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.
40' floor pattern (top view) — amber = crosswise lane, blue = lengthwise
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.