How many pallets fit in a 40 ft container

The short answer

One tier of pallets, no gap between pallets or walls. The 20', 40' and 40' HQ inside sizes are SeaCube's (20' dry, 40' dry, 40' high cube); the 45' HC is ONE's 13,556 × 2,352 mm floor.

A 40' HQ has the same floor as a 40' GP, so it holds the same number of pallets in one tier. The extra 30.5 cm of height only matters when pallets can be stacked (below).

Why 25 EUR pallets, not 24

The EPAL Euro pallet is 1,200 × 800 mm. A 40' GP is 12,032 mm long and 2,352 mm wide inside. Two pallets side by side with their long sides along the box take 1,600 mm of width and waste 752 mm; with their long sides across, only one fits (1,200 mm) and 1,152 mm is left.

The better layout mixes the two. One row turned across the box (1,200 mm of width, 800 mm of length each) holds ⌊12,032 ÷ 800⌋ = 15 pallets. The remaining 1,152 mm of width takes one row the other way round (800 mm wide, 1,200 mm long): ⌊12,032 ÷ 1,200⌋ = 10. That is 25. The same reasoning gives 7 + 4 = 11 in a 20' GP (5,898 mm long).

Floor positions = rows × ⌊inside length ÷ pallet length in that row⌋, summed over the rows that fit across the width

Published counts are usually lower: the sources on Livnaro's container data sheet give 23 to 25 EUR pallets for a 40' GP, most often 24. Clearance changes the count. Give each pallet 2 cm of play (1,220 × 820 mm) and the same layout drops to 14 + 9 = 23 in a 40' GP, while the 20' GP keeps 11. The worksheet finds this 25-pallet arrangement without gaps; it does not prove a global optimum or check loading access. Plan on 23–24 unless your loader confirms the tighter arrangement.

Stacked pallets: where the high cube pays

When the goods allow a second tier, height decides. With EUR pallets the counts become:

From 1.20 m to 1.34 m per loaded pallet, only the high cube takes two tiers, so it carries twice as many pallets as a 40' GP. Check the weight before you count on it: 50 pallets at 560 kg each is 28,000 kg, close to the 28,750 kg SeaCube rates its 40' HQ for. See container weight limits.

Run your own pallets

In the CBM calculator, enter each pallet type as a line with its loaded height and weight, then set field 6 Stacking to One high (pallets). The container panel adds a Floor bar and limits each container by floor positions as well as volume and weight. Also compare adds a 45' HC or a reefer from the data sheet.

The same input also drives the road card, which charges unstackable pallets by loading metre; the LDM guide explains that rule.