Essential
Pallet Calculator
A pallet calculator answers the question every shipper asks before booking: how many cartons fit on a pallet, and how many pallets does this shipment need? Enter your carton dimensions, quantity, and a pallet size — EUR, standard, or custom — to get a floor-fit layer pattern and a pallet count you can hand straight to a forwarder.
Length × width × height
Warehouse or trailer door limit, including the pallet itself
Cartons per layer
8
Best of both orientations
Layers
9
Cartons per pallet
72
Pallets needed
1
100% of pallet footprint used per layer
Ready for real quotes?
Post your shipment details and receive quotes from freight forwarders.
Results are indicative only. Rates, transit times, classifications, and charges vary by carrier, lane, and contract. For binding quotes, post a request on CargoLinked or contact your forwarder.
How it works
The calculator floor-fits your carton footprint against the pallet footprint two ways — once as entered, and once rotated 90° — and keeps whichever orientation packs more cartons into a layer. Real palletizers do the same thing: cartons that don't line up well one way often tile much better turned sideways, and the difference can be significant (on a EUR pallet, a 40 × 30 cm carton fits 6 per layer upright but 8 per layer cross-stacked, a 33% gain from rotation alone).
Layers are then set by dividing your maximum stack height by the carton height and rounding down — a pallet cannot hold a fraction of a carton's height, so any leftover space at the top goes unused. Multiplying cartons per layer by layers gives cartons per pallet, and dividing your total carton quantity by that figure (rounded up) gives the number of pallets you need.
Utilization % shows how much of the pallet's footprint area your chosen layer pattern actually covers — a figure below 100% means there is unused deck space around the cartons in every layer, which is common whenever the carton dimensions don't divide evenly into the pallet dimensions.
Cartons per pallet = cartons per layer (best of both orientations) × layers
Worked example
72 cartons, each 40 cm long × 30 cm wide × 20 cm high, on a EUR pallet
- Upright orientationfloor(120÷40) × floor(80÷30) = 3 × 2 = 6 cartons/layer
- Cross orientation (rotated 90°)floor(120÷30) × floor(80÷40) = 4 × 2 = 8 cartons/layer
- Best orientation kept8 cartons per layer
- Layers at 180 cm max stack heightfloor(180÷20) = 9 layers
- Cartons per pallet8 × 9 = 72 cartons
72 cartons fit on 1 EUR pallet (100% footprint utilization)
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a EUR pallet and a standard pallet?
A EUR pallet (EPAL/EUR-pallet) measures 120 × 80 cm and is the default across European road and rail freight. A "standard" pallet in this calculator means the North American GMA pallet, 120 × 100 cm (48 × 40 in), which is the default across US and Canadian trucking. The two are not interchangeable — the same carton can tile very differently on each, so always confirm which pallet size your forwarder or destination market actually uses before finalizing a carton layout.
Does this calculator account for carton overhang?
No — it assumes every carton sits fully within the pallet footprint with no part hanging over the edge. Overhang is sometimes used deliberately to fit a few extra units, but most carriers and warehouses restrict or ban it, since overhanging cartons are more likely to be crushed, damaged, or knocked off in transit and can violate stacking and forklift-handling rules. Treat this tool's cartons-per-layer figure as the safe, no-overhang count.
What stack height should I use?
The default of 180 cm is a common warehouse and dry-van trailer guideline, but the real limit depends on your specific truck, container door height, or destination warehouse racking — and it should include the pallet's own height (commonly 14-15 cm for a standard wood pallet), not just the stacked cartons. Check the actual clearance for your route or ask your forwarder before committing to a stack height, especially for air freight or destinations with lower height restrictions.
How many pallets fit in a 20GP vs a 40HC container?
As a rough single-tier guideline, a 20ft general purpose (20GP) container holds around 11 EUR pallets and a 40ft high cube (40HC) around 22-24, though the exact count depends on pallet size, cargo height, and whether double-stacking is possible. Once you know how many pallets your shipment needs from this calculator, use the Container Load Estimator to check which container size and load type (FCL or LCL) fits your total volume and pallet count.
Why does the calculator try both carton orientations?
Because carton and pallet dimensions rarely share the same aspect ratio, one orientation frequently tiles better than the other — sometimes substantially so. Trying both and keeping the higher count matches how an experienced loader would actually plan a layer, rather than assuming the carton's "natural" orientation (as printed or as it arrives from the factory) is automatically the most space-efficient one.
Related tools
Estimates & assumptions
- Assumes rigid cartons and a single, uniform orientation across an entire layer — real palletizing sometimes mixes orientations within one layer (e.g. a pinwheel pattern) to do slightly better than either pure orientation, which this calculator does not model. Treat the result as a conservative, buildable estimate, not the theoretical maximum.
- No overhang: cartons must fit fully within the pallet footprint. Assumes cartons are not crushable and do not compress under stacking weight.
- Stack height and pallet count are planning estimates; confirm actual capacity, weight limits, and stacking rules with your forwarder or carrier before booking.
Ready to move this shipment?
Post your shipment details and receive quotes from freight forwarders.