RapidShips LLC · rapidships.com · 800-376-2808
Freight tools · Pallets

Pallet Calculator: How Many Pallets Do You Need?

Enter your cartons and pallet limits to get the pallet count, cartons per layer, layers, height and gross weight of every pallet, a layer diagram and warehouse instructions. Below it, total footprint, CBM and weight for pallets you already have.

Last reviewed: 2026-09-30 · Free · Nothing you enter is stored

Carton-to-Pallet Planner

01 · Cartons (sizes in in, weights in lb)

SKU / descriptionLengthWidthHeightWeight eachCartonsOrientationNothing on topMax load on topRemove

Height is the carton side that stands up. “Upright, may turn” lets a carton rotate on the pallet but keeps this side up; “Any side up” also tries laying it on its side or end.

02 · Pallet and limits

Deck height, tare, max height and max gross start at common values (6 in, 40 lb, 72 in, 2,500 lb). They are flagged as assumptions in the results until you change them. Use your warehouse, carrier or customer limits.

03 · Packing method

Packing method

Everything is calculated in your browser; nothing you enter is stored or sent. The plan is a heuristic from the sizes and limits you enter, not a proven optimum: confirm the first pallet on the dock.

Pallet Totals: Footprint, CBM and Weight

Already know your pallets? Total their footprint, cube and weight, and estimate how many fit in a container or 53-ft trailer.

Pallet Details

Size
Weight
Pallet size

01 · Dimensions per pallet

Height is the loaded height, pallet included. Editing length or width switches to Custom.

02 · Weight and count

03 · Equipment estimate (optional)

Equipment

Results

Enter shipment dimensions to see your results.

Educational estimate only, never a guarantee of capacity. Real pallet counts depend on the loading configuration, pallet overhang, axle and legal weight limits, the cargo and the equipment you actually get. Interior sizes are typical published values.

Need help with this shipment?

Need cross-docking or pallet rework?

Pallets that arrive leaning, overhanging or overweight can be rebuilt, restacked and re-weighed on our dock, or moved straight across to outbound trailers.

Request Service Call RapidShips 800-376-2808
Embed this pallet calculator on your website

Free for any website: brokers, carriers, shippers, schools. Paste the code where the calculator should appear. It sizes itself on most sites, and anything your visitors enter stays in their browser. Please keep the credit line.

Dark site? Add &theme=dark after ?embed=1 in the code.

Quick answer: how many pallets fit in a container?

By floor space, a 40-ft standard or high cube container fits 18 standard 48 x 40 in. pallets in one tier and a 20-ft container fits 8, using published interior dimensions. A 53-ft dry van fits 26 loaded straight or 30 turned. Pallet height, stacking and weight limits can lower the real number.

The pallet calculator totals footprint, cube and weight for a pallet shipment and, if you pick a container or trailer, estimates how many pallets fit on the floor and how many loads you need. Choose a standard pallet size or enter your own.

How to Use the Pallet Calculator

  1. Pick a pallet size: 48 x 40, 42 x 42, 48 x 48 in., or Custom.
  2. Enter the loaded height (pallet included), the weight per pallet and the number of pallets.
  3. Optionally pick a 20-ft, 40-ft or 40-ft high cube container, or a 53-ft dry van, for a floor-space estimate. Tick stacking only if the freight can take it.

How RapidShips Calculates This

Formula
footprint = L x Wvolume = L x W x H x palletsCBM = volume in m³; ft³ = CBM x 35.3147
Floor positions
Pallets are placed in a plain grid, all facing the same way, and the calculator tries both floor orientations (48 in. along the length, or turned) and keeps the better one. Tiers = interior height ÷ loaded height, rounded down, only when stacking is ticked.
Equipment data
Container interiors from Maersk’s published dry container specifications. The 53-ft van uses about 630 x 100 x 108 in., the conservative interior used in our container vs. trailer guide.
Limitations
No mixed orientations, no overhang, no bracing or door clearance, and no axle weight check. A real load plan can differ in either direction.

How Many Cartons Fit on a Pallet?

Multiply cartons per layer by the number of layers, then check weight. Cartons per layer comes from the carton footprint on the pallet deck, trying the carton both ways. Layers is the height you are allowed above the deck divided by the carton height, rounded down. If cartons times carton weight plus the pallet itself is over your gross limit, weight sets the count instead.

Worked example: 20 x 16 x 12 in. cartons at 20 lb on a 48 x 40 in. pallet with a 6 in. deck and a 60 in. height limit. Turned so 16 in. runs along the 48 in. side, 3 x 2 = 6 cartons per layer. The 54 in. left above the deck takes 4 layers of 12 in., so a full pallet holds 24 cartons and stands 54 in. tall, about 520 lb gross with a 40 lb pallet. 100 cartons need 5 pallets: four of 24 and one of 4.

The planner also tries patterns that mix both carton directions in one layer. A 16 x 12 in. carton fits 9 per layer on a 48 x 40 in. deck in a plain grid, but 10 when two rows of three are followed by a turned row of four, which fills the deck exactly.

