How many pallets fit in a 40ft container?

Single layer on the floor: about 20–21 GMA 48×40 in pallets, 24–25 EUR 1200×800 mm pallets, or 20–22 industrial 1200×1000 mm pallets. A 40HQ has the same floor, so the same counts apply per layer — if each loaded pallet is short enough, you can double stack and roughly double the count.

How many pallets fit in a 20ft container?

Single layer: 9–10 GMA 48×40 in pallets, 11 EUR 1200×800 mm pallets, or 10–11 industrial 1200×1000 mm pallets. In a pallet-wide container (2.45 m internal width) a 20ft takes about 14 EUR pallets.

Can I double stack pallets in a container?

Only if three things all pass: the loaded pallet height fits twice inside the container (about 1,300 mm per tier in a 40HQ, 1,150 mm in a 40GP), the goods at the bottom can carry the dynamic load of a second tier, and the total weight stays under the container payload ceiling. Light-to-medium cartons usually pass; dense or fragile cargo usually does not.

What is TI-HI in pallet loading?

TI-HI means cartons per layer (TI) times layers per pallet (HI). A pallet planned as 8×5 holds 40 cartons. TI is decided by how carton length and width divide into the pallet footprint — always check both orientations and forbid overhang — and HI is decided by the stack height limit and carton crush strength.

Pallet Loading Calculator — How Many Pallets Fit in a Container?

The short answer: a 40ft container takes 20–21 standard GMA pallets or 24–25 EUR pallets in a single layer, and a 20ft takes 9–10 or 11. But the honest answer has three parts — the floor count, whether you can double stack, and whether weight stops you before space does. This page gives you the full chart, the stacking rules and a worked example you can reproduce with your own numbers.

1. Pallets per container: the floor count (single layer)

Pallet type	Footprint	20GP	40GP / 40HQ	45HQ	Notes
GMA (North America)	48 × 40 in 1219 × 1016 mm	9 – 10	20 – 21	24	Two 48-in sides don't fit across a 2,352 mm box — the best layouts mix lengthwise rows with pallets turned 90°
EUR / EPAL	1200 × 800 mm	11	24 – 25	27	The 800 mm side pairs with a 1,200 mm row for a tight 2,000 mm combined width
Industrial / ISO	1200 × 1000 mm	10 – 11	20 – 22	24	11 in a 20ft needs the tight five-rows-of-two plus one end pallet pattern
Square	1100 × 1100 mm 42 × 42 in similar	10	20 – 22	24	Always two across; orientation doesn't matter

Figures assume a standard dry container (internal ≈ 5,898 / 12,032 × 2,352 mm), single layer, no spacing between pallets. Pallet-wide containers (2.45 m internal width) do better: about 14 EUR pallets in a 20ft and 30 in a 40ft. Counts vary by a pallet or two between sources because of pallet tolerances (±10 mm), corrugated wall ribs and whether the last row is loaded through the door at an angle. When quoting a customer, plan with the lower number and treat the higher one as a bonus.

2. Why two calculators give you different answers

Orientation patterns change the floor count

A 40ft floor is 12,032 × 2,352 mm. Load GMA pallets all lengthwise and you get 18; mix in rows turned 90° and you reach 20–21. EUR pallets reward the same trick: one lengthwise row (800 mm) beside one turned row (1,200 mm) uses 2,000 mm of the 2,352 mm width. The count is decided by the pattern, not by dividing floor area by pallet area — area division overestimates because rectangles can't always tile a rectangle.

Tolerances eat the last pallet

Twenty rows of 600 mm cartons need exactly 12,000 mm — but cartons bulge, pallets vary by ±10 mm and wall ribs protrude. A plan that works on paper can fail on the dock by one row. Leave 1–2% of length as slack when a layout is mathematically exact.

