Building a stable, full pallet saves freight money: a pallet is charged as a unit, so every box you fit on it is one less to ship separately. The task is a small packing puzzle – the box footprint has to be arranged on the pallet deck so little space is wasted, and the stack must stay under the height limit your warehouse, racking or carrier allows, typically 1.2 to 1.8 m including the pallet.
Pick a standard pallet or enter a custom size, the maximum load height (above the deck), and the box dimensions in any order. The calculator tries each side of the box as the height, finds the best floor pattern – a straight grid, a turned grid or a mix of rows in both directions – and counts the layers. Choose “keep upright” for boxes that must not be laid on their side. If you also enter the box weight and the maximum load, it caps the count at what the pallet may carry.
The results include the boxes per layer, number of layers, total load height including the pallet, total weight and the share of the load space you use. No overhang is assumed; boxes hanging over the edge are easily crushed and many carriers refuse them.
How to use the Pallet Calculator
- Pallet type
- Pallet length
- Pallet width
- Maximum load height (above the pallet)
- Pallet height — About 14.4 cm for a Euro pallet, 5.5–6 in for a GMA pallet.
- Box side A
- Box side B
- Box side C (height)
- Orientation
- Take weight into account?
- Weight per box
- Maximum load on the pallet
Everything is calculated in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.
How it works
For each upright choice the footprint is packed with a grid and two-direction row mixes, layers are stacked up to the height limit, and any headroom is filled with boxes laid sideways. The largest total is kept and then limited by the weight capacity if one is entered.
Worked example
Boxes of 15 × 20 × 10 cm on a 1200 × 1000 mm pallet with a 100 cm load height: standing on the 10 cm side, 8 × 5 = 40 boxes cover the deck exactly (8 × 15 = 120 cm, 5 × 20 = 100 cm), and 100 ÷ 10 = 10 layers give 400 boxes – 100% of the load space. If each box weighs 5 kg and the pallet may carry 1,000 kg, the weight limit allows only 200 boxes, so stop after 5 layers.
Standard pallet sizes
| Pallet | Size | Region |
|---|---|---|
| GMA | 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm) | North America |
| ISO 2 | 1200 × 1000 mm | Europe, Asia |
| Euro (EUR/EPAL) | 1200 × 800 mm | Europe |
| Australian | 1165 × 1165 mm | Australia |
| Asian | 1100 × 1100 mm | Asia |
| Square | 42 × 42 in (1067 × 1067 mm) | North America (drums) |
Tips
- Measure the longest points of the package, including bulges.
- Check your carrier’s current divisor and rounding rules.
- Every field has a unit menu – cm, inches, kg and lb all work.
- Everything is calculated in your browser.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using the wrong dimensional divisor for the carrier or service.
- Forgetting pallet height and overhang limits.
- Rounding dimensions down instead of up.
Formula
Boxes = boxes per layer × layers · per layer = best floor pattern of the box footprint on the pallet · layers = ⌊max load height ÷ box height⌋ · weight limit: boxes ≤ max load ÷ box weight · utilisation = box volume × boxes ÷ (pallet area × height)
Worked example
Inputs — Pallet type: 48 × 40 in (1219 × 1016 mm, GMA – North America); Maximum load height (above the pallet): 120 cm; Pallet height: 14.4 cm; Box side A: 40 cm; Box side B: 30 cm; Box side C (height): 25 cm; Orientation: Any – boxes may be laid on their side; Take weight into account?: No.
Results — Boxes per pallet = 48; Boxes per layer = 16; Layers = 3; Load space utilisation = 96.88 %; Limited by = Space (height and footprint); Total height with pallet = 1.34.
Key terms
- Pallet footprint
- Length × width of the pallet deck.
- Layer (tier)
- One horizontal level of boxes.
- Utilisation
- Share of the load volume filled by boxes.
- Overhang
- Boxes sticking out beyond the pallet edge.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes fit on a pallet?
Divide the pallet length and width by the box footprint (trying both directions), multiply, then multiply by the number of layers that fit under the height limit.
How many 40 × 30 × 25 cm boxes fit on a 48 × 40 in pallet?
a mixed pattern of 10 per layer and 4 layers within 120 cm, so 40 boxes kept upright; allowing them on their side fits 48.
What are the standard pallet sizes?
48 × 40 in in North America, 1200 × 800 mm (Euro) and 1200 × 1000 mm in Europe, 1165 × 1165 mm in Australia and 1100 × 1100 mm in Asia (ISO 6780 sizes).
What is the maximum height of a pallet?
Often 1.8–2.0 m including the pallet for trucks, lower for racking; ask your carrier or warehouse.
How much weight can a pallet carry?
A Euro pallet is rated about 1,500 kg dynamic; a typical GMA pallet about 2,500 lb (1,130 kg) – check the pallet's rating.
Should boxes overhang the pallet?
No – overhang weakens boxes and many carriers refuse it.