How many wire mesh pallets fit in a container?
A 20ft container holds around 11 wire mesh pallets floor-loaded, a 40ft container around 23 (one tier). Two tiers make it 22 and 46 — the container height allows no more, and with fully loaded boxes the payload runs out first.
In short
The standardised wire mesh pallet (Gitterbox) measures around 124 × 83 cm externally — four centimetres longer and three wider than a euro pallet (120 × 80 cm). In a 20ft container that makes no difference: 11 units, same as euro pallets. In a 40ft container it does: 23 instead of 25, because one box is lost in each row.
| Container | Internal length | 1 tier | 2 tiers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ Standard | 590 cm | 11 | 22 |
| 20′ High Cube | 590 cm | 11 | 22 |
| 40′ Standard | 1203 cm | 23 | 46 |
| 40′ High Cube | 1203 cm | 23 | 46 |
Mesh pallet, stillage, Gitterbox — the same thing?
Yes, in everyday use. Gitterbox is the name from the standard, wire mesh pallet, mesh container and stillage are the common English terms for the same load unit. What is meant is the stackable steel basket on pallet runners with a half-height drop gate on the long side.
Not the same thing: a mesh sleeve or cage attachment that is placed on an ordinary pallet — that one has the dimensions of the pallet underneath, so 120 × 80 cm. If that is what you use, work with the euro pallet figures, not the ones on this page.
Dimensions and weights of the standard mesh pallet
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| External size (L × W × H) | 1240 × 835 × 970 mm |
| Internal size | 1200 × 800 × 800 mm |
| Tare weight | ≈ 70 kg |
| Load capacity | 1,000 kg |
| Stacking load | ≈ 4,000 kg |
| Capacity | ≈ 0.7 m³ |
These are the values of the common standard design (DIN 15155 / UIC 435-3). Other designs exist, and rental or pool boxes are not always to standard — when in doubt, measure and weigh.
Why only two tiers fit in a container anyway
A stacking load of around 4,000 kg allows four boxes on top of each other. Inside a container that is irrelevant, because the height stops you first:
Two tiers are 194 cm — comfortable even in a standard container with 239 cm. The third fits in no standard sea container, not even a high cube. The 45 cm above stay unused; to fill them you need flatter load units, or you put light goods on top.
Weight is the real limit
A fully loaded mesh pallet weighs around 1,070 kg (1,000 kg of goods plus 70 kg tare). From there the arithmetic is quick:
| Container | Space for | At 1,070 kg per box | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20′ Standard | 22 boxes | 22 boxes | 23,540 kg |
| 40′ Standard | 46 boxes | 24 boxes | 25,680 kg |
In a 40ft container you are done after barely half the floor positions — not for lack of space, but because the payload of 26.6 tonnes is reached. This is the classic case where two 20-footers beat one 40-footer: together they carry 56.4 tonnes instead of 26.6.
The 3D calculator does that arithmetic for you: enter the unit weight and it stacks as far as height and payload allow — and tells you how many containers you need.
Frequent questions
Are wire mesh pallets stackable?
Yes, by design up to a stacking load of around 4,000 kg, so roughly four boxes high. Inside a sea container the internal height limits you to two tiers.
How many mesh pallets fit on a truck?
A curtainsider with 13.6 loading metres takes around 32 boxes floor-loaded; two tiers double that, if height and gross weight allow.
What does an empty mesh pallet weigh?
Around 70 kilograms. For 46 boxes that is over three tonnes off the payload before a single kilo of goods is in the container.
The button opens the calculator with fully loaded mesh pallets — freely adjustable there.