How many boxes fit on a pallet?

It depends on your carton size, the pallet footprint and your height and weight limits. As a worked example, 72 cartons measuring 40 × 30 × 20 cm fit on a single Euro (EPAL 1) pallet at full footprint utilisation. Enter your own carton dimensions above to get an exact figure for your load.

What is the difference between a Euro (EPAL) pallet and a UK standard pallet?

A Euro pallet (EPAL 1) measures 120 × 80 cm and is the default across European road and rail freight. A UK standard pallet measures 120 × 100 cm, so it is wider and carries more per layer. Pick the one your destination market and carrier expect, because the footprint changes how many cartons fit.

What is a GMA pallet?

The GMA pallet measures 48 × 40 inches (121.9 × 101.6 cm) and is the standard pallet across US and Canadian trucking. GMA stands for the Grocery Manufacturers Association, which set the spec. If you are shipping to North America, this is almost certainly the footprint to plan around.

What is a CHEP pallet, and is CHEP a pallet size?

CHEP is not a size, it is a pallet pooling provider. You hire its blue pallets and return them rather than buying them outright, and they come in several regional footprints (Euro, UK, US block, half and quarter). Choose the CHEP footprint that matches the market you are shipping into, then plan the load exactly as you would for the equivalent standard pallet.

How tall and how heavy can a loaded pallet be?

There is no single answer, because carriers, lanes and pallet materials all set their own limits. As a rough guide, many LTL carriers cap a palletised load at around 1.8 to 2.2 metres total height and 1,000 to 1,200 kg, and Amazon FBA applies its own ceilings. Always confirm the limits for your specific carrier and lane before loading, and use the warnings in the calculator to stay inside them.

Which pallet should I use for shipping to the EU?

For most European destinations the Euro (EPAL 1) pallet at 120 × 80 cm is the safest default, because it is what EU carriers, warehouses and racking are built around. If you are weighing up where and how to fulfil in the EU, that is exactly the kind of decision we help brands make through the Lead Exchange.

What does pallet utilisation mean, and why does it matter?

Utilisation is the percentage of the pallet footprint actually covered by your cartons. Low utilisation means you are paying to ship empty space, since freight is charged on the pallet or the space it occupies, not just its weight. Nudging the carton size or the layer pattern to lift utilisation is one of the simplest ways to cut cost per unit shipped.

Tools

Pallet Calculator. Know the load before it ships.

Pick a pallet standard, set your carton, and watch the load build in 3D. Box count, stack height, gross weight and volume update as you type, with a warning the moment you go over a height or weight limit. Download the whole thing as a spec sheet your 3PL or carrier can work straight from.

Pallet & Cargo Designer Always check carrier limits.

Pallet type

Length (cm)

Width (cm)

Height (cm)

Top deck boards

Pallet weight (kg)

Cargo

Stack cargo on the pallet

Box Length (cm)

Box Width (cm)

Box Height (cm)

Box Weight (kg)

Layers

Max Stack Height (cm)

Max Load (kg)

Box Layout

Load Summary

…
Total Height: …
Gross Weight: …
Boxes (per layer): …
Volume

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Drag to rotate · ⌘/ctrl + scroll to zoom · right drag to pan Two fingers to rotate & zoom · one to scroll on

Loading the 3D preview…

Every figure here is indicative. Pallet capacity, carrier height limits and axle weights vary by operator and lane. Confirm with your carrier or transport operator before loading.

Small print. The figures this tool gives you are estimates to help you plan. They aren't quotes, guarantees or professional advice. They're worked out from what you enter and from published rates, formulas and rules, which can change without notice. What you actually pay will depend on your carrier, 3PL, customs authority, contracts and the specifics of your goods. Always confirm with the relevant provider or a qualified adviser before you price, book, buy or declare anything. SHIPMAX accepts no liability for decisions made on the strength of these figures.

The working out

Understanding pallet loading

The calculator above works out how many cartons fit on a pallet, how tall the finished load stands, what it weighs, and how much of the pallet footprint you are actually using. Get the load right before it ships and you avoid the two expensive surprises: a pallet that is rejected at the dock for being over height or weight, and paying to move fresh air because the footprint was half empty.

How the calculator works

It takes your carton footprint and fits it onto the pallet footprint, testing it both ways round (as entered and rotated 90 degrees) and keeping whichever orientation packs more cartons into a single layer. It then stacks those layers up to the height and weight limits you set, and totals the result:

Cartons per pallet = best cartons per layer × number of layers

The moment a load goes over your maximum stack height or maximum weight, the calculator flags it, so you see the problem on screen rather than at the loading bay. You can also interlock alternate layers for stability, or fill to the maximum height automatically.

Standard pallet sizes

Pallet	Footprint	Where it is used
UK Standard	120 × 100 cm	The default pallet across UK industry and retail
UK Half Pallet	100 × 60 cm	Smaller consignments and retail-ready display
UK Heavy Industrial	120 × 120 cm	Heavy or bulky industrial loads
EPAL 1 / Euro	120 × 80 cm	The standard pallet across European road and rail freight
EPAL 2	120 × 100 cm	Larger European loads, same footprint as the UK standard
EPAL 3	100 × 120 cm	Four-way-entry European pallet
EPAL 6 (Half Euro)	80 × 60 cm	Half-size Euro pallet for smaller loads
Düsseldorf (DHP)	80 × 60 cm	Retail and display logistics
CP1 (Chemical)	120 × 100 cm	Chemical-industry standard pallet
CP3 (Chemical)	114 × 114 cm	Square chemical-industry pallet
US GMA	48 × 40 in (121.9 × 101.6 cm)	The dominant pallet across US and Canadian trucking
US Drum	42 × 42 in (106.7 × 106.7 cm)	Drums and square loads
US Automotive	48 × 45 in (121.9 × 114.3 cm)	Automotive parts
US Beverage	36 × 36 in (91.4 × 91.4 cm)	Beverage distribution
US Heavy	48 × 48 in (121.9 × 121.9 cm)	Heavy US industrial loads
CHEP Standard (Euro footprint)	120 × 80 cm	Pooled (hired) Euro-footprint pallet
CHEP UK Footprint	120 × 100 cm	Pooled UK-footprint pallet
CHEP Half Pallet	80 × 60 cm	Pooled half pallet
CHEP Quarter (New Generation)	60 × 40 cm	Pooled quarter pallet for retail display
CHEP US Block	48 × 40 in (121.9 × 101.6 cm)	Pooled US block pallet

Shipping on something non-standard? The calculator also takes a fully custom pallet size.

FAQs

Frequently asked questions

Got the pallet. Need somewhere to put it?

We match consumer brands with vetted 3PL and fulfilment partners across the UK, EU and US, up to three matches, 0% commission to brands. Send us your spec and we'll tell you who can handle it.

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