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Pallet calculator: boxes per pallet, TI HI and pallets needed
Enter carton dimensions and weight, the pallet, a maximum loaded height and weight, and the order quantity: the calculator returns cartons per layer (TI), layers (HI), cartons per pallet, pallets required, the loaded dimensions and weight, and the density class, with the layer drawn to scale.
Source: Standard pallet footprints; NMFC density scale for the class · NMFC density-based scale effective July 19, 2025; pallet dimensions as published by pallet makers · Free, no signup
The carton
The pallet and its limits
| Pattern | Per layer (TI) | Layers (HI) | Per pallet | Pallets needed | Footprint used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columns, 12 in along the 48 in sidebest | 16 | 6 | 96 | 6 | 48 × 40 in |
| Mixed, two blocks | 16 | 6 | 96 | 6 | 48 × 40 in |
| Columns, 10 in along the 48 in side | 12 | 6 | 72 | 7 | 40 × 36 in |
HI is the lower of two caps: 6 layers fit under 60 in once the 6 in pallet is counted, and 7 layers stay under 2,500 lb including the 40 lb pallet. The loaded pallet is 48 × 40 × 54 in and 1,960 lb, 60.0 cubic feet, 32.7 lb per cubic foot, which on the density scale is class 60; open this pallet in the freight class calculator to see the band and the next one. The patterns are the two column layouts and a two-block mixed layout; interlocked and pinwheel patterns can add a carton or two on some footprints, and a partial last pallet has a different height, weight and density from the full ones. Cartons are assumed rigid enough to stack to the height shown.
See how your agreement changes this result.
Send a quarter of LTL invoices with your carton and pallet data. We will check billed weights, reweighs and reclassifications against how your pallets actually load, and show what a taller or denser pallet does to the class you pay.
How many boxes fit on a 48 by 40 pallet?
How many boxes fit on a 48 by 40 pallet depends on the carton: divide 48 by the carton length and 40 by the carton width, round each down and multiply, then try the cartons turned the other way and keep the better count. That is TI, cartons per layer. HI, the number of layers, is the lower of two caps: the maximum loaded height less the pallet height, divided by the carton height, and the maximum loaded weight less the pallet weight, divided by the weight of one layer. TI times HI is cartons per pallet, and the order quantity divided by that, rounded up, is the number of pallets. A 12 by 10 by 8 inch carton loads 16 to a layer on a 48 by 40 pallet; at a 60 inch cap on a 6 inch pallet that is 6 layers and 96 cartons.
Worked example
Five hundred 12 by 10 by 8 inch cartons at 20 lb, on a 48 by 40 GMA pallet 6 inches tall and 40 lb, loaded to no more than 60 inches and 2,500 lb. Sixteen cartons fit a layer with the 12 inch side along the 48 inch side of the pallet (4 by 4), against 12 the other way. Six layers fit under 60 inches and seven under 2,500 lb, so height sets HI at 6: 96 cartons a pallet, 1,960 lb loaded, 48 by 40 by 54 inches. The order needs six pallets, the last carrying 20. A full pallet is 60 cubic feet at 32.7 lb per cubic foot, class 60 on the density scale.
Published rates, not your agreement
The calculator tries the two column patterns and a two-block mixed pattern; interlocked and pinwheel patterns can add a carton or two on some footprints and are not modelled. It assumes rigid cartons, no overhang unless you allow it, and a rectangular load. The density and class are for a full pallet; a partial last pallet is lighter and less dense, and not every commodity is classed by density. Carrier height and weight limits, and whether a pallet can be double stacked in transit, come from your agreement and the rules tariff.
Source: Standard pallet footprints; NMFC density scale for the class. NMFC density-based scale effective July 19, 2025; pallet dimensions as published by pallet makers.
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