How to calculate pallet volume: cubic metres, volumetric weight and loading metres
The formula for pallet volume, a ready table for standard pallets, and how the same pallet is billed by road, air and sea.
A pallet's volume is its outside dimensions multiplied together: length × width × height. Multiply in centimetres and divide by 1,000,000 to get cubic metres (m³). The maths is easy; the mistakes happen when measuring: the pallet base gets left out, or boxes hanging over the edge are ignored.
Short answer: a Euro pallet 150 cm tall (including the pallet) is 120 × 80 × 150 = 1,440,000 cm³, or 1.44 m³. On a groupage trailer it takes 0.4 loading metres.
Open the volumetric weight calculator
Volume of standard pallets
Heights in the table are total heights, pallet included. Floor area and loading metres don't depend on height.
| Pallet | Floor (m²) | LDM | 100 cm | 120 cm | 150 cm | 180 cm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro Pallet 120×80 | 0.96 | 0.40 | 0.96 | 1.15 | 1.44 | 1.73 |
| Industrial Pallet 120×100 | 1.20 | 0.50 | 1.20 | 1.44 | 1.80 | 2.16 |
| US Pallet 122×102 | 1.24 | 0.52 | 1.24 | 1.49 | 1.87 | 2.24 |
One pallet, three different bills
Carriers price light, bulky freight by the space it takes, not its weight: whichever is higher, actual weight or volumetric weight, is billed. The ratio used to turn volume into weight depends on the mode of transport.
Example: a 120 × 80 × 150 cm Euro pallet weighing 280 kg. By road, volume wins and the pallet is billed at 480 kg; by air, actual weight wins; by sea, every cubic metre counts as a tonne, so it's billed as 1.44 tonnes.
| Mode | Ratio | Volumetric weight | Billed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Road groupage (LTL) | 1 m³ = 333 kg (divisor 3000) | 480 kg | 480 kg (volume) |
| Air freight (IATA) | 1 m³ = 167 kg (divisor 6000) | 240 kg | 280 kg (actual weight) |
| Sea groupage (LCL) | 1 m³ = 1,000 kg | 1,440 kg | 1,440 kg (volume) |
The pallet volume formula
Volume (m³) = length (cm) × width (cm) × height (cm) / 1,000,000. Measure length and width at the widest point of the pallet or any load hanging over it, and height from the floor to the top of the load.
If you measure in metres there's nothing to divide: 1.2 × 0.8 × 1.5 = 1.44 m³. For several pallets, work out each one and add them up; averaging different heights skews the result.
The two most common measuring mistakes
The first is leaving out the pallet. A Euro pallet is 14.4 cm tall on its own. Measure the load at 135.6 cm, forget the base, and you declare a 150 cm pallet about 10% short; the carrier measures it at collection and the difference shows up on the invoice.
The second is boxes hanging over the edge. If they overhang by 3 cm on every side, the pallet is now 126 × 86 cm, and at 150 cm tall its volume is 1.63 m³ instead of 1.44: 13% more. Overhang raises the bill and stops pallets sitting side by side in the vehicle; keep boxes within the pallet edge where you can.
What is a loading metre (LDM)?
On a groupage trailer, price often depends on how much of the trailer's length a pallet uses, not its volume. Loading metres = pallet length × width / 2.4 m. A Euro pallet is 1.2 × 0.8 / 2.4 = 0.4 LDM; an industrial pallet 1.2 × 1.0 / 2.4 = 0.5 LDM.
If your pallets can be stacked, some carriers halve the LDM, since two pallets share the same floor. Say whether your pallets are stackable when you ask for a quote.
Why pallet volume doesn't add up to vehicle volume
A 13.6 m curtainside trailer measures 1,360 × 245 × 270 cm inside, about 90 m³. Thirty-three Euro pallets at 1.44 m³ come to 47.5 m³: 53% of the trailer. The trailer is full but half its volume is empty, because the pallets aren't stacked and the floor runs out before the volume does.
That's why "my total volume is less than the truck's, so it fits" misleads. Floor layout decides how many pallets fit; see the tables in the truck and container guides, or try the load planner.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the volume of a Euro pallet in m³?
- It depends on the height: the base is 120 × 80 cm = 0.96 m², and the volume is that times the height. A Euro pallet 150 cm tall including the pallet is 1.44 m³; 180 cm tall, 1.73 m³. An empty Euro pallet takes about 0.14 m³.
- How do you measure pallet volume?
- Measure length and width at the widest point of the load, and height from the floor to the top of the load, pallet included. Multiply the centimetre values and divide by 1,000,000.
- How do you calculate a pallet's volumetric weight?
- Length × width × height in cm, divided by the carrier's divisor: 3000 for most road groupage (1 m³ = 333 kg), 6000 for air freight. A 120 × 80 × 150 cm pallet is 480 kg by road; if it actually weighs less, you're billed for 480 kg.
- How do you calculate loading metres (LDM)?
- Pallet length × width in metres, divided by 2.4. A Euro pallet is 0.4 LDM, an industrial pallet 0.5 LDM. Some carriers halve it for stackable pallets.
- Is freight billed by volume or weight?
- Whichever is higher. The carrier turns volume into weight using a ratio for the mode of transport (usually 1 m³ = 333 kg for road groupage, 167 kg for air, 1,000 kg for sea) and compares it with the actual weight.