How Many Euro Pallets Fit in a 20ft Container?
A 20ft container takes 8 to 11 Euro pallets on the floor in a single layer: 8 with every pallet loaded the same way, 11 with one lane longways and one lane turned. Counts come from the 5898 x 2352 mm usable interior with no overhang and no stacking.
By pallet type
Other pallets in a 20ft container
Euro 1200 x 800 pallets in other containers
The short answer
8 Euro pallets loaded straight (4 down by 2 across, long side down the length), or 11 with one lane longways and one lane turned. Single tier, no overhang.
The 20ft is where Euro pallets waste the most floor if you load them all the same way: two abreast longways uses 1600 mm of the 2352 mm width and leaves a 752 mm gap you cannot fill with a third row. The lane mix fixes that, which is why 11 is the number most stuffing crews aim for.
Internal dimensions used
- 20 ft Standard Dry: 5898 x 2352 x 2393 mm usable interior (232 x 93 x 94 in), 28,200 kg payload.
- Euro pallet (EUR / EPAL 1, 1200 x 800 mm): 1200 x 800 mm footprint (47.2 x 31.5 in), 144 mm deck, 1,500 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
Longways (1200 mm side down the length): 4 down x 2 across = 8 pallets, 1098 mm spare at the doors and 752 mm across. Floor used 55.4%.
Turned (800 mm side down the length): 7 down x 1 across = 7 pallets, 298 mm spare at the doors and 1152 mm across. Floor used 48.4%.
Mixed lanes: 1 lane longways (4 each) beside 1 lane turned (7 each) = 11 pallets. The lanes use 2000 mm of the 2352 mm width and floor used rises to 76.1%. Two turned lanes will not fit side by side, so one of each is the best use of the width; the calculator above reports the straight 8.
What changes with double stacking
Two tiers need every loaded pallet, deck included, at or under 1196 mm in the 2393 mm interior: goods no higher than 1052 mm on a 144 mm deck. The 1500 mm load preset here (1644 mm with the deck) is one tier only. Under 1052 mm the floor count doubles to 22, if the bottom tier can carry the top.
Weight is worth a check too: 11 pallets at the 1,500 kg dynamic rating comes to 16,500 kg against a 28,200 kg payload, so a second tier at full weight would not clear it.
The same Euro pallet in the other three
| Container | Interior L x W (mm) | Longways | Turned | Best floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Container (this page) | 5898 x 2352 | 8 | 7 | 11 mixed |
| 40ft Container | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 15 | 25 mixed |
| 40ft High Cube | 12032 x 2352 | 20 | 15 | 25 mixed |
| 53ft Trailer | 16002 x 2591 | 39 | 40 | 40 turned |
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 pallets in a 20ft container or the 20ft container load calculator; for any pairing, the pallets per container calculator. To plan the pallet itself, see the Euro pallet calculator.