The number depends on three things: floor space, door height, and which way you turn the pallets. Below are the figures for empty 48 x 40 wood pallets, which is what most people mean when they ask, followed by the loaded-freight version and a few notes on ordering by the truckload.
Quick reference, empty 48 x 40 pallets
| Vehicle | Floor positions | Empty pallets, stacked |
|---|---|---|
| Full size pickup, 8 ft bed | 2 | about 20, rule of thumb |
| 26 ft box truck | 12 to 14 | about 150 to 200, rule of thumb |
| 26 ft pup trailer | 12 to 14 | 240 to 308 |
| 48 ft trailer | 22 to 28 | 440 to 616 |
| 53 ft trailer | 26 to 30 | 520 to 660 |
The rest of the page explains where each figure comes from.
53 ft dry van
Interior length is 636 inches. Interior width is usually 98 to 100 inches and interior height usually 108 to 110 inches.
Floor positions for 48 x 40 pallets:
| Loading pattern | Floor positions |
|---|---|
| Straight (48 inch side along the trailer) | 26 |
| Pinwheeled (alternating pairs) | about 28 |
| Turned (40 inch side along the trailer) | 30 |
Turned loading gets the most positions because 40 goes into 636 more times than 48 does, and two 48 inch sides fit across the 98 to 100 inch width.
Empty pallets are stacked on each floor position. Standard recycled stock at around 5 inches thick stacks 20 to 22 high in a 53 ft van, which gives:
| Pattern | Stacks x height | Empty pallets |
|---|---|---|
| Straight | 26 x 20 | 520 |
| Pinwheeled | 28 x 22 | about 616 |
| Turned | 30 x 22 | 660 |
Thicker new GMA pallets at 5.5 to 6 inches stack 18 to 20 high, which puts the same trailer nearer 470 to 600. A working figure for a full truckload of used pallets is 500 to 600. That is also why a 53 ft drop trailer holds up to 600 pallets on a pallet removal contract: it is the same trailer, filled the same way, in reverse.
48 ft trailer
22 floor positions straight, 28 turned. Stacked, that is roughly 440 to 616 empty pallets.
26 ft box truck or pup trailer
A 26 ft pup trailer takes roughly 240 to 308 empty pallets stacked. A 26 ft box truck runs lower than that, because the roll-up door and the interior are usually shorter than a van trailer, so stacks of 12 to 15 are a safer planning figure than 20 plus. Call it 150 to 200 as a rule of thumb, and measure the door before you count on more.
Pickup truck
A full size 8 ft bed is 96 inches long, so two 48 x 40 pallets fit end to end lying flat, with the 40 inch side across the bed between the wheel wells. At about 6 inches per pallet, a stack of 10 stands 5 feet above the bed floor, so two stacks of 10 is about 20 pallets before the load gets top heavy. Strap it; a stack of pallets slides. A 6.5 ft bed takes one pallet flat plus one standing on end against the cab, or a single stack.
Loaded pallets
For loaded freight the height figure disappears and the floor count is the count: 26 straight or 30 turned in a 53 ft van, 22 to 28 in a 48 ft, single stacked. Double stacking depends on the product, the pallet condition and what the carrier will accept, and most carriers will not stack onto a pallet that has visible damage. That is one reason receiving docks care about pallet grade even for internal use.
Counting what you already have
To estimate a stack in your yard, count one stack and multiply. Twenty pallets is about 8 to 10 feet tall, so a stack at roof height on a dock is usually 18 to 22. Ten stacks of that size is roughly a pup trailer's worth. If the pallets are mixed sizes, count each size separately, because they do not stack together and they will not load together.
Ordering by the truckload
If you buy pallets in volume, order in floor-position multiples. A full 53 ft load of used 48 x 40 pallets is 500 to 600, and a partial load is priced against the same capacity whether the trailer is full or not, so the second half of a truck is the cheap half. See bulk pallets by the truckload for how we deliver volume orders and where the fifty-pallet line sits for dedicated runs.
Tell us the quantity and the delivery address and we will quote it: request a quote.