Pallet positions · linear feet · capacity load
Enter pallet footprint, count and weight. Get pallet positions per load, linear feet occupied, loads needed, and a warning when you cross the LTL linear-foot threshold.
Usable inside width is taken as 98 in for a dry van. Pallets are placed square to the walls — no pinwheeling.
Twenty-six standard 48 × 40 GMA pallets, floor loaded straight — two across, thirteen rows deep. Turn them so the 40 in side runs down the trailer and you get 30, because the shallower rows buy two extra rows over 630 usable inches. Double stack and either figure doubles, if the freight can take the weight on top.
The calculator works both orientations and reports whichever fits more, then applies your stacking choice and your weight per pallet against the equipment payload limit. Loads needed is the greater of the space answer and the weight answer — dense freight cubes out on weight long before it runs out of floor.
For an LTL shipment, the figure that matters is not pallet count, it is linear feet — how much trailer length your freight occupies. Carriers publish a linear-foot rule, and once a shipment crosses the threshold they apply a capacity-load or linear-foot charge that can be several times the base rate.
Thresholds vary by carrier but 12 linear feet is the common trigger, with some tariffs starting at 10 ft or 10 pallet positions. The calculator flags the shipment when it reaches 12 linear feet so you can price a volume or partial truckload quote instead of discovering the surcharge on the invoice.
| Equipment | Usable inside | 48×40 floor | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | 630 × 98 in | 26 straight / 30 turned | ~45,000 lb |
| 48 ft dry van | 576 × 98 in | 24 straight / 28 turned | ~44,000 lb |
| 28 ft pup | 336 × 94 in | 14 straight | ~22,000 lb |
| 26 ft box truck | 306 × 92 in | 12 straight | ~10,000 lb |
| 40 ft HQ container | 474 × 92 in | 18 straight | ~58,000 lb |
The calculator will double the count if you tick the box, but whether you should is about what is in the boxes. Stacking needs a flat, rigid top surface, cartons rated for the compression, and a bill of lading that does not say Do Not Stack. Getting this wrong turns a saved trailer into a damage claim.