3. Double stacking: when the 40HQ doubles your count

A 40HQ is 2,698 mm high inside; a 40GP is 2,393 mm. Two tiers fit only if each loaded pallet — pallet included — stays within roughly 1,300 mm (40HQ) or 1,150 mm (40GP), leaving a little clearance for stretch wrap and handling. Three checks before you double stack:

Check	Rule of thumb
Height	tier height × 2 + ~100 mm clearance ≤ internal height
Crush strength	bottom cartons must carry the dynamic (moving) load of a full second tier, not just the static weight — halve the lab-rated crush value for a safe working figure
Weight	total gross ≤ payload ceiling (≈ 28,000 kg for 20GP/40GP/40HQ)

Example — same cargo, two strategies:
EUR pallets loaded 1,800 mm high: 24 pallets single layer in a 40HQ.
The same pallets loaded 1,100 mm high: two tiers fit (2,200 + clearance ≤ 2,698), so 48 pallet positions. Fewer cartons per pallet, more pallets — whether total cartons rise depends on the carton size. Run both plans and compare, which is exactly what the calculator below does.

4. Palletizing the cartons: TI-HI without overhang

TI-HI = cartons per layer (TI) × layers per pallet (HI). Two rules keep a pallet honest:

TI: check both orientations, forbid overhang

On a 1,200 × 800 mm EUR pallet, a 400 × 300 mm carton fits 3 × 2 = 6 per layer one way — but 4 × 2 = 8 turned 90°. Overhanging cartons don't count: they crush, get refused at the dock and tear stretch film.

HI: the stack height limit and the pallet's own height

Most receivers cap total pallet height at 48–60 in (1.22–1.52 m) including the pallet (~150 mm). At a 1,500 mm cap and 300 mm cartons: (1500 − 150) ÷ 300 = 4 layers. Weigh the result too — many warehouses cap pallets at 1,000 kg, and export lanes sometimes lower.

5. Worked example: 400 × 300 × 300 mm cartons, EUR pallets, 40HQ

Step	Calculation
Carton per layer (best orientation)	4 × 2 = 8 (TI)
Layers at 1,500 mm cap	(1,500 − 150) ÷ 300 = 4 (HI) → 32 cartons/pallet
Loaded pallet height	150 + 4 × 300 = 1,350 mm → single tier only in 40HQ
Pallets on the floor	24 → 24 × 32 = 768 cartons
Weight check (12 kg/carton + 15 kg pallet)	768 × 12 + 24 × 15 = 9,576 kg ✅ far under 28,000 kg
Alternative: cap at 1,100 mm, double stack	(1,100 − 150) ÷ 300 = 3 layers → 24 cartons/pallet; 48 pallets → 1,152 cartons, 14.5 t ✅

Same cartons, same container — 50% more cargo just by lowering the stack and going two tiers high. This is the kind of trade-off that's invisible until you run the numbers both ways.

⚠️ Don't forget the pallet weight itself. A wooden pallet weighs 15–25 kg; 48 of them add up to a tonne against your payload. On heavy cargo, choosing plastic (lighter) or presswood pallets can be the difference between loading the last tier and leaving it behind.

6. Frequently asked questions

How many pallets fit in a 40ft high cube (40HQ)?: The floor is identical to a 40GP, so the single-layer count is the same: 20–21 GMA, 24–25 EUR, 20–22 industrial pallets. The extra 30 cm of height only matters when you double stack — two tiers of loaded pallets up to about 1,300 mm each.
Is it better to floor-load cartons or palletize?: Floor-loading (hand-stacked cartons, no pallets) fits 10–15% more cargo and saves pallet weight, but costs far more labour at both ends and many receivers only accept palletized freight. For long lanes with cheap origin labour and a consignee who agrees, floor-loading wins on volume; otherwise palletize.
How much weight can one pallet position carry?: The container payload (≈ 28 t) divided by the pallet count is the ceiling — about 1,150–1,400 kg per pallet position in a fully loaded 40ft. In practice your own stack-strength and the receiver's per-pallet cap (often 1,000 kg) bite first.
Do pallets need to be heat-treated for export?: Yes — wooden pallets crossing most borders need ISPM 15 heat treatment and the stamp to prove it. Plastic, presswood and plywood pallets are exempt. An unstamped pallet can get the whole container held at customs.
How do I plan a mixed load — pallets plus loose cartons?: That's a 3D bin-packing problem: pallets form the skeleton, loose cartons fill the gaps above and between them. Use the Container Loading Calculator — enter each pallet as a cargo line plus your loose cartons, and it computes the layout, loading rate and a 3D plan. No installation required.

Enter your pallet and carton sizes and see the exact count, stacking and 3D layout

Open the Container Loading Calculator →