# Pallet and Container Loading Calculator How many pallets fit a container or trailer? Floor pattern, stacking tiers and payload are calculated together, and the calculator names which limit binds. Published: 2026-08-25 · Last updated: 2026-08-25 ## Contents 1. Worked example 2. Short answer 3. Two limits, one answer 4. Why the floor pattern changes the number 5. Internal dimensions, not the name on the box 6. Door openings: the limit people forget 7. Standard pallet sizes 8. Wood pallets on export shipments 9. What to send us for a shipping quote ## Calculator From pallet size and weight to how many pallets fit a container or trailer — with the volume and payload limits side by side. Note: This page contains an in-browser calculator; results are computed instantly from your inputs and no data is sent to a server. The full method is explained below. ## Worked example Opened with its default case — **Transport unit: 20' standard container — internal 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm · Pallet type: EUR / EPAL — 1,200 × 800 mm · Loaded pallet height (mm): 1500** — the calculator returns the figures below. The headline result is **11 pallets** (loadable pallets). They are written out here so the output is readable without running JavaScript: in print, with scripts disabled, or by a search engine. Worked example — inputs | Input | Value | | --- | --- | | Transport unit | 20' standard container — internal 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm | | Pallet type | EUR / EPAL — 1,200 × 800 mm | | Loaded pallet height (mm) | 1500 | | Loaded pallet weight (kg) | 600 | | Stacking | Not stackable — single tier | Worked example — results | Result | Value | | --- | --- | | Pallets on the floor · pattern | 11 pallets · mixed pattern | | Stacking tiers | 1 tier | | Pallets by volume | 11 pallets | | Pallets by payload | 47 pallets | | Loadable pallets | 11 pallets | | Binding constraint | Volume (floor pattern) | | Floor utilisation | 76% | | Payload utilisation | 23% | | Total load | 6,600 / 28,200 kg | | Unused floor area | 3.3 m² · 20' standard container | Change any field above and the calculator recomputes; this table is the default case only. ## How many pallets fit in a container? The answer is not one number but **the smaller of two limits**: how many pallets fit by volume, and how many fit by payload. Light goods run out of space first; dense goods run out of tonnage first — and loading stops at whichever comes first. The floor pattern matters as much as the arithmetic: a 20' container takes **8 EUR pallets in a single orientation but 11 in a mixed pattern**, because two 1,200 mm pallet edges side by side (2,400 mm) do not fit the 2,352 mm internal width. This calculator tries both and reports the better one. ## Two limits, one answer Every loading question has two independent ceilings and the load stops at the lower one: The two ceilings | Limit | How it is calculated | What makes it binding | | --- | --- | --- | | **Volume** | Pallets that fit on the floor × stacking tiers | Light, bulky goods — insulation, packaging, plastics, textiles | | **Payload** | Payload capacity ÷ loaded pallet weight | Dense goods — fasteners, liquids, tools, tiles, metal stock | A rough pre-check: above roughly 350–400 kg/m³ the payload runs out first; below that the volume does. This is why a container can look half empty and still be legally full. The calculator shows both ceilings separately and names the binding one, because knowing *which* limit binds tells you what to change — repack for density, or split the consignment. ## Why the floor pattern changes the number This is where published “how many pallets fit” tables usually go wrong. A 20' container has an internal width of 2,352 mm. A EUR pallet is 1,200 × 800 mm. Two pallets placed side by side along their long edge need 2,400 mm — so they do not fit, and a naive single-orientation calculation returns 8 pallets. In practice 11 are loaded. The difference is the **mixed pattern**: the floor is split into two strips, one loaded lengthwise and the other crosswise. The calculator runs a guillotine (single-cut) two-zone search in both directions and keeps the best result, so the figure it reports matches what a loading team actually achieves. 