How Many Pallets Fit in a Truck or Container?
- Trailers
- Containers
- Euro and industrial
- Euro pallets
- 33
- Industrial pallets
- 26
- Half pallets
- 66
- Layers
- 1 (double if height and weight allow)
Floor positions are not an empty-pallet truckload
The table counts pallet footprints in one layer. Empty pallets are normally stacked, so a full truck can carry more units. The actual quantity depends on stack height, pallet build, vehicle clearance, payload and loading plan; we confirm it for your order.
Request a quote for this palletQuick answer: A standard 13.6 m semi-trailer takes 33 euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) or 26 industrial pallets (1200 × 1000 mm) in one layer. A 20 ft container takes 11 euro or 9 to 10 industrial pallets, and a 40 ft container 23 to 24 euro or 20 to 21 industrial pallets.
Pallets per vehicle and container
| Vehicle / container | Euro pallets (1200 × 800) | Industrial pallets (1200 × 1000) |
|---|---|---|
| 13.6 m semi-trailer | 33 | 26 |
| 20 ft container | 11 | 9–10 |
| 40 ft container | 23–24 | 20–21 |
| 45 ft pallet-wide container | 33 | 26 |
Figures are for one layer. Double stacking can double the count if the load height, weight and stability allow it. Container figures vary slightly with the loading pattern and container model.
Why the euro pallet fits trailers so well
A European semi-trailer is about 13.6 m long and 2.45 m wide inside. Three euro pallets side by side, placed lengthwise (3 × 800 mm = 2.4 m), fill the width almost exactly, which gives 11 rows and 33 pallets. Industrial pallets go in with the 1200 mm side across the trailer, two per row (2 × 1200 mm = 2.4 m): 13 rows of two gives 26.
Standard ISO shipping containers are narrower (about 2.35 m inside), so euro pallets fit less neatly. Pallet-wide containers are built a few centimetres wider so they can take the same 33 euro pallets as a trailer.
Tips for better loading
- Match the pallet to the vehicle: euro pallets for road freight, industrial pallets only when the load needs the wider deck.
- Avoid overhang. Goods that hang over the edges waste space and get damaged.
- Check the weight limit as well as the space: heavy goods can reach the payload limit before the floor is full.
- For exports outside the EU, use ISPM 15 heat-treated pallets.
Loading questions
How many euro pallets fit in a truck?
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
How many pallets fit in a 40 ft container?
Can pallets be double-stacked in a truck?
Order pallets by the truckload
We deliver from 100 pallets to full trucks, mixed if needed. Minimum order 100 pallets.