Plan a pallet load before you build it. Enter the pallet and carton sizes plus your height and weight limits, and the calculator finds the best simple layer pattern, counts layers and total boxes, and reports load weight, loaded height, and how much of the available space the cartons fill. A top-down diagram shows exactly how to lay out each layer, in inches and pounds or centimeters and kilograms.
Shipping single parcels instead? The dimensional weight calculator shows what UPS, FedEx, USPS, and DHL will bill for a box. The unit converter handles metric and imperial sizes, and the board foot calculator helps if you are building your own crates or pallets. How carriers bill light, bulky freight, and how the same density logic carries over to pallets, is covered in dimensional weight and the 139 divisor.
Frequently asked questions
How many boxes fit on a pallet?
Divide the pallet footprint by the box footprint to get boxes per layer, then divide the usable stack height (max height minus the pallet deck) by the box height to get the number of layers. Multiply the two. Because boxes can be turned 90°, the best layer often mixes orientations — this calculator tries every simple two-block pattern and keeps the best. A standard 48 × 40 inch pallet with 12 × 10 × 10 inch boxes stacked to 66 inches holds 16 per layer × 6 layers = 96 boxes.
What are the standard pallet sizes?
In North America the most common is the 48 × 40 inch GMA pallet, used for most grocery and retail freight. 48 × 48 inch pallets carry drums and bulk bags, and 42 × 42 inch pallets are common for paint and telecom. In Europe the EUR/EPAL pallet is 1200 × 800 mm and the EUR 2 or ISO pallet is 1200 × 1000 mm. A wooden GMA pallet is about 5.5–6 inches tall and weighs roughly 35–50 pounds; a EUR pallet is 144 mm tall and about 25 kg.
How high can I stack a pallet?
It depends on the carrier and the destination. Many LTL carriers and retail distribution centers cap pallets at 60–72 inches including the pallet, and standard trailers allow roughly 100–110 inches of interior height, so double-stacking needs pallets under about 50 inches. Weight matters too: common limits are around 2,000–2,500 pounds for a single pallet. Set both the height and weight caps here — the calculator stops at whichever limit comes first and tells you which one did.
Should boxes overhang the pallet edge?
Avoid it when you can. When a box hangs over the edge, its corners and walls lose support, and corrugated cartons lose a large share of their stacking strength. Overhang also snags forklifts and trailer walls. Some shippers allow up to an inch per side for a better fit; enter that allowance and the diagram shows the overhang zone with a dashed line. Underhang, where boxes stop short of the edge, is safer than overhang but lets the load shift.
Is this a full pallet-optimization tool?
No — it is a grid estimate. Each layer is built from one or two rectangular blocks of boxes, which matches how most pallets are hand-stacked and is usually optimal or within a box of it. Specialized palletizing software also tries pinwheel and interlocking patterns and can occasionally fit one or two more cartons per layer. It also assumes all boxes are identical. For mixed-SKU pallets or crush-sensitive products, test a real stack before committing.