Pallets · 20 ft
How many pallets fit in a 20ft container?
Yuri Kan Checked against 23 of 88 published sheets Updated
A 20 ft container fits 11 EUR pallets (1,200 × 800 mm, 47.2 × 31.5 in) or 10 US pallets (48 × 40 in, 1,219 × 1,016 mm) on its floor in one tier, counted on the 5.898 × 2.352 m (19′4″ × 7′8½″) inside with every pallet tight, none overhanging. The inside length is 5.898 m and the width 2.352 m, per 16 of 18 sheets. Seaco’s lessor sheet prints the same 11 EUR and 10 US pallets for the 20 ft.
| Container | Pallet | Counted on the floor | Seaco’s sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | EUR pallets | 11 | 11 (Seaco) |
| 20 ft | US pallets | 10 | 10 (Seaco) |
| 40 ft | EUR pallets | 25 | 23 (Seaco) |
| 40 ft | US pallets | 21 | 20 (Seaco) |
Checked : outside sizes set by ISO 668, read in IS 6566:2001, GOST R 51876-2008 and GOST R 53350-2009; every other figure against 23 published sheets of 19 lines, lessors and makers. A sheet agrees within ±5 mm, or ±2 % for a mass and ±1 % for a volume; a maximum gross is a rating and must be the same. Every figure and its sources
Data: EPAL Euro pallet 800 × 1,200 mm product data sheet (PB 05/2025) · GMA 48 × 40 in block pallet specifications: CHEP, PECO, iGPS, Rehrig Pacific · Seaco product sheets (the published counts)
Where 11 EUR and 10 US pallets come from
The count is geometry on the 20 ft’s 5.898 m length. EUR pallets load into a 20 ft as two bands: one with the 1.200 m side along the box and one turned, so across the 2.352 m width they take 1.200 m plus 0.800 m and leave only dunnage room. US pallets go into a 20 ft in a staggered pattern of two lengthwise lanes, turned pallets at opposite ends: four straight and one turned in one lane, four straight and one turned in the other, because two turned pallets do not stand side by side in 2.352 m.
Why some tables say 9 US pallets and others 10
Laid in bands, each lane one way round, US pallets fill a 20 ft with 9, the count tables that work in bands print. The staggered lanes above fit 10 pallets, the count Seaco’s sheet prints, and leave 6 mm of the 5.898 m length. Book on 9 when cargo overhangs the deck or the pallets go in by forklift; count on 10 pallets only for square, tight loads placed with care.
When a 40 ft is the better box
For light cargo that needs more than 11 pallet spots, price a 40 ft before booking two twenties: it fits 25 EUR or 21 US pallets on the same width, so it usually costs less per pallet. The long version, with the 20 ft layouts drawn and the stacking rules, is pallets in a 20 ft container.
The 20 ft container on one page, plus the whole pack
Every dimension in millimetres, metres and feet, the door opening, tare, payload and volume, and the floor drawn to scale with EUR and US pallets on it. In the same email, the container pack: all 17 containers by the job, 17 sheets like this one, the 85 owner prefixes, an A3 wall chart and an Excel workbook.
- 17 containers, by the job
- 17 container sheets
- 85 owner prefixes
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Frequently asked questions
How many Euro pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
11 EUR pallets (1,200 × 800 mm, 47.2 × 31.5 in) fit a 20 ft container in one tier on its 5.898 × 2.352 m (19′4″ × 7′8½″) floor, per 16 of 18 sheets.
How many US 48 × 40 pallets fit in a 20 ft container?
10 US pallets (48 × 40 in, 1,219 × 1,016 mm) fit a 20 ft container in one tier: two staggered lanes, turned pallets at opposite ends, on the 5.898 × 2.352 m (19′4″ × 7′8½″) floor.
Can pallets be double-stacked in a 20 ft container?
Yes: a 20 ft takes two tiers under its 2,393 mm (7′10″) inside height when each loaded pallet, pallet included, is short enough to pass the 2,280 mm (7′6″) door as a pair or to be lifted on inside; the 28,250 kg payload caps the total, and a road truck usually carries less.