How Many GMA Pallets Fit in a 20ft Container?
A 20ft container takes 8 to 9 GMA pallets on the floor in a single layer: 8 with every pallet loaded the same way, 9 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
GMA 1219 x 1016 pallets in other containers
The short answer
8 GMA pallets loaded straight (4 down by 2 across, long side down the length), or 9 with one lane longways and one lane turned. Single tier, no overhang.
Two GMA pallets abreast longways use 2032 mm of the 2352 mm width, so the leftover 320 mm strip is dead space. Nine comes from running one lane longways and one turned; ten only appears when a loader accepts overhang or partial pinwheeling, which this tool does not count.
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.
- GMA pallet (North American 48 x 40 in): 1219 x 1016 mm footprint (48 x 40 in), 143 mm deck, 1,270 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 (1219 mm side down the length): 4 down x 2 across = 8 pallets, 1022 mm spare at the doors and 320 mm across. Floor used 71.4%.
Turned (1016 mm side down the length): 5 down x 1 across = 5 pallets, 818 mm spare at the doors and 1133 mm across. Floor used 44.6%.
Mixed lanes: 1 lane longways (4 each) beside 1 lane turned (5 each) = 9 pallets. The lanes use 2235 mm of the 2352 mm width and floor used rises to 80.4%. 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 1053 mm on a 143 mm deck. The 1524 mm load preset here (1667 mm with the deck) is one tier only. Under 1053 mm the floor count doubles to 18, if the bottom tier can carry the top.
Weight is worth a check too: 9 pallets at the 1,270 kg dynamic rating comes to 11,430 kg against a 28,200 kg payload, so a second tier at full weight would not clear it.
The same GMA pallet in the other three
| Container | Interior L x W (mm) | Longways | Turned | Best floor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Container (this page) | 5898 x 2352 | 8 | 5 | 9 mixed |
| 40ft Container | 12032 x 2352 | 18 | 11 | 20 mixed |
| 40ft High Cube | 12032 x 2352 | 18 | 11 | 20 mixed |
| 53ft Trailer | 16002 x 2591 | 26 | 30 | 30 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 GMA pallet calculator.