over the cover skirt or top sheet, press the tail flat, then push the top course. Movement means another pass, not hope.

Wrap enough, not everything

Containment force — how hard the load is held — is film tension times layers. Under-wrapping shows up in transit as leaning stacks and torn corners; over-wrapping never shows up anywhere except the film budget. Put extra passes where the stress lives — base, top, corners — instead of everywhere.

Gauge follows the load, not habit: 80 ga blown covers standard mixed pallets, heavy or sharp loads get a step up or doubled passes, and only light, even stacks earn lighter film. And containment starts before the film — uniform, right-sized cartons stack square and wrap tighter. That part is the box-size guide's territory.

Freight honesty: poly covers and film are dense and ship by weight, so on small orders the freight can rival the goods. Case quantities spread it across every pallet you protect — the underlying numbers are published, not hidden.

Open the cost & cube index →

COVER DROP (GUSSETED)

drop ≥ load height + 4 in overlap
+ pallet height (~5–6 in) if the skirt should reach the deck
example — 48×40 pallet · 56 in load
= 56 + 4 → 60 in minimum drop
→ 48×42×66 cover

Opening = footprint + about 2 in of slack per side — that's why a 48×42 opening fits a 48×40 pallet. Band the skirt with stretch film: the cover protects, the film contains.

05 — QUICK ANSWERS

Pallet cover questions, answered

What size pallet cover fits a standard 48x40 pallet?

A 48x42 opening is the standard match. Pick height by load: 48x42x48 for loads to about 44 in, 48x42x66 to about 60 in, and 48x40x100 for tall loads. Leave a few inches beyond the load for overlap.

What mil should a pallet cover be?

1 mil clear handles indoor dust and light moisture, 2 mil black is the general transit and storage duty, and 3 mil black is the step-up for outdoor staging, longer storage, and reuse. Thicker film costs more per cover, so match mil to the actual duty.

What is the difference between pallet covers and pallet shrink covers?

A gusseted pallet cover slips over the load and gets banded down with stretch film, no heat needed. A shrink cover is heat-shrunk into a tight skin that grips the load better, but requires a heat tool and more labor per pallet.

Is 60x60 poly sheeting enough to protect a pallet?

It protects the top only. A 60x60 sheet under the final wrap passes seals the load against dust and overhead drips, and the wrap protects the sides it covers. For weather or full-surface protection, use a full gusseted cover.

Do pallet covers work for winter or outdoor storage?

Use the black 2 or 3 mil covers, size the cover so the skirt overlaps well past the load, and band it with stretch film so wind cannot lift it. Loads with a crowned top shed water better than flat ones where it can pool.

PACKRIFT · Measure the footprint, clear the load by 4 in, match mil to duty. Confirm current dimensions and case counts on each product page before ordering.