Truck Pallet Fit and Load Planning Calculator

Compare straight, rotated and mixed-row pallet layouts with height and payload limits.
Check required vehicles or trips and save a diagram with a cargo mass report.

Initial values are a fictional example, unrelated to any truck class. Replace them with the actual registration rating, measured dimensions and packed mass. Lengths are mm; masses are kg.

1. Bed and reserved space

Use the height actually available through the door and inside. The side aisle runs along the full bed length.

Inside bed length (mm)

100–20,000

Inside bed width (mm)

100–5,000

Usable loading height (mm)

1–5,000

Clearance at each wall (mm)

0–2,000

Side aisle width (mm)

0–5,000

Gap between pallets (mm)

0–1,000

2. Fully packed pallets

Include the pallet base and any packaging overhang in dimensions and gross mass. All units must have identical dimensions and mass.

Loaded pallet length (mm)

300–5,000

Loaded pallet width (mm)

300–5,000

Height per loaded pallet (mm)

1–5,000

Gross mass per pallet (kg)

0.01–100,000 · up to 2 decimals

Shipper / manufacturer has confirmed stacking during transport

Maximum permitted layers

1–10

Without permission, only one layer is used. The total permitted layers are also limited by usable height.

3. Payload and shipment quantity

Confirmed payload limit (kg)

0–100,000 · up to 2 decimals

Other load / restraints per vehicle (kg)

0–100,000 · up to 2 decimals

Total pallets to ship

0–100,000

Use a lower operator payload limit if applicable. Other load repeats on every vehicle; its occupied space must also be reserved using the clearance / aisle inputs.

Actual vehicle rating, packed dimensions, masses and reserved space have been confirmed with the operator

Loading plan within entered constraints

2026-09-15 · Example or unconfirmed inputs · confirm with operator

Capacity per vehicle

First vehicle load

Vehicles / trips needed

Vehicles or trips must use the same dimensions and payload limit. Zero capacity requires a different truck or packaging; adding trips alone cannot solve it.

Mass and limiting constraints

Space / height capacity: 12
Payload capacity: 10
Applied layers: 1
First vehicle cargo mass: 4,700 kg
First vehicle payload margin: 300 kg
Total pallet gross mass: 9,000 kg
Remaining after first vehicle: 10
Overweight if all pallets use one vehicle: 4,200 kg

Capacity limited by: mass

Displayed mass excludes the vehicle itself. Stacking permission does not increase the payload limit.

Compare three layouts

Floor, space and mass-limited counts for each layout
Pattern	Floor	Space	Capped
Straight	10	10	10
★ Rotated 90°	12	12	10
Mixed rows	12	12	10

★ marks the largest floor count; ties prefer uniform rows. Mixed rows use one orientation within each row and may change orientation between rows. This is a maximum within the searched patterns, not a global packing optimum.

First vehicle floor plan

Horizontal = bed length; vertical = width · rectangles = pallet positions · numbers = layers · grey = empty space · orange = side aisle

This conceptual diagram fills the first layer before adding upper layers. It is not an instruction for balanced loading or a verified restraint sequence.

How many pallets fit in a truck?

Dividing the bed area by the pallet area does not establish a loading plan.
The actual inside length and width, packaging overhang, usable height and gross mass per pallet all matter.
If twelve pallets fit on the floor but the entered payload permits only ten, ten is the planning capacity.
This tool helps owner-drivers, small manufacturers and distributors discuss measurable loading requirements with their transport operator before booking.

The initial values are a fictional example, not specifications for a truck class or manufacturer.
Replace them with the exact vehicle rating and measurements of fully packed pallets.
Geometry and mass calculations use metric units and are country independent; the legal references below concern Korea and were checked on September 15, 2026.
They do not establish approval to operate in Korea or elsewhere.

What the planner compares

Three floor patterns

Compare straight pallets, all pallets rotated 90 degrees, and a mixture of the two row orientations.
Every pallet within a row has the same orientation; orientation may change between rows.

Height and payload caps

Confirmed stacking permission, maximum total layers and usable height limit the space count.
Gross pallet mass and other load per vehicle then determine the mass-limited count.

Vehicles or trips

Divide the total shipment by capacity per vehicle and round up.
Repeated trips assume identical vehicle conditions; the tool does not check delivery windows, travel time, breaks or unloading delays.

A downloadable plan

The diagram shows occupied floor positions on the first vehicle and layers at each position.
Save it with inputs, comparison counts, mass results and unverified operating conditions as an HTML report.

