How Many Pallets Fit in a 40ft Container
Pick a pallet size and load height to see how many pallets fit in 20ft, 40ft, 40ft high cube and 45ft containers.
How many pallets fit in a 40ft container? About 20 pallets of the US 48 × 40 in size, or 25 EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallets, single stacked with no overhang. This Pallets in Container Calculator gives the count for your own pallet size, loaded height and weight, and also shows results for 20 ft, 40 ft high cube and 45 ft high cube containers. It runs in your browser, is free, and needs no account or sign-up. Nothing you type is uploaded. Use it to plan a quote, a load or a shipping plan, then confirm the final figure with your carrier or broker.
The floor plans show the layout for each container.
At a glance
How Many Pallets Fit in a 40ft Container is a free browser calculator that counts pallets per container for 20 ft, 40 ft and high cube containers, single or double stacked, with floor plans.
- The calculator counts pallets per container for 20 ft, 40 ft and high cube containers, with floor plans.
- About 20 US 48 × 40 in pallets or 25 EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallets fit a 40 ft container, single stacked.
- The tool runs in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded.
- It is free, and no account or sign-up is needed.
- Payload for the 40 ft standard in the tool is 28,970 kg.
- Results are estimates, so confirm the final count with your carrier or broker.
Sources: Pallet (Wikipedia) (checked 2026-10-15)
How to use the Pallets in Container Calculator
- Choose a unit with the “Metric” or “US / imperial” switch. Typed values convert when you switch.
- Open the Pallet type list and pick your pallet, such as “48 × 40 in (GMA, North America)” or “1200 × 800 mm (EUR / EPAL 1)”. If your size is not listed, choose “Custom size”.
- If you chose “Custom size”, enter the Pallet length and Pallet width, in cm or in.
- Enter the Height of a loaded pallet. Include the pallet and the goods on it.
- Enter the Weight of a loaded pallet as the gross weight, pallet included. Type 0 to ignore the payload limit.
- Tick “Pallets can be double stacked” only if your loaded pallets are low enough and the goods can carry the weight.
- Read the results: Pallets in a 40 ft container (40GP), Pallets in a 20 ft container (20GP), Pallets in a 40 ft high cube and Pallets in a 45 ft high cube, plus the Pallets per container type table.
- Open “How it was calculated” to see each step with your numbers.
The preset buttons fill in common setups: “48×40 pallets, 60 in high”, “EUR pallets, 150 cm high” and “Low 44 in loads, double stacked”. “Reset” restores the example values. “Copy link” copies a link that reopens the same inputs, and the page address keeps your inputs after each change. “Print / save result” prints a one-page sheet with the inputs, results, calculation steps and date. To keep a PDF, choose save as PDF in the print dialog.
How many pallets fit in a 40 ft container?
A 40 ft standard container takes 20 pallets of the 48 × 40 in size, or 25 EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallets, when they are single stacked with no overhang. The count comes from the floor, which is 12.032 m long and 2.352 m wide inside.
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
A 20 ft standard container takes 9 US 48 × 40 in pallets or 11 EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallets, under the same single-stacked, published-dimension assumptions. Its inside length is 5.898 m, and its width is the same 2.352 m as the 40 ft.
How many EUR pallets fit in a 40 ft container?
Typically 25 EUR 1200 × 800 mm pallets fit in a 40 ft standard container. Other published counts can differ, because the count depends on the loading pattern and any overhang. EUR pallets have different sides from 48 × 40 in pallets, so the best layout across the 2.352 m width is different.
Can you double stack pallets in a container?
Yes, but double stacking doubles the count only when two loaded pallets fit under the inside height. That height is 2.39 m in a 40 ft standard and 2.70 m in a high cube. So each loaded pallet must be about 1.19 m or less in a standard container (2,393 mm ÷ 2), or about 1.35 m or less in a high cube (2,698 mm ÷ 2). The goods must also carry the weight of the pallet above.
Does a high cube container hold more pallets?
A 40 ft high cube has the same floor as a 40 ft standard, so single-stacked pallets give the same count, 20 US pallets in the example. The extra height helps when you double stack or load taller goods. A 45 ft high cube is longer, with an inside length of about 13.56 m, so it takes 24 US pallets.
Why do 48 × 40 pallets not fit two across lengthwise?
Two pallets side by side with their 48 in sides across need 96 in (2,438 mm), but the inside width of a container is only about 2,352 mm. So the best layout mixes a lane of pallets loaded lengthwise with a lane loaded crosswise: in a 40 ft container that is 9 + 11 = 20 pallets, as the floor plan shows.
Sources
Data and rules used by this tool (checked October 2026):
Frequently asked questions
Does weight limit how many pallets fit in a 40 foot container?
Yes, weight can limit the count before space does. Payload is the maximum gross weight minus the tare weight: 28,970 kg for the 40 ft standard in the tool (32,500 kg gross, 3,530 kg tare on SeaCube’s published spec sheet). Your container’s CSC plate gives its own figures. Enter the loaded pallet weight in the Weight field, and type 0 to ignore the payload limit.
Why does the tool call its result an estimate?
The count assumes the published inside dimensions shown in the steps and no overhang. The door opening, about 2.34 m wide, and forklift clearance can cost one position. Confirm the final number with your carrier, broker or the applicable regulation before you rely on it.
Does the tool upload the pallet data I enter?
No. The calculator runs in your browser, and nothing you type is uploaded. It is free, and you do not need an account or sign-up.
Can I use the results on quotes or invoices?
Yes. Results may be used in commercial work, such as quotes, invoices and shipping plans, without attribution. Use “Print / save result” to keep a one-page record with your inputs, steps and date.
Can I use my own pallet size?
Yes. Choose “Custom size” in the Pallet type list and enter the length and width of your pallet. The tool tries both ways round and the mixed layout for every container type, and redraws the floor plans.
Why do other websites say 10 pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
Rules of thumb assume a particular loading pattern, slightly smaller pallets or some overhang. Without overhang, the inside width of 2,352 mm allows 9 US 48 × 40 in pallets in the 20 ft container in the tool, which is what the tool shows.
Related tools
- Pallet calculator — use it to work out pallet footprint and layout before you compare container loads.
- Container loading calculator — use it when you have boxes or cartons rather than pallets to fit in a container.
- Shipping container dimensions — use it to check inside and door sizes for each container type.
- Truck loading calculator — use it when your freight moves by road trailer instead of container.
- Freight linear feet calculator — use it to price less-than-container loads by the linear space they take.
- Warehouse space calculator — use it to estimate how many pallet positions your storage area can hold.