How many pallets fit in a truck? Pallet capacity by vehicle type
Seven vehicle types from cargo van to mega trailer, three pallet sizes: how many fit on the floor and how much each pallet can weigh.
How many pallets fit in a vehicle comes down to two things: the size of the load floor and which way the pallets face. Payload often runs out before floor space does. The numbers below aren't estimates. Each vehicle and pallet pair was calculated separately, with the same layout method the pallet calculator on this site uses.
Short answer: a standard 13.6 m curtainside trailer takes 33 Euro pallets (120×80 cm) or 26 industrial pallets (120×100 cm). Smaller vehicles drop off fast, and a few centimetres of width can cost several pallets. The table covers European vehicles and, at the end, the two most common North American ones: a 26 ft box truck and a 53 ft dry van.
Pallet capacity by vehicle type (single layer)
The table shows pallets placed on the floor in one layer, nothing stacked. Every vehicle keeps 5 cm of loading clearance along its length and width: real pallets overhang their nominal size by a few centimetres, and a forklift needs room to set them down.
The last column is the highest average weight per pallet when the vehicle is full of Euro pallets. If your pallets are heavier, the vehicle hits its payload before it runs out of floor.
| Vehicle | Interior (cm) | Payload | Euro 120×80 | Industrial 120×100 | US 122×102 | Max avg per Euro pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cargo Van | 250×160×155 | 800 kg | 3 (4) | 2 | 2 | 266 kg |
| Light Truck | 270×160×160 | 1,000 kg | 3 (4) | 2 | 2 | 333 kg |
| Truck (6-Wheel) | 450×210×220 | 3,000 kg | 8 | 6 | 6 | 375 kg |
| Truck (10-Wheel) | 700×240×240 | 5,000 kg | 13 (17) | 11 (14) | 11 | 384 kg |
| Curtainside Trailer | 1360×245×270 | 24,000 kg | 33 (34) | 26 | 24 (26) | 727 kg |
| Mega Trailer | 1360×245×300 | 22,000 kg | 33 (34) | 26 | 24 (26) | 666 kg |
| Refrigerated Trailer | 1320×245×260 | 22,000 kg | 32 (33) | 26 | 22 (24) | 687 kg |
| 26 ft Box Truck | 790×246×262 | 4,535 kg | 19 | 14 | 13 (14) | 238 kg |
| 53 ft Dry Van | 1600×249×274 | 19,950 kg | 39 (40) | 30 (32) | 30 | 511 kg |
Double stacking: when the load can take it
If pallets can go on top of each other (sturdy, flat-topped, crush-proof loads), trailer height can double capacity. Both layers, plus 5 cm of clearance, have to fit under the roof.
Payload doesn't change, though: twice the pallets means half the weight per pallet. A mega trailer can carry 66 Euro pallets, but the average pallet must stay under 333 kg.
| Vehicle | Interior height (cm) | Max height per layer (cm) | Euro pallets (2 layers) | Max avg per Euro pallet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtainside Trailer | 270 | 132 | 66 | 363 kg |
| Mega Trailer | 300 | 147 | 66 | 333 kg |
| Refrigerated Trailer | 260 | 127 | 64 | 343 kg |
| 53 ft Dry Van | 274 | 134 | 78 | 255 kg |
Why 33 pallets in a 13.6 m trailer, not 34?
A standard trailer is 245 cm wide inside. Euro pallets loaded lengthways fit three across (3 × 80 = 240 cm), and each row takes 120 cm. Eleven rows fit in 13.6 m: 11 × 3 = 33 pallets, with 40 cm left at the back.
Turn the pallets sideways and two fit across (2 × 120 = 240 cm), each row takes 80 cm, and 17 rows come to exactly 1,360 cm: 34 pallets. But that layout leaves no gap anywhere. Real pallets overhang their nominal size and you need clearance at the doors and walls, which is why 33 is the accepted figure.
Industrial pallets (120×100 cm) work differently: the 120 cm side goes across, two side by side make 240 cm, and 13 rows of 100 cm fit: 26 pallets.
Why 5 cm of width costs four pallets
The 10-wheel truck in the table is 240 cm wide inside. On paper, three Euro pallets fit across (3 × 80 = 240) and the truck takes 17. In practice you can't set three pallets side by side with no gap at all; leave some clearance and the pallets have to go in a mixed pattern, which drops capacity to 13.
When you hire or buy a vehicle, check the interior width: 245 cm is the threshold for loading Euro pallets three across.
Which runs out first: payload or floor space?
In small vehicles it's usually payload. A cargo van rated for 800 kg fits three Euro pallets, but they can't average more than 266 kg each. With heavy goods like drinks, paper or building materials, weight sets the pallet count, not the floor.
Large trailers are often the other way round: on a 24-tonne curtainsider, pallets up to 727 kg each fill the floor before they reach the payload. With light, bulky goods the limit is floor space or height.
How we calculated this
Each vehicle's floor was reduced by 5 cm in both directions. Pallets were laid out on it in one layer, in both orientations and in mixed patterns (for example lengthways at the front, sideways at the back), and the valid layout that placed the most pallets was kept. It's the same method the pallet calculator uses for boxes.
The calculation doesn't consider axle loads, centre of gravity or load securing. The table is for planning; it doesn't replace loading regulations or your carrier's instructions.
Frequently asked questions
- How many pallets fit in a 13.6 m trailer?
- A standard curtainside trailer (interior 1,360 × 245 cm) takes 33 Euro pallets (120×80 cm) or 26 industrial pallets (120×100 cm) in a single layer. If the load can be stacked and each layer stays under 132 cm, double stacking gets you to 66 Euro pallets, but total weight is still capped by the trailer's payload.
- How many pallets fit in a 26 ft box truck?
- It depends on the interior, which varies by body builder. The planner's 26 ft box truck is about 790 × 246 cm inside (25 ft 11 in × 8 ft 1 in). Loaded all the same way, 12 standard US pallets (48×40 in) fit on the floor; with one lane lengthwise and the other crosswise, 13 fit with 5 cm of clearance, and 14 only with no gaps at all. Pick the 26 ft box truck under North America in the load planner, or enter your own box as a custom vehicle.
- How many pallets fit in a 53 ft trailer?
- A 53 ft dry van with an interior of about 1,600 × 249 cm takes 30 standard 48×40 in pallets on the floor when they're turned (the 48 in side across the trailer, two wide, 15 rows). Loaded straight, with the 40 in side across, it's 26. The load planner has it under North America.
- What's the difference between a mega trailer and a standard curtainsider?
- The floor is the same (1,360 × 245 cm), so both take 33 Euro pallets in one layer. The difference is height: a mega trailer's 300 cm interior lets you double-stack loads up to 147 cm per layer. That's where it pays off for light, bulky goods like appliances, packaging or textiles.
- Can I mix pallet sizes in one truck?
- Yes, but the table is for one pallet size at a time. Mixed loads change the best layout; enter your own list in the 3D load planner to see how many pallets fit and where the gaps are.