How many pallets fit in a 20ft container?
A 20ft standard container holds 9 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in, GMA) floor-loaded in one tier — not the 10 you will read elsewhere. Double-stacked with low cargo: 18.
Why not 10? Check the math
Two rows of five sounds plausible — until you measure. Five pallets of 48 in lengthwise need 240 in of length; the interior is about 232 in (590 cm). Turn them instead, and two 48-in pallets side by side need 96 in of width; the container offers 92.5 in (235 cm). Either way the tenth pallet exists only on paper. Floor-loaded without overhang, 9 is the honest number.
How the 9 are placed — calculated, not copied
8 pallets run lengthwise in four double rows, the ninth turns crosswise at the door. Without that turn — all pallets in one orientation — only 8 fit. This is the layout from above:
Stacked: two tiers with low cargo
If each loaded pallet stays below about 42 in (107 cm), stackable cargo fits in two tiers: 18 pallets (interior height 94 in / 239 cm). A 20ft high cube (106 in / 270 cm) allows the second tier up to about 48 in per loaded pallet. Weight is rarely the limit here: 18 pallets at 1,100 lbs are under 20,000 lbs of roughly 62,000 lbs container payload — on the road, the truck limits bite first.
| Container | Interior L × W | Pallets 48×40 (1 tier) | Two tiers up to |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ Standard | 590 × 235 cm | 9 | 42 in per pallet |
| 20′ High Cube | 590 × 235 cm | 9 | 48 in per pallet |
Loading euro pallets (120 × 80 cm) instead? The smaller footprint packs a different grid: 11 per tier in a 20ft.
The button opens the calculator with a matching example load — freely adjustable there, inches and lbs included.