Pallet calculator
How many pallets your boxes need, each one in 3D, plus weight, dimensions and freight class.
Your plan shows here
Enter your boxes and press Calculate for the pallet count, each pallet's height and weight, the pallets drawn in 3D, which limit split the load, and the cube, linear feet and estimated freight class.
How the pallet calculator works
It reserves the pallet's deck from your max height, counts the pallet's own weight toward the gross limit, and tests both box orientations plus mixed layouts to pack tighter.
Enter your boxes
Length, width, height, weight each, and how many. Add a second box type if you ship more than one.
Set the pallet and its limits
Starts at the 48 × 40 in standard pallet, 72 in tall and 2,500 lbs, pallet included. Change either to match your carrier or your dock.
Get the plan
Boxes per layer, layers per pallet, the pallet count, and which limit split the load, with every pallet drawn in 3D.
Boxes per layer
Both orientations and mixed layouts are tried to fit the most on the footprint without overhang.
Layers
floor((max height − pallet height) ÷ box height)
Gross weight
Each pallet's own weight counts toward the max. Carriers bill the gross weight.
Freight class
A density estimate from gross weight ÷ the pallet's outer cube. The actual NMFC class depends on the commodity.
Watch it plan 150 cartons onto pallets
How many boxes fit on a pallet (0:45). More freight videos
Then ship them: how to ship a pallet, step by step
Stacking, wrapping, measuring and weighing, what the quote needs to know, and what happens at pickup and delivery, with the calculator's Quote these pallets button.
How to ship a pallet (6:41). Chapters and transcript
Standard pallet sizes
Picking a pallet seeds its deck height, empty weight and typical max. Change any of them under More options.
| Pallet | Footprint | Deck | Empty weight | Typical max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Standard (48 × 40") North American standard (GMA) | 48 × 40 in | 6 in | 40 lbs | 2,500 lbs |
Euro (47 × 31") | 47.2 × 31.5 in | 5.7 in | 55 lbs | 2,500 lbs |
48 × 48" (drum) | 48 × 48 in | 6 in | 50 lbs | 2,500 lbs |
42 × 42" | 42 × 42 in | 6 in | 37 lbs | 2,500 lbs |
Half (48 × 20") | 48 × 20 in | 6 in | 25 lbs | 1,500 lbs |
Why the configuration changes your freight cost
How tightly your boxes pack decides how many pallet positions your shipment takes, and LTL and partial pricing is driven by positions and linear feet. Efficient stacking, without the overhang carriers may reject, can be the difference between two pallets and three, or between an LTL shipment and a partial truckload.
See what that means in dollars in the pallet shipping cost guide, or turn the pallet count into deck space with the linear feet calculator.
Pallet calculator FAQs
Pallet sizes, limits, and how the numbers are worked out.
Related freight tools
Freight class calculator
Your NMFC freight class by density
Linear feet calculator
Turn pallet counts into trailer deck space
Truckload calculator
How many trucks a larger shipment needs
Dimensional weight calculator
Chargeable weight for parcel shipments
Bill of lading generator
Create your BOL for pickup
Trailer types and dimensions
Interior dimensions and capacity for every trailer
LTL vs. partial truckload
Which one fits once you know your pallet count
How to ship a pallet
Packing, labeling and booking, step by step
Ready to ship your pallets?
Instant LTL rates for palletized freight. Most LTL quotes return in under a minute.