Boxes per pallet
layers, pattern & load height
Enter a box size and pick a pallet. See how many fit per layer — including mixed patterns that beat a straight stack — how many layers, the load height, and a top view of the layer.
Layers × boxes per layer
Boxes per pallet = boxes per layer × number of layers. Layers are the max stack height divided by the box height, rounded down. For boxes per layer the tool tries every one- and two-block pattern: a block of boxes one way, the rest of the deck filled with boxes turned 90°. That often fits more than laying every box the same way — the result says how many more.
By default boxes stay upright (the height you entered stays vertical), which is what “this side up” cartons need. Tick “can lie on their side or end” to try the other two faces as the base. If you enter a box weight and a load limit, the count is capped by weight.
Height and weight limits vary by carrier, warehouse and trailer — use yours. The tool doesn’t model interlocked (brick) patterns, pinwheels or column strength; for heavy or fragile loads, check the box’s stacking strength.
Pallet footprints
The presets above, with what each one is called and where it is used. Only the EPAL Euro pallet publishes a full free specification, so its weight and safe working load are quoted from EPAL; the rest are the footprints in common use.
| Pallet | Footprint | In inches | Where it is used |
|---|---|---|---|
| North American (GMA) | 1,219 × 1,016 mm | 48 × 40 in | The standard grocery and freight pallet in the US and Canada |
| EPAL Euro pallet (EPAL 1) | 1,200 × 800 mm | 47.2 × 31.5 in | Europe; 144 mm tall, about 25 kg, safe working load 1,500 kg |
| Industrial / ISO | 1,200 × 1,000 mm | 47.2 × 39.4 in | Europe and Asia, chemicals and drums |
| Asian | 1,100 × 1,100 mm | 43.3 × 43.3 in | Japan, Korea and much of South-East Asia |
| Australian | 1,165 × 1,165 mm | 45.9 × 45.9 in | Australia; fits the country’s rail and container practice |
| 42 × 42 in square | 1,067 × 1,067 mm | 42 × 42 in | US drum and chemical pallet, and some beverage handling |
| 48 × 48 in square | 1,219 × 1,219 mm | 48 × 48 in | US drum pallet — four 55-gallon drums to a pallet |
Rules verified 22 Sep 2026 · sources: EPAL — EPAL Euro pallet specification · ISO 6780:2003 — Flat pallets for intercontinental materials handling
ISO 6780 sets the principal plan dimensions for flat pallets, but the standard is a paid document, so the sizes above are given as the footprints in common use rather than quoted specification text. Measure the pallets you actually receive: reused wooden pallets vary by a few millimetres, and that matters when a box overhangs.