Pallet calculator
How many cartons fit on a pallet, with the Ti × Hi, height, weight and freight class of the finished load. Or how many pallets fit in a trailer, box truck or shipping container.
Inputs
Result
How many 48 × 40 pallets fit
Floor-loaded, single and double stacked, in typical inside dimensions. “Straight” is every pallet turned the same way, the way most docks load; “best” mixes orientations.
| Equipment | Straight | Best | Best, stacked 2 high |
|---|
Why most pallet calculators leave cartons on the floor
Fitting rectangles into a rectangle sounds simple and is not: it is a known hard problem in mathematics. Most free calculators dodge it by trying two layouts, every carton one way or every carton turned, and reporting the better. Whenever a mixed layout does better, and it often does, they under-count.
This one solves it properly for every layout that can be made with straight cuts across the pallet, which covers the patterns a person would actually build, and checks the pinwheel pattern separately. On a 48 × 40 pallet, a 16 × 12 carton fits 9 a layer with all boxes one way, but 10 with a mixed pattern. That is one more carton in every layer, on the same pallet, at no extra freight cost.
Ti × Hi
Warehouse shorthand for a pallet pattern. Ti, or tier, is the number of cartons in one layer. Hi, or high, is the number of layers. A 10 × 6 pallet has ten cartons a layer, six layers high, 60 in total. Distribution centres often specify the Ti × Hi they will accept, so it is worth knowing yours.
What limits the stack
Usually height. LTL carriers commonly accept loads up to about 72 inches, and many receivers want less. Dense product hits the weight limit first instead: a pallet's own rating, the carrier's per-pallet maximum, or the floor of the trailer. The calculator applies both and tells you which one stopped it.
Pallets in a truck
A 53 ft trailer holds 26 standard pallets loaded the usual way, with the 48 in side running front to back, two across. Turned with the 40 in side front to back it holds 30, which is the figure geometry gives and the reason you will see both numbers quoted. Containers are tighter: their 92.5 in inside width only takes two standard pallets across if they are turned, which is why a 20 ft container holds 10 with a mixed pattern but only 8 loaded straight.
Questions
How many boxes fit on a pallet?
It depends on the box and the pallet, and it is not simply the deck area divided by the box footprint, because boxes do not tile perfectly. On a standard 48 × 40 pallet a 12 × 10 carton fits 16 a layer exactly, while a 16 × 12 carton fits 10 with a mixed pattern. Multiply by the layers allowed by your height and weight limits.
What does Ti Hi mean on a pallet?
Ti, or tier, is the number of cartons in one layer; Hi, or high, is the number of layers. A Ti × Hi of 10 × 6 means ten per layer, six layers, 60 cartons on the pallet.
How many pallets fit in a 53 foot trailer?
26 standard 48 × 40 pallets loaded the usual way, two across with the 48 in side front to back. Turned the other way, 30 fit. Double stacked, those figures double, provided the load is stackable and under the trailer's payload.
How many pallets fit in a 20ft container?
10 standard 48 × 40 pallets if some are turned, 8 if they are all loaded the same way, single stacked. A 40 ft container takes 20. Euro pallets fit differently: 11 in a 20 ft and up to 25 in a 40 ft. Those are geometric maximums; real loads often come in one or two lower once door access and bracing are allowed for.
How tall can a pallet be for LTL?
Most carriers accept up to about 72 inches including the pallet, and some charge more above that. Receivers often specify less. Taller pallets also tend to be less dense, which can push the freight class up.
How much does a pallet weigh?
A standard 48 × 40 wooden pallet weighs roughly 30 to 50 lb, typically about 40. A Euro pallet is around 55 lb. Count it in the shipment weight; carriers do.
More LTL freight calculators
Freight class calculator
Freight class from your pallet dimensions and weight, on the 13-sub NMFC density scale.
Freight density calculator
Pounds per cubic foot for one piece or a pallet, and the class band it falls in.
Fuel surcharge calculator
Surcharge per mile from the diesel price, base price and mpg, with the all-in rate.