Measure the bed and reserve working space

Use internal dimensions, not the outside vehicle length.
Wheel housings, refrigeration equipment and structural protrusions may reduce the usable rectangle.
Choose one continuous rectangular region clear of obstacles; adding separate pockets of space together can overstate the layout capacity.
Dimensions use whole millimetres, so 1,200mm means 1.2 metres.

Wall clearance, aisle and gap are different inputs

A wall clearance of 50mm removes 50mm from each end and each side.
The side aisle reserves a strip along the full bed length on one side, not two aisles.
The pallet gap is applied between adjacent pallets and between rows; it does not replace wall clearance.
No automatic safety allowance is added, so agree the required working margins with the operator.

Usable loading height must account for the doorway, interior and handling clearance.
The calculation does not assume pallets can enter low and then be stacked inside.
Other cargo entered as mass is not geometrically packed: reserve its space through the clearance or aisle inputs as well.
Use the lowest applicable confirmed height, not a road height measured from the ground.

Use fully packed dimensions and gross pallet mass

Include overhang and the base

Measure the outermost packaging, wrapping and corner protection, including anything that extends beyond the pallet base.
Height must include the base and top packaging, not just the empty pallet.
Two bases may fit while their overhanging loads collide.

Avoid mass omissions and double counting

Gross mass per pallet includes goods, the base and individual packaging.
Other load covers restraints or additional cargo not already included in those unit masses.
It is repeated on every vehicle or trip.
Keep a record of what was weighed so the same pallet base is not counted again as other load.

The model requires identical pallet dimensions and masses.
Average dimensions cannot establish a feasible mixed-size arrangement, and average masses hide uneven loading.
If you calculate different groups separately, they must not claim the same floor space twice; the final mixed shipment needs a separate loading assessment.

Formulas and search boundaries

1. Usable dimensions and counts

L = inside length − 2 × wall clearance
W = inside width − 2 × wall clearance − aisle width
Count along an axis = floor((available dimension + gap) / (pallet dimension + gap))
The extra gap in the numerator prevents requiring a gap after the final pallet.
If no usable length or width remains, the floor count is zero.

2. Mixed rows

Try each feasible number of straight rows, starting at zero, and fill the remaining length with rotated rows.
Multiply each row count by its number of pallets across the width and choose the largest sum.
This is the maximum within those two homogeneous row types.
It is not a global rectangle-packing optimum and does not search mixed orientations within a row, staggered arrangements or irregular cargo.

3. Layers, mass and trips

Applied layers = min(permitted layers, floor(usable height / loaded unit height))
Space capacity = floor positions × applied layers
Mass capacity = floor((payload limit − other load) / gross mass per pallet)
Capacity per vehicle = min(space capacity, mass capacity)
Vehicles / trips = ceil(total pallets / capacity per vehicle)
Without stacking permission, permitted layers is one.
If other load exceeds payload, pallet mass capacity is zero and the excess is reported separately.

Step-by-step workflow

Confirm the actual vehicle rating, inside length and width, and usable height through the door and within the body.
Use a lower operator payload limit if one applies.
Measure one fully packed pallet, including its base, overhang and gross mass.
Verify that all pallets in the shipment share those values.
Enter wall margins, the side aisle and pallet gaps.
Reserve space for any other cargo as well as accounting for its mass.
Select stacking only after the shipper or manufacturer has confirmed transport stacking permission.
Enter the maximum total layers, including the bottom layer.
Enter the shipment quantity and other load per vehicle, then check whether space or mass limits the count.
Keep the inputs unconfirmed if the measurements or ratings are still provisional.
Save the report and ask the operator to verify the vehicle, restraints, axle loads and handling access.
Changing a numeric input clears the confirmation checkbox so the revised plan can be reviewed again.

Worked example: twelve floor positions, ten by mass

Default fictional shipment

An inside bed of 6,200 × 2,500mm, 50mm at every wall, and no aisle or pallet gap gives 6,100 × 2,400mm of usable space.
For 1,200 × 1,000mm pallets, the straight count is 10, the rotated count is 12 and the mixed-row search also finds 12.
With loaded height 1,100mm and usable height 2,400mm, stacking remains one layer unless permission is confirmed.

At 450kg per pallet, payload 5,000kg and other load 200kg, the mass limit permits 10 pallets.
Capacity is therefore 10, first-vehicle cargo mass is 4,700kg and its payload margin is 300kg.
A shipment of 20 pallets requires 2 vehicles or trips under the same conditions.
Total pallet mass is 9,000kg, excluding the vehicle itself and excluding the separately entered other load.

Stacking does not raise the payload rating

Allowing two layers raises space capacity to 24 but leaves mass capacity at 10.
If the confirmed payload is also changed to 10,000kg, mass capacity becomes 21; all 20 requested pallets then fit within the entered constraints in one trip at 9,200kg of cargo mass.
This is a sensitivity example, not permission to increase a vehicle rating.

