The short answer

For standard 48 x 40 inch GMA pallets, floor-loaded and not stacked:

Floor positions by equipment

  • 53-foot dry van: 26 straight, 30 turned
  • 48-foot dry van: 22 straight, 26 turned
  • 53-foot reefer: 24 to 26, less because insulation costs interior width
  • 26-foot box truck: 12 to 14
  • Sprinter cargo van: 3 to 5

Double stacking roughly doubles those, if the freight will take weight on top and the trailer has the height.

Why the number moves

Pallet size. The counts above are for 48 x 40. A 48 x 48 pallet fits differently, and a Euro pallet at 47 x 31 changes the arithmetic entirely. Run your own footprint through the trailer capacity calculator.

Orientation. Turning pallets ninety degrees fits three across instead of two in some combinations. That is where 26 becomes 30 in a 53-foot van.

NOSE DOORS
Straight loading. Two across, pallets facing the same way.
NOSE DOORS
Turned loading. The same pallets rotated, fitting another row across.

Stackability. This changes the answer more than anything else, and it is the thing shippers most often fail to mention. If your freight can take weight on top, say so when you ask for a quote.

The trailer itself. Nominal and usable are not the same. Wheel wells, bulkheads, load bars, reefer equipment and the individual trailer build all take space. Treat every figure here as typical rather than guaranteed.

Pinwheeling

Alternating pallet orientation along the trailer sometimes gains a position where neither straight nor turned divides evenly into the space.

NOSE DOORS
Pinwheel loading. Orientation alternates so the blocks interlock.

It depends on the specific pallet size and trailer, so it is worth asking about rather than planning around. The loading guide covers all five patterns and when each one is worth the effort.

A trailer can hold more pallets than it can legally carry. Twenty-six pallets at 2,000 lb each is 52,000 lb of freight, which is past what a dry van can take.

Work out your total weight before you count positions. If weight is the constraint rather than space, the equipment guide has the payload ceilings for each type, and where the weight sits in the trailer matters too.

Work out your own

Not a standard pallet, or not sure it will fit?

Send me the pallet dimensions, the count and the weight. I will tell you what fits, what it should cost, and whether turning or stacking would save you money.

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