How the Carton-to-Pallet Planner Works

Layer pattern
For each carton line and each allowed orientation it tests plain grids and two-block patterns (some rows or columns turned 90 degrees) on the deck plus any overhang you allow, and keeps the pattern with the most cartons.
Layers
Height above the deck, minus any top allowance, divided by the carton height and rounded down, then capped by your max layers, “nothing on top” and max load on top (the cartons below carry the cartons stacked in their column).
Weight
Gross pallet weight = cartons x carton weight + pallet tare. Cartons per pallet never take a pallet over your max gross weight.
Distribution
Full pallets first, then the remainder. With “Combine leftovers”, remainders are stacked layer by layer onto shared pallets, larger layers lower, partial and “nothing on top” layers last.
Limits of the method
A heuristic, not a proven optimum. It does not know carton crush strength unless you enter max load on top, and it does not check wrap, banding, forklift limits or customer pallet rules. Every carton is counted: placed cartons plus unallocated cartons always equal the cartons entered.

How Many Pallets Fit in a Container or Trailer?

Single-tier floor positions from published interior dimensions, with pallets kept flush and all facing the same way:

Pallet floor positions, single tier (educational)
EquipmentInterior (typical)48 x 40 in42 x 42 in48 x 48 in
20-ft standard232.1 x 92.5 x 94.2 in8104
40-ft standard473.7 x 92.5 x 94.2 in18229
40-ft high cube473.7 x 92.5 x 106.2 in18229
53-ft dry vanabout 630 x 100 x 108 in30 turned (26 straight)3026

These are floor counts only. Weight usually decides first for dense freight: federal rules generally cap a truck at 80,000 lb gross on the Interstate System, tractor and trailer included.[2] See container weight rules for how ocean and road limits differ. For smaller vehicles and case counts, see pallets on a 26-ft box truck and how many cartons fit on a pallet.

Worked Example

Twenty 48 x 40 in. pallets, 60 in. tall, 1,200 lb each:

  • Footprint: 48 x 40 = 1,920 in² = 13.33 ft² each, 266.67 ft² in total
  • Volume: 13.33 ft² x 5 ft = 66.67 ft³ each, 1,333.33 ft³ in total, or 37.76 CBM
  • Weight: 20 x 1,200 lb = 24,000 lb (10,886 kg)
  • 40-ft standard container: 18 floor positions, and two 60 in. tiers (120 in.) will not fit under 94.2 in., so the shipment needs about 2 containers by floor space

When pallets arrive broken, leaning or overhanging, the freight is moved onto new or sound pallets, which is called repalletizing.

Most domestic pallets ride in a 53-ft dry van. Whether a load goes LTL or as a full truck is explained in LTL vs. FTL, and parcel-size shipments may be billed on dimensional weight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I calculate how many pallets I need?
Find cartons per pallet first: cartons per layer x layers, limited by your max gross weight. Divide your carton count by that number and round up. 100 cartons at 24 per pallet need 5 pallets: four full and one with 4 cartons.
How many boxes fit on a 48 x 40 pallet?
It depends on the box size and your height limit. 20 x 16 x 12 in. boxes fit 6 per layer, so 4 layers under a 60 in. limit with a 6 in. deck is 24 boxes. Smaller or flatter boxes fit more; enter yours in the planner.
Can cartons hang over the edge of a pallet?
Many warehouses and carriers do not accept overhang because the edge cartons can be crushed or snagged. The planner uses zero overhang unless you enter what your receiver allows.
What size is a standard pallet in the U.S.?
The 48 x 40 in. pallet, often called the GMA pallet, is the most common standardized size in the U.S. Square 42 x 42 in. and 48 x 48 in. pallets are also common for certain products, such as drums.
How do you calculate pallet CBM?
Multiply the pallet length, width and loaded height in meters, then multiply by the number of pallets. A 48 x 40 x 60 in. pallet is 1.219 x 1.016 x 1.524 m, about 1.888 CBM.
How many pallets fit in a 53-ft trailer?
On a floor of about 630 x 100 in., 26 standard 48 x 40 in. pallets fit loaded straight and 30 fit turned, in a single tier. Weight limits and the actual trailer can lower that number.
Can pallets be double-stacked in a container?
Only if two loaded heights fit under the interior height with clearance and the lower pallets can carry the weight. A 40-ft high cube is about 106 in. tall inside, so two pallets of up to about 53 in. can fit by height alone.
What is pallet footprint?
Footprint is the floor area one pallet covers: length x width. A 48 x 40 in. pallet covers 1,920 square inches, or 13.33 square feet.
Container Loading CalculatorCheck cargo volume, weight, volume utilization and remaining space in a 20-ft, 40-ft or 40-ft high cube container, for pallets or cartons. Freight Class & Density CalculatorGet cubic feet, total weight and density per handling unit, with the matching class on the 2025 NMFC density scale. CBM CalculatorCubic meters and cubic feet for cartons in cm, m, inches or feet, with every step shown in plain language. Dimensional Weight CalculatorDimensional and chargeable weight with the divisor your carrier uses: 139, 166, 5,000, 6,000 or your own.
40-ft Container vs. 53-ft TrailerPallet count and cube for transloads How a Damaged Pallet Gets RebuiltRestack, wrap, re-weigh, document ISPM 15 Wood PalletsWhen packaging fails inspection Cross-DockingInbound to outbound, 24/7

Sources

  1. Maersk, “Our fleet: equipment specifications, dry containers (PDF),” accessed September 2026.
  2. Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, “23 CFR § 658.17: Weight,” accessed September 2026.

This page is general operational information. Equipment varies; confirm dimensions, weights and legal limits with your carrier before you build a load.