Shipping & logistics
Estimate how many cartons fit on a pallet by footprint and height.
Enter your numbers to see the answer.
Pallet calculator guide
A pallet calculator tells you how many identical cartons stack on one pallet before you book freight or send a packing plan to a supplier. This tool works in whole cartons: it divides the pallet length by the carton length and the pallet width by the carton width, rounds each down, multiplies the two for cartons per layer, then divides the maximum load height by the carton height for the number of layers. The defaults describe a EUR pallet of 1,200 × 800 mm loaded to 1.5 m, which is a common height limit for LCL and for warehouse racking. Small importers use it to translate a carton count into a pallet count, to check whether a supplier’s pallet plan matches the quote, and to see whether rotating the carton adds a column. It is a column-stack estimate; it does not plan interlocking or pinwheel patterns, mixed cartons, or crush strength.
Cartons per layer = floor(pallet length ÷ carton length) × floor(pallet width ÷ carton width). Layers = floor(maximum load height ÷ carton height). Cartons per pallet = cartons per layer × layers.
Worked example: cartons of 40 cm × 30 cm × 25 cm on a 120 cm × 80 cm EUR pallet with a 150 cm load height. Along the length, floor(120 ÷ 40) = 3 cartons; across the width, floor(80 ÷ 30) = 2 cartons, so each layer holds 3 × 2 = 6 cartons. The stack allows floor(150 ÷ 25) = 6 layers. The pallet therefore carries 6 × 6 = 36 cartons. Turning the carton so 30 cm runs along the length gives floor(120 ÷ 30) × floor(80 ÷ 40) = 4 × 2 = 8 per layer and 48 cartons. At the default orientation the calculator shows 36 cartons.
All six inputs are centimetres. A EUR pallet is 120 × 80 cm; a US GMA pallet is 48 × 40 in, which is 121.9 × 101.6 cm; a UK standard pallet is 120 × 100 cm. If a carrier states a total height limit including the pallet, subtract the deck height (about 14.4 cm for a EUR pallet, 12–15 cm for a US pallet) before entering the maximum load height.
Carriers bill on whichever is greater, actual weight or volumetric weight, so treat this result as the number to compare against your carrier's own quote. Divisors, rounding rules, and surcharges differ between carriers and between domestic and international services, and they change with contract terms. Confirm the current rules for your account before you price a shipment. On this page the figure rests entirely on carton length, carton width, carton height, pallet length, pallet width, max load height, market / jurisdiction, effective date, data source, update owner and review date, so start there if the pallet calculator returns something you did not expect.
Good to know: the calculator only tries the orientation you type, so swap the carton length and width and compare; the default cartons gain a third more capacity when rotated. Load height limits from LCL forwarders and airlines usually include the pallet itself. Weight can bind before height: a 36-carton stack of 12 kg cartons is 432 kg plus the pallet, which is fine for most pallets but may exceed a rack or truck deck limit. Overhang beyond the pallet edge is normally forbidden.
Shipping results depend on carrier, service, route, divisor, rounding, surcharges, and contract terms. Confirm the current carrier rule before buying a label or quoting a customer.
Sources
How it works
Estimate how many cartons fit on a pallet by footprint and height. This tool explains the calculation so you can adjust the assumptions to match your situation.
Worked example
With Carton length = 40 cm · Carton width = 30 cm · Carton height = 25 cm · Pallet length = 120 cm · Pallet width = 80 cm · Max load height = 150 cm → 36 cartons (estimated cartons per pallet). Change an input above and this example updates with your numbers.
Common questions
Divide the pallet length and width by the carton length and width, round each down, multiply for cartons per layer, then multiply by the number of layers that fit under the height limit. Cartons of 40 × 30 × 25 cm on a EUR pallet at 150 cm give 36.
The EUR/EPAL pallet is 1,200 × 800 mm and about 144 mm tall. The North American GMA pallet is 48 × 40 in (1,219 × 1,016 mm). The UK and Australian standard pallets are 1,200 × 1,000 mm and 1,165 × 1,165 mm respectively.
Many LCL forwarders and warehouses limit a pallet to about 1.5–1.8 m including the pallet, and air freight lower-deck limits are around 1.6 m. Ask the forwarder for the limit on your lane and enter the cargo-only height here.
Often yes. Run both orientations through the calculator; whichever gives more cartons per layer wins, provided the cartons are still fully on the deck. Mixed-orientation or pinwheel layers can add more but need a manual plan.
Divide the carton count by cartons per pallet and round up. At 36 cartons per pallet, 500 cartons need 500 ÷ 36 = 13.9, so 14 pallets, the last one partly filled.