How Many Pallets Fit in a Container?
Floor counts for EUR and GMA pallets in 20′ and 40′ containers — including the mixed-orientation pattern — with double-stacking worked out from your loaded pallet height and weight. Inputs stay in the URL.
≤119 cm double-stacks in a GP; ≤134 cm in a 40′HQ.
| Container | Floor | Tiers | Total pallets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20' GP | 11 | 1 | 11 |
| 40' GP | 25 | 1 | 25 |
| 40' HQ | 25 | 1 | 25 |
Floor count = best of single-orientation and mixed two-lane patterns. Practical loads often give up 1–2 positions for straps, dunnage and door clearance. Double-stacking also needs the bottom load to carry the top pallet.
Loading loose cartons instead of pallets?
The 3D planner packs mixed cartons into the same containers with weight, stacking and door checks.
Open the 3D load plannerContainer internal dimensions
| Container | Internal L × W × H (cm) | Door (W × H) | Volume | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' GP | 589 × 235 × 239 | 234 × 228 cm | 33.1 m³ | 28,200 kg |
| 40' GP | 1203 × 235 × 239 | 234 × 228 cm | 67.6 m³ | 26,700 kg |
| 40' HQ | 1203 × 235 × 269 | 234 × 258 cm | 76.0 m³ | 26,500 kg |
Common planning figures — exact dimensions vary slightly by maker; check the CSC plate. Plan pallet height to the door (228/258 cm), not the ceiling: the door header is the real limit at loading.
The mixed-orientation pattern
Two lanes, two orientations
An EUR pallet is 120 × 80 cm and the container is 235 cm wide — two crosswise (240 cm) don’t fit. But one crosswise lane (120 cm wide) plus one lengthwise lane (80 cm) = 200 cm, and both fit side by side.
Each lane packs at its own pitch
In a 40′ (1,203 cm): the crosswise lane fits 15 pallets at 80 cm pitch, the lengthwise lane 10 at 120 cm — 25 total, versus 20 single-orientation.
GMA pallets gain the same way
48 × 40 in (122 × 102 cm): 11 + 9 = 20 in a 40′, 5 + 4 = 9 in a 20′ — matching the counts carriers quote.