A separate mixed-row example uses a 3,400 × 2,200mm usable bed with 1,200 × 1,000mm pallets and zero gap.
Straight rows give four pallets, rotated rows give three, and two straight rows plus one rotated row give five pallets.
The algorithm enumerates the possible rows rather than assuming leftover area can hold another pallet.

Interpreting results in everyday planning

Bulky, lightweight shipments

Floor dimensions or usable stacking height may limit the count first.
Compare alternative packaging dimensions or actual vehicle interiors while holding other inputs fixed.
Do not remove working aisles just to increase the displayed count without confirming handling requirements.

Heavy materials and components

The floor may have spare positions while payload requires another vehicle.
Read the overweight value for placing the entire shipment on one vehicle together with the remaining pallet quantity after the first load.
Any additional mixed cargo needs a new space and mass assessment.

The star identifies the largest floor count; equal counts prefer a uniform layout.
Floor count means positions in one layer, while space capacity includes permitted layers.
Numbers in the diagram indicate layers at that position, not pallet serial numbers.
If the shipment is smaller than capacity, only the positions used by the first vehicle are drawn.
The conceptual arrangement fills the first layer before adding upper units; it is not a verified loading sequence.

Operational checks remain necessary

Axle loads and centre of gravity depend on where the mass is placed.
The diagram does not calculate balance, axle compliance or total vehicle gross mass.
Static warehouse stacking ratings may differ from permission to stack in transport.
Confirm packaging compression strength, pallet condition, slip resistance and restraint requirements.
Check door entry, handling order, forklift access, tail-lift capacity and unloading arrangements.
A feasible rectangle layout does not prove that pallets can be loaded or unloaded.
Zero payload margin means the entered mathematical cap has been reached.
It does not include an automatic allowance for measurement error or extra packaging; verify the actual departure condition.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the count lower than the area ratio?

Pallets cannot overlap or be split, and both side dimensions must fit.
Spare area may be too narrow or short for another complete row.

Does a mixed layout always fit more?

No.
The search includes uniform rows, so counts can tie.
A uniform layout is preferred when the largest floor count is equal.

Does selecting stacking certify safety?

No.
It records your confirmation of transport stacking permission.
Only height and layer counts are calculated; packaging strength, restraint and balance are not certified.

Why are vehicles or trips shown as not feasible?

The shipment is positive but even one pallet cannot be loaded within the entered space, height or mass limits.
Repeating the same vehicle cannot solve zero capacity; change the vehicle or packaging.

What happens with zero shipment quantity?

Vehicles or trips and first-vehicle pallet count are zero.
Other load remains visible in the mass results, including any excess over the entered payload.

Can I use a truck class name instead of dimensions?

No.
A nominal class does not specify the actual interior or packed pallet size.
Use measurements and the exact registration rating; the default example is not a class standard.

Is the Korean 110% wording used?

No.
The entered confirmed payload itself is the planning cap.
The tool does not determine overall legality under vehicle-specific or route-specific conditions.

What is included in the saved report?

Inputs, stacking permission, confirmation status, the three pattern counts, first-vehicle diagram and mass report, required vehicles or trips and separate operating checks.
The browser creates the file locally without sending the inputs to a server.

Korean official references and review date

Current Korean legislation was checked through the National Law Information OPEN API on 2026-09-15.
These references concern separate operating obligations, not pallet dimensions or packing formulas.
Recheck actual specifications and applicable conditions whenever the vehicle, pallet, packaging or route changes.

Road Traffic Act, Article 39 — current text and article effective 2026-07-01; MST 281875.
Covers operating load standards and securing cargo against falling.
Road Traffic Act Enforcement Decree, Article 22 — effective 2026-08-01; MST 283551.
Its 110% loading language is not multiplied into this planning cap.
The truck height reference is 4m from ground level, or 4.2m on designated routes, which differs from usable internal height.
Road Act Enforcement Decree, Article 79 — effective 2026-09-15; MST 289661.
Separately addresses restrictions and permission concerning axle mass over 10t, gross mass over 40t, width over 2.5m, height over 4m (4.2m on designated roads), length over 16.7m and other road conditions.
The 40t reference does not replace a particular vehicle’s payload rating.

Prepare a measured plan before booking

Replace the example with measured bed and packed-pallet values, then identify the first limiting constraint.
Save the diagram and mass report to discuss additional vehicles, handling access and operating conditions with the transport operator.
Related operating-cost and forklift acquisition calculators can help assess the separate cost decisions that follow the loading plan.

Enter your pallet loading plan