Free Container Loading Calculator
Find out how many cartons or pallets fit in a 20 ft, 40 ft, 40 ft high cube or 45 ft container, or a 53 ft trailer. Enter as many SKUs as you need, each with its own carton size, weight and count. Load them loose or on pallets, see every container in 3D, and print a load plan for your supplier or warehouse team.
How to use the container calculator
- Add your cartons. Enter each SKU with its carton length, width, height (inches), weight per carton (lb) and count, or paste them from Excel or Google Sheets.
- Pick the container. Choose a 20 ft, 40 ft, 40 ft high cube, 45 ft high cube, 53 ft trailer or a custom size, and set the max cargo weight.
- Loose or on pallets. Floor load the cartons, or build them onto pallets first and stack pallets two high when they fit under the door.
- Print the load plan. Download a PDF with each container in 3D and the loading order, wall by wall or spot by spot.
Built for mixed SKU containers
Most container calculators only take one box size. Real containers carry many SKUs. This one plans them together:
- Any number of SKUs, each with its own dimensions, weight and count
- Each SKU turned the way that fits the most per foot of container
- Weight limits respected, with a new container started when length or weight runs out
- Floor loaded or palletized, with two high pallet stacking
- Color coded 3D view of every container
- A printable load plan with the loading order
Shipping container dimensions and pallet capacity
| Container | Inside L x W x H (in) | Door height (in) | Cubic feet | 48 x 40 pallets (floor) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft standard | 232.3 x 92.5 x 94.0 | 89.6 | 1,169 | 9 |
| 40 ft standard | 473.8 x 92.5 x 94.0 | 89.6 | 2,384 | 20 |
| 40 ft high cube | 473.8 x 92.5 x 104.0 | 100.5 | 2,638 | 20 |
| 45 ft high cube | 534.3 x 92.5 x 104.0 | 100.5 | 2,975 | 24 |
| 53 ft dry van trailer | 630 x 100 x 110 | 108 | 4,010 | 30 |
Tips for loading a container
- Load heavy cartons on the floor and spread the weight evenly front to back.
- Load one SKU at a time in full walls so it’s easy to count and unload.
- Brace or fill gaps at the doors so the load can’t shift at sea.
- Check the door height before you stack pallets two high.
- Weigh the container before it leaves. Overweight containers get fined or turned away.
Container loading FAQ
How many pallets fit in a 40 ft container?
A 40 ft container fits 20 standard 48 x 40 inch pallets on the floor, single stacked. If each loaded pallet is short enough for two to fit under the door, about 44 inches each in a 40 ft standard or 50 inches in a 40 ft high cube, you can stack them two high and fit up to 40.
How many pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
A 20 ft container fits 9 standard 48 x 40 inch pallets on the floor, or up to 18 stacked two high when the pallets are short enough.
How many pallets fit in a 53 ft trailer?
A 53 ft dry van trailer fits 30 standard 48 x 40 inch pallets on the floor, two across and fifteen deep.
How many boxes fit in a 40 ft container?
It depends on the box size. For example, an 18 x 12 x 10 inch carton loaded upright fits about 1,755 per 40 ft standard container and about 1,950 per 40 ft high cube. Enter your own carton sizes above to see your number.
What is the difference between a 40 ft and a 40 ft high cube container?
Both are about 39 ft 6 in long and 7 ft 8 in wide inside. A high cube is a foot taller, about 8 ft 8 in inside instead of 7 ft 10 in, so it holds about 10% more. Whether that extra foot helps depends on your carton height, which the calculator checks for you.
How much weight can a container carry?
Containers are rated for more weight than most trucks can legally haul on US roads. A common limit for cargo is about 44,000 lb in a 20 ft or 40 ft container. The calculator uses that by default and you can change it. Your trucker can confirm the limit for your route.
What are the inside dimensions of shipping containers?
A 20 ft standard is about 232 x 92.5 x 94 inches inside, a 40 ft standard about 474 x 92.5 x 94 inches, a 40 ft high cube about 474 x 92.5 x 104 inches, and a 53 ft dry van trailer about 630 x 100 x 110 inches. See the table above for cubic feet and door heights.
Should I floor load or palletize my container?
Floor loading (loose cartons) fits more product in the container and costs less in ocean freight, but takes longer to unload. Pallets unload in minutes and are safer for fragile goods, but the pallets take up space and weight. Try both modes in the calculator to compare.
Is the container calculator free?
Yes. It’s free with no sign up. Your cartons are saved in your own browser so they’re there next time.
Can IronLink unload my containers?
Yes. IronLink Logistics pulls containers from the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia to our warehouses in Ontario, CA, Riverside, CA and Swedesboro, NJ. We unload floor loaded and palletized containers, store your inventory and ship it to customers and retailers.
Need your containers pulled, unloaded and shipped?
IronLink Logistics is a bicoastal 3PL. We provide drayage from the Ports of Los Angeles, Long Beach, New York/New Jersey and Philadelphia, unload floor loaded and palletized containers, store your inventory, and ship to customers and retailers like Walmart, Target, Costco and Home Depot. Our warehouses are in Ontario, CA, Riverside, CA and Swedesboro, NJ. Planning pallets too? Try our free pallet calculator.