How many US pallets fit in a 40ft container?
A 40ft container fits 20 standard US (GMA) pallets on the floor. That's fewer than euro pallets because GMA pallets are wider.
20
GMA pallets (48×40 in / 122×102 cm) on the floor
- Single layer
- 20 pallets
- Stacked 2-high
- 40 pallets
- Container volume
- 67.5 m³
- Max payload
- 26,580 kg
US vs Euro pallets
| Pallet type | Dimensions | Fit in 40ft |
|---|---|---|
| US / GMA | 1219×1016 mm | 20 per layer |
| Euro (EUR 1) | 1200×800 mm | 25 per layer |
Euro pallets are narrower, so you can fit an extra column. If your supply chain allows it, switching to euro pallets gains 25% more floor positions.
Why the count is lower
GMA pallets are 1016 mm wide vs 800 mm for euro pallets. In a container that's 2352 mm wide internally, you can only fit 2 GMA pallets across (2×1016 = 2032 mm), whereas euro pallets fit 2 across with better space usage.
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