How Many Pallets Fit in a Truck?
A 53 ft dry van holds 26 standard 48 × 40 in pallets loaded straight, or 30 turned. A 48 ft trailer holds 24, and a 26 ft box truck about 12. Enter your pallet count below to see how many trucks you need, and add a pallet weight to check whether the load hits the weight limit before it fills the floor.
Floor counts are typical published figures. Truck bodies vary by maker, so check the inside size and payload of the truck you book. Double-stacking assumes your freight can take the weight on top.
53ft dry van
26 pallets per truck
By truck size
Estimates only — fit depends on the truck body, pallet overhang, stackability and weight limits.
Pallets per truck (48 × 40 in, one layer)
| Truck | Straight | Turned | Typical payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53ft dry van | 26 | 30 | 42,000–45,000 lb |
| 48ft dry van | 24 | 28* | about 45,000 lb |
| 28ft pup trailer | 12–14 | — | varies |
| 26ft box truck | 12 | 14* | about 10,000 lb |
| 24ft box truck | 10 | — | 5,000–10,000 lb |
| 16ft box truck | 6 | — | 4,000–7,500 lb |
Sources: trailer figures from ATS and Hale Trailer; box trucks from published box-truck guides. *48 ft turned is worked out from floor length (570 in ÷ 40 in = 14 rows of 2); 26 ft turned needs a body at least 96 in wide inside. Pup trailers vary between 12 and 14; the calculator uses 12.
Straight, pinwheel or turned
A 53 ft dry van is about 636 in long and 98 to 101 in wide inside. Two 48 × 40 pallets side by side need 80 in of width when loaded straight, or 96 in when turned, so both fit.
- • Straight: each pallet is 48 in deep. 636 ÷ 48 = 13 rows × 2 = 26 pallets.
- • Turned: each pallet is 40 in deep. 636 ÷ 40 = 15 rows × 2 = 30 pallets.
- • Pinwheel: pallets alternate direction in each row. It fits about 28.
Turned and pinwheel patterns take more care at the dock. Ask the carrier or warehouse which pattern they use before you count on 30.
When weight fills the truck first
A full 53 ft van carries about 42,000 to 45,000 lb. Divided by 26 pallets, that is only about 1,600 to 1,700 lb each. Twenty-six pallets of 2,000 lb weigh 52,000 lb, which is two trucks by weight even though they fit on one floor. Dense freight such as drinks, tile, paper and metal can hit the limit this way.
Box trucks run out of weight even sooner. A 26 ft box truck carries up to about 10,000 lb, so a full floor of 12 pallets can average only about 830 lb each.
Double-stacking
A 53 ft van is about 108 to 110 in tall inside, so two layers work when each loaded pallet is under about 54 in tall. The bottom pallets must be strong enough to carry the top ones, and the total still has to stay under the weight limit. The calculator doubles the floor count when you turn this on.
Euro pallets
A standard 13.6 m European trailer holds 33 Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm), in 11 rows of 3. US trailers are not built around this pallet size, so ask your carrier for a count if you ship Euro pallets in the US.
Full truckload or LTL?
There is no fixed cut-off. With a few pallets, LTL freight is usually cheaper because you pay only for the space you use. As your shipment fills more of a trailer, get a full truckload quote too, since it ships direct with no hub handling. Read LTL vs FTL, plan the cartons on each pallet with the pallet calculator, or load a sea container with the container loading calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How many pallets fit on a 53 ft truck?
26 standard 48 × 40 in pallets fit on the floor of a 53 ft dry van when loaded straight, in 13 rows of 2. Turning every pallet so the 40 in side runs along the trailer fits 30, and a pinwheel pattern fits about 28. Double-stacking can double these if the freight can bear the weight and the load stays under the trailer's limit.
How many 40 × 48 pallets fit in a box truck?
It depends on the length of the box. Published guides put a 26 ft box truck at about 12 pallets, a 24 ft at about 10 and a 16 ft at about 6. Box bodies vary by maker, and wheel wells or a liftgate can take space, so measure the inside of the truck you book.
Can you fit 12 pallets in a 24 ft box truck?
Often not. The usual figure for a 24 ft box truck is about 10 standard pallets. Twelve only works if the truck has a full 24 ft of clear floor (6 rows of 2 pallets, 48 in deep each). Measure the clear inside length before you plan on 12.
How many pallets fit in a 22 ft truck?
About 10 standard pallets loaded straight, from published box-truck guides. A 22 ft floor is 264 in, which gives 5 rows of 2 pallets at 48 in deep. If the body is at least 96 in wide inside, turning the pallets can fit a few more.
How much weight can a 53 ft trailer carry?
Typical payload is about 42,000 to 45,000 lb. Spread over 26 pallets, that is roughly 1,600 to 1,700 lb per pallet. Heavier pallets fill the weight limit before they fill the floor, so enter your pallet weight in the calculator to see which comes first.