20' standard container, EUR pallet — pattern matters | Pattern | How the floor is used | Pallets on the floor | | --- | --- | --- | | Single orientation | All pallets the same way round | 8 | | Mixed pattern | One 800 mm strip lengthwise (4) + one 1,552 mm strip crosswise (7) | **11** | The result is a **geometric upper bound**: no allowance is deducted for handling clearance, lashing or forklift access. Treat it as the ceiling a good loading plan approaches, not a guarantee. ## Internal dimensions, not the name on the box “20 foot” and “40 foot” describe the *external* length. Wall panels, corner castings and the floor structure all eat into the usable space: the internal length of a 20' standard container is 5,898 mm, roughly 200 mm shorter than the outside. Loading plans are always drawn on internal dimensions. ISO 668 and ISO 1496 define them. Internal dimensions used by this calculator | Unit | Internal L × W × H (mm) | Payload (kg) | | --- | --- | --- | | 20' standard container | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 | ≈ 28,200 | | 40' standard container | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,393 | ≈ 26,700 | | 40' High Cube | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,698 | ≈ 26,500 | | Curtainsider trailer | 13,600 × 2,450 × 2,700 | ≈ 24,000 | | 10-wheel rigid truck | 7,200 × 2,400 × 2,400 | ≈ 11,000 | ⚠ These are **typical builder actuals, not ISO minima**. ISO 668 specifies only a minimum internal size (5,867 × 2,330 × 2,350 mm for a 20') and no payload at all — it sets a maximum gross weight of 30,480 kg, and the payload on the **CSC plate of the specific container governs**. The trailer and rigid-truck rows follow no standard whatsoever; get the dimensions from your carrier in writing. Road weight limits at destination may also bite before the payload does. ## Door openings: the limit people forget A pallet planned against the internal height can still fail to pass the door. The ISO minimum door opening is **2,286 × 2,261 mm** on a standard 20' or 40', and **2,286 × 2,566 mm** on a High Cube — many containers are actually wider and taller (2,340 × 2,280 mm is common), but planning to the minimum is what keeps you safe. Check the loaded pallet against the *door*, not the roof. The calculator now runs this check itself and returns zero if the pallet cannot enter. A second habit worth keeping Calculate the pattern on the **overhang**, not the pallet. A load that projects 20 mm on each side of a 1,200 × 800 mm pallet actually occupies 1,240 × 840 mm — enough to lose a row across a container floor, and enough to weaken the stretch wrap at the corners. ## Standard pallet sizes Pallet footprints in common use | Pallet | Footprint (mm) | Where it is standard | | --- | --- | --- | | EUR / EPAL | 1,200 × 800 | Europe, incl. Türkiye — the default | | Industrial | 1,200 × 1,000 | Heavier goods, chemicals, drums | | Half pallet | 800 × 600 | Retail display, small consignments | ISO 3676 covers unit load dimensions. If your buyer’s warehouse runs a different footprint, say so at quotation stage — repalletising at destination costs more than getting it right at despatch. ## Wood pallets on export shipments On any shipment leaving Türkiye the pallet itself is regulated. Wood packaging falls under ISPM 15, which requires heat treatment and the IPPC mark; untreated wood can get an entire consignment refused at destination. Wood thinner than 6 mm and processed products such as plywood and particle board are outside the scope, which is why plywood and plastic pallets sidestep the question entirely. The full picture — treatment parameters, what the mark must contain and where it must appear — is in our [export shipping guide](https://aksco.com.tr/en/insights/export-shipping-from-turkiye/), together with the Incoterms and document sets that go with an export order. ## What to send us for a shipping quote If you want us to quote goods with the packing and loading plan included, this is the shortest complete brief: - Item list with quantities, and the packing unit (carton, drum, roll) - Carton or unit dimensions and weight — or the pallet configuration if you already have one - Whether the goods are stackable, and to how many tiers - Destination country