How Many ISO Pallets Fit in a 40ft Container?
A 40ft container takes 20 ISO pallets on the floor in a single layer, 10 down the length by 2 across. The count uses the 12032 x 2352 mm usable interior with no overhang and no stacking.
By pallet type
Other pallets in a 40ft container
ISO 1100 x 1100 pallets in other containers
The short answer
20 ISO pallets on the floor of a 40ft container, 10 down by 2 across, single tier, no overhang. Floor area used: 85.5%.
Ten down and 2 across, 20 pallets, with 1032 mm spare at the door end. That gap is not enough for another row, so 20 is the honest count whichever way the forklift driver approaches it.
Internal dimensions used
- 40 ft Standard Dry: 12032 x 2352 x 2393 mm usable interior (474 x 93 x 94 in), 26,700 kg payload.
- ISO pallet (Asian 1100 x 1100 mm): 1100 x 1100 mm footprint (43.3 x 43.3 in), 140 mm deck, 1,000 kg dynamic rating.
Usable figures sit a little under nominal to allow for corrugation, posts and the door frame; the count is a plain grid with no overhang.
Long side or short side down the container
A 1100 x 1100 mm pallet has one footprint, so there is no long side to choose. Down the 12032 mm length you fit 10 pallets (1032 mm left over at the doors) and across the 2352 mm width 2 (152 mm left over). That is 10 x 2 = 20 on the floor, using 85.5% of the floor area. Turning a square pallet changes nothing: the leftover length is either enough for another full row or it is wasted.
What changes with double stacking
Two tiers need every loaded pallet, deck included, at or under 1196 mm in the 2393 mm interior: goods no higher than 1056 mm on a 140 mm deck. The 1500 mm load preset here (1640 mm with the deck) is one tier only. Under 1056 mm the floor count doubles to 40, if the bottom tier can carry the top.
Weight is worth a check too: 20 pallets at the 1,000 kg dynamic rating comes to 20,000 kg against a 26,700 kg payload, so a second tier at full weight would not clear it.
The same ISO pallet in the other three
| Container | Interior L x W (mm) | Longways | Turned | Best floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Container | 5898 x 2352 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 40ft Container (this page) | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 40ft High Cube | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 53ft Trailer | 16002 x 2591 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
Check it with the calculators
The calculator above is preset to this pallet and container; change the load height or add a pallet weight to see tiers and payload. For other pallet sizes in the same box, use pallets in a 40ft container or the 40ft container load calculator; for any pairing, the pallets per container calculator. To plan the pallet itself, see the ISO pallet calculator.