How Many Australian Pallets Fit in a 40ft High Cube?
A 40ft high cube takes 20 Australian pallets on the floor in a single layer, 10 down the length by 2 across. The count uses the 12032 x 2352 mm usable interior with no overhang and no stacking.
By pallet type
Other pallets in a 40ft high cube
Australian 1165 x 1165 pallets in other containers
The short answer
20 Australian pallets on the floor of a 40ft high cube, 10 down by 2 across, single tier, no overhang. Floor area used: 95.9%.
The count matches the standard 40ft at 20. The high cube adds 305 mm of height, which is the only reason to book one for Australian pallets: more room for a taller load, not more room on the floor.
Internal dimensions used
- 40 ft High Cube: 12032 x 2352 x 2698 mm usable interior (474 x 93 x 106 in), 26,580 kg payload.
- Australian standard pallet (1165 x 1165 mm): 1165 x 1165 mm footprint (45.9 x 45.9 in), 150 mm deck, 2,000 kg dynamic rating.
Usable figures sit a little under nominal to allow for corrugation, posts and the door frame; the count is a plain grid with no overhang.
Long side or short side down the container
A 1165 x 1165 mm pallet has one footprint, so there is no long side to choose. Down the 12032 mm length you fit 10 pallets (382 mm left over at the doors) and across the 2352 mm width 2 (22 mm left over). That is 10 x 2 = 20 on the floor, using 95.9% of the floor area. Turning a square pallet changes nothing: the leftover length is either enough for another full row or it is wasted.
What changes with double stacking
Two tiers need every loaded pallet, deck included, at or under 1349 mm in the 2698 mm interior: goods no higher than 1199 mm on a 150 mm deck. The 1500 mm load preset here (1650 mm with the deck) is one tier only. Under 1199 mm the floor count doubles to 40, if the bottom tier can carry the top.
Weight usually bites first. At the full 2,000 kg pallet rating the 26,580 kg payload caps the load at 13 pallets, before the floor is even full. Real loads run lighter, but add the total up before planning a second tier.
The same Australian pallet in the other three
| Container | Interior L x W (mm) | Longways | Turned | Best floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Container | 5898 x 2352 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 40ft Container | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 40ft High Cube (this page) | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| 53ft Trailer | 16002 x 2591 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
Check it with the calculators
The calculator above is preset to this pallet and container; change the load height or add a pallet weight to see tiers and payload. For other pallet sizes in the same box, use 40ft high cube container calculator or the pallets in a 40ft container; for any pairing, the pallets per container calculator. To plan the pallet itself, see the Australian pallet calculator.