Pallets per 53 ft trailer
On the floor, one layer: 26 or 30 pallets of 48 x 40 and 26 or 28 of 48 x 45, depending on whether they are loaded straight or turned. That comes from geometry, and the working is below.
Try it
30 pallets: 15 rows of 2, with 36 in of trailer length and 4 in of width left over. Worked from an inside space of 636 in by 100 in, one layer.
The working
Take the inside of a 53 ft trailer as 636 inches long by 100 inches wide. That is an assumption: real trailers vary a little, and the inside width is the number that matters most. Loaded straight, a pallet's 48-inch side runs along the trailer and its 40 or 45 inch side goes across. Loaded turned, the 48-inch side goes across and the shorter side runs along.
| Pallet | Loaded | Across | Rows | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48 x 40 | Straight | 2 (80 in) | 13 (624 in) | 26 |
| 48 x 40 | Turned | 2 (96 in) | 15 (600 in) | 30 |
| 48 x 45 | Straight | 2 (90 in) | 13 (624 in) | 26 |
| 48 x 45 | Turned | 2 (96 in) | 14 (630 in) | 28 |
Across is how many pallets fit in 100 inches. Rows is how many fit in 636. Total is across times rows. The leftover is 12 inches of length straight, or 36 inches for the 48 x 40 turned, and 6 inches for the 48 x 45 turned.
What the numbers leave out
- Height. One layer only. If the freight can be stacked and the trailer is tall enough, a second layer multiplies the count, but only if the pallets carry the weight.
- Weight. An empty 48 x 40 GMA pallet weighs about 33 to 49 pounds. 30 of them is roughly 990 to 1,470 pounds of pallet before the load.
- Load bars, doors and overhang. Real loads leave room for them. A pallet that hangs over the edge of another is not counted here.
- Pinwheel patterns. Mixed orientation loads can fit differently. This calculator does not try them.
Reading the result
The 48 x 40 beats the 48 x 45 only when turned, 30 to 28, because its shorter side gives one more row. For a dock that handles both, the difference is small enough that the size should be picked for the load, not for the trailer. For buying by the truckload, see bulk pallets.
Questions about trailer counts
Does the count include stacked pallets?
No. The figures are for one layer. Stacking raises them, within height and weight limits.
Why turned for the 48 x 40?
Forty inches along the trailer gives 15 rows where 48 gives 13.
Is every trailer 636 by 100?
No. The figures assume a 53 ft trailer taken as that floor. Check yours.
Beyond the floor
Door width, wheel wells and load bars all take a little floor. Real loads often come in a pallet or two under the arithmetic, so treat the figures as the ceiling.
Checking your own trailer
Measure the inside of the trailer, floor length and width between wheel wells, and divide by the pallet footprint. The arithmetic is simple, but a trailer with a damaged floor or a tight door changes the answer, so confirm with the carrier.
Seasonal limits
Winter road weight limits can restrict a loaded trailer. Light pallets rarely reach them, but heavy loads can.
Counting against weight
A full trailer of used pallets rarely hits the weight limit, but a full trailer of loaded ones can.
Worked example
A 53 ft trailer taken as 636 inches long: 636 divided by 40 is 15.9, so 15 rows of 48 x 40 pallets turned. Two pallets side by side in 100 inches, since 2 times 48 is 96, gives 30 pallets. Straight, 636 divided by 48 is 13.25, so 13 rows of two, or 26.