Pallet Loads & Fill Every Cube of the Container

Cartons per pallet = cartons per layer × number of layers. The per-layer figure is the best of the two footprint orientations: floor(pallet length ÷ carton length) × floor(pallet width ÷ carton width), versus the same with the carton rotated 90°. Layers = floor((max stack height − pallet deck) ÷ carton height), capped if the per-pallet weight limit is hit first. The tool draws the winning pattern.

Cartons per container = pallets per container × cartons per pallet. A standard 40' dry container has an internal floor of about 12,032 × 2,352 mm and takes roughly 20–25 Euro pallets or 20–21 GMA pallets on a single tier. Multiply by cartons per pallet for the total. The high-cube 40' adds height for an extra layer per pallet.

Cube utilisation is the share of the container's internal volume actually filled by product: total carton volume ÷ container internal volume, as a percentage. Even a well-packed container rarely exceeds 80–90% because of pallet gaps, deck height and void space. Raising it is the cheapest way to cut freight cost per carton.

Dense product — canned goods, root crops, liquids — hits the container's maximum payload (about 26,700–28,200 kg for dry boxes) before the volume fills. The tool flags this as weight-limited: a taller stack adds no value, so the fix is to ship lighter, bulkier product in the spare cube of a separate load instead.

The GMA pallet (North America) is 1,219 × 1,016 mm (48 × 40 inches); the Euro EPAL pallet is 1,200 × 800 mm. Carton dimensions that pack tightly on one often waste space on the other, so the right pallet depends on your market and carton module. The tool lets you compare both side by side.

Column stacking (cartons directly above each other) keeps about 2–3× the compression strength because load runs down the carton corners, but it is less stable. Interlocked (brick-pattern) layers tie the stack together for stability but lose strength and often a carton or two per layer. For tall, heavy stacks favour column stacking with corner boards.

A small overhang past the pallet edge can let one more column fit, but every millimetre of overhang cuts carton compression strength sharply — roughly a third lost at 25 mm of overhang — and risks crush in transit. Keep cartons within the pallet footprint where possible; only allow overhang when the strength margin clearly permits it.

Yes — a 40' high-cube is about 300 mm taller inside (≈2,698 mm vs 2,393 mm), which usually allows one extra carton layer per pallet, lifting cartons-per-container by roughly 10–13% for the same floor plan. If your product is cube-limited and light, the high-cube is almost always worth it.

Refrigerated (reefer) containers have thicker insulated walls and floor, so the usable interior is smaller — a 20' reefer is about 5,448 × 2,290 × 2,244 mm versus 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm for a dry box. Expect a few percent fewer cartons. The tool includes reefer interiors because most fresh-produce exports move chilled.

Choose a carton whose footprint divides the pallet cleanly — for a Euro pallet that means dimensions near 1,200 ÷ n and 800 ÷ m — so little deck is wasted. Then make the carton height divide the available stack height evenly. The tool shows the footprint fit percentage and suggests when a re-dimensioned carton would pack tighter.

It is mediocre for palletised produce — well-optimised loads reach 75–85% once carton, pallet and container modules align. Around 65% usually means the carton footprint wastes pallet deck, or the stack height leaves a void below the container roof. Adjust carton dimensions toward the divisors the tool highlights to recover several percent.

Yes — pallet tare (about 22–33 kg depending on the standard) is added to the carton weight when computing pallet gross weight and when checking the container payload limit, so the pallets-per-container figure reflects the real loaded weight, not just the product.