Free tool
Pallet Calculator
Enter your carton size and weight, pick a pallet and set your height and weight limits. See how many cartons fit per layer and per pallet, with the loaded height, gross weight and an estimated freight class.
Cartons and limits
Cartons stay upright; only their footprint turns.
Including the pallet. Ask your carrier or warehouse; racking and trailer limits differ.
Including the pallet. Check your pallet's rating and your carrier's limit.
Pallet
Typical values. Measure your own pallets for the exact figure.
Cartons per pallet
45
9 a layer × 5 layers
Loaded height
55.5 in
Including the pallet
Gross weight
940 lb
Pallet plus cartons
Layer coverage
90%
Of the pallet's footprint
Estimated freight class
70
15.24 lb/ft³ density
Shipping LTL? Check the class on the freight class calculator.
Talk to us about freightHow the count is worked out
Per layer = best arrangement of cartons, some rows turned 90 degrees
Layers = (Height limit minus Pallet height) ÷ Carton height
Cartons = the lower of Per layer × Layers and the weight limit
Density = Gross weight ÷ (Length × Width × Loaded height ÷ 1,728)
Cartons stay upright and inside the pallet's edges, so every count is a load you can actually build. Then check the class on the freight class calculator, or see how LTL quotes can run at checkout.
Pallet calculator FAQs
- How many boxes fit on a pallet?
- Work out how many fit in one layer, then how many layers fit under your height limit, then check the weight. For 16 × 12 × 10 inch cartons on a 48 × 40 inch pallet, 9 fit in a layer. With a 5.5 inch pallet and a 60 inch limit, 5 layers fit, so 45 cartons. At 20 lb each that is 940 lb including a 40 lb pallet.
- What size is a standard pallet?
- In North America the most common pallet is 48 × 40 inches, the GMA pallet used across grocery and retail. Europe uses the EUR pallet at 1200 × 800 mm, and 1200 × 1000 mm is common in the UK and for industrial goods. Deck height and weight vary by build, so measure your own.
- How tall can a loaded pallet be?
- It depends on your carrier, the trailer and the warehouse racking it is going into, so ask before you build the load. Set that limit in the calculator, including the pallet itself, and it works out how many layers fit.
- Should boxes hang over the edge of the pallet?
- Avoid it. Overhang leaves the bottom cartons unsupported, which weakens the stack and invites damage in transit. This calculator keeps every carton inside the pallet’s footprint, turning cartons 90 degrees in part of the layer when that fits more.
- How does the pallet affect freight class?
- For LTL, density decides the class when the commodity has no special handling concerns. Density is the total weight divided by the cubic feet of the loaded pallet: its length × width × loaded height. A heavier, shorter load is denser and usually ships at a lower class. The estimate here uses the NMFC scale in force since July 2025.
- Is this pallet calculator free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-up and does not store what you enter.
Pallet orders that quote themselves
We set up Shopify so wholesale buyers can order by the pallet, with live LTL rates at checkout and orders flowing to your warehouse.
Talk to us about freight