and city, and the Incoterms 2020 rule you prefer - Whether wood packaging is acceptable and whether ISPM 15 marking is required - Any warehouse constraint at destination: pallet footprint, maximum height, tail-lift or forklift availability Send it through the [quote form](https://aksco.com.tr/en/request-a-quote/) or straight to [info@aksco.com.tr](mailto:info@aksco.com.tr) and a line-by-line quote comes back within one business day. ## Frequently Asked Questions How many EUR pallets fit in a 20' container? Eleven on the floor in a mixed pattern — four laid lengthwise in an 800 mm strip plus seven crosswise in the remaining 1,552 mm. A single-orientation layout gives only eight, which is why published tables disagree. Stacking and the container’s payload then decide the final number. How many pallets fit on a trailer — 33 or 34? Two layouts, two numbers, and that is where the confusion comes from. On a 13,600 × 2,450 mm curtainsider: turn the pallets crosswise (2 × 1,200 = 2,400 mm across) and 17 rows of 800 mm come to exactly 13,600 mm — 34 pallets, with literally zero slack. Turn them lengthwise (3 × 800 = 2,400 mm across) and 11 rows of 1,200 mm come to 13,200 mm, leaving 400 mm — 33 pallets. The trade figure is **33**; the calculator’s 34 is the geometric ceiling with no handling clearance deducted. Industrial pallets give 26. All single-tier; where goods stack, the 2,700 mm internal height allows more and the practical ceiling is usually the 24-tonne payload. How do I know whether volume or weight is the binding limit? Work out both and take the smaller: pallets by volume = pallets on the floor × tiers; pallets by weight = payload ÷ loaded pallet weight. As a quick check, loads denser than roughly 350–400 kg/m³ run out of payload first, lighter ones run out of space. Are these numbers a guarantee? No. The result is a geometric upper bound calculated from internal dimensions: no allowance is deducted for handling clearance, lashing, dunnage or forklift access, and the CSC plate on the actual container governs its payload. Use it to plan and to sanity-check a forwarder’s figure, not as a loading certificate. Do you handle the shipping as well as the goods? We supply the materials and pack them for export. Carriage, insurance and customs clearance sit where the agreed Incoterms 2020 rule puts them, and the quote states line by line which is ours and which is yours. ## Sources 1. [ISO 668 — Series 1 freight containers: classification, external dimensions and ratings](https://www.iso.org/standard/76912.html) 2. [ISO 1496-1 — Series 1 freight containers: specification and testing (general cargo containers)](https://www.iso.org/standard/76914.html) 3. [ISO 3676 — Packaging: unit load sizes (pallet dimensions)](https://www.iso.org/standard/68821.html) How we choose sources, verify figures and date our pages is set out in [how we source and verify what we publish](https://aksco.com.tr/en/editorial-standards/). Spotted an error? Write to [info@aksco.com.tr](mailto:info@aksco.com.tr) — verified errors are corrected. ## Related guides ### Export Shipping from Türkiye Incoterms, document sets and ISPM 15 wood packaging. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/insights/export-shipping-from-turkiye/) ### Packaging & Shipping Supplies Cartons, stretch film, tape, void fill and labels in one quote. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/products/packaging-shipping/) ### Request a Quote Send your item list and get a line-by-line quote in one business day. [Read more](https://aksco.com.tr/en/request-a-quote/) ## Send your list — your quote is ready within 1 business day. A list, a photo or an Excel file — whatever is easiest. On standard items most quotes go out the same business day. Custom production, imports or 50+ line lists can take longer; when they do, we tell you the timeline in writing on the day we receive the request. [Request a Quote](https://aksco.com.tr/en/request-a-quote/)[Message on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/905343356922) --- AKSCO Ticaret ve Tedarik — https://aksco.com.tr AKSCO Ticaret ve Tedarik · Esentepe Mah. Talat Paşa Cad. No:5 İç Kapı No:1, Şişli/İstanbul Türkiye'nin 81 ili ve uluslararası sevkiyat info@aksco.com.tr · 0534 335 69 22