How many pallets fit in a 20 ft, 40 ft or 45 ft container?
The common pallets on each container's floor, worked out the same way as the calculator, with no gap between them.
| Pallet | 20 ft | 40 ft | 40 ft HC | 45 ft HC |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro pallet (EUR, EPAL) 1200 × 800 Europe | 11 | 25 | 25 | 27 |
| ISO 1200 × 1000 Europe and Asia | 9 | 22 | 22 | 24 |
| US 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016) North America | 9 | 20 | 20 | 24 |
| 1100 × 1100 Asia | 10 | 20 | 20 | 24 |
| 1165 × 1165 Australia | 10 | 20 | 20 | 22 |
What it counts, and when you need it
How many pallets a container takes tells you how many containers to book, and what each pallet costs to ship.
- It finds the most pallets the floor takes, some lengthwise and some across where that fits more, every row running wall to wall, as pallets are loaded.
- A second tier counts only if the pallets can be stacked and the pair, one on the other, passes under the door and the inside height: stacked pairs go in together. It never counts a third.
- The payload caps the total. Each pallet must pass the door: a pallet taller than the door does not go in, and one stands across the floor only if that side passes the door's width.
The formula
floor = the most pallets, either way round
(across only if that side passes the door),
in rows that run wall to wall
tiers = 2 if stackable and 2 × loaded height ≤
the lower of the door height and the inside height
tiers = 1 otherwise, 0 if taller than the door
pallets = floor × tiers,
no more than payload ÷ loaded pallet weight
The floor is cut into strips and blocks, every cut straight across (a guillotine layout), and each strip filled the best way: every such layout is tried, so none fits more. No gap is left between pallets.
Worked example: Euro pallets in a 20 ft container
The calculator starts with it.
- Euro pallets (EUR), 1200 × 800 mm, loaded to 1,744 mm and 217 kg, in a 20 ft container (20' GP, general purpose) with a 5,900 × 2,352 mm floor.
- All lengthwise: 4 × 2 = 8. All across: 7 × 1 = 7.
- Mixed: a row of 4 lengthwise along one wall (800 mm wide), and a row of 7 across beside it (1,200 mm): 11 pallets in 2,000 mm of the width.
- Two tiers would need 3,488 mm, more than the 2,292 mm door (and the 2,393 mm inside): one tier, 11 pallets, 2,387 kg.
The containers
The floors and doors the counts use, with each container's payload (GP is general purpose, HC high cube). Typical sizes: your own container's door plate always wins.
| Container | Inside, L × W × H (mm) | Volume (m³) | Door, W × H (mm) | Payload (kg) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft container (20' GP) | 5,900 × 2,352 × 2,393 | 33.2 | 2,340 × 2,292 | 28,180 |
| 40 ft container (40' GP) | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,395 | 67.8 | 2,340 × 2,292 | 26,700 |
| 40 ft high cube (40' HC) | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,700 | 76.4 | 2,340 × 2,597 | 28,550 |
| 45 ft high cube (45' HC) | 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,700 | 86.1 | 2,340 × 2,597 | 27,450 |