The short answer in three steps
You need four inputs for a reliable figure: the carton’s length, width and height, and the maximum height of the loaded pallet. Weight becomes the fifth input as soon as the cartons are heavy.
- Cartons per layer: how many carton footprints fit on 1,200 × 800 mm? Try both orientations, and if neither divides evenly, try mixed patterns.
- Number of layers:
layers = floor((maximum height − 144 mm) ÷ carton height). 144 mm is the height of the Euro pallet itself. - Check the weight: cartons × carton weight + about 25 kg for the pallet must stay within the permitted gross weight. If it doesn’t, the top layer is only partly filled.
Prefer not to do it by hand? The cartons-per-pallet calculator gives you the result and a layer drawing right in your browser.
Euro pallet dimensions that belong in every calculation
The EPAL Euro pallet has a footprint of 1,200 × 800 mm and is 144 mm high. It weighs around 25 kg, depending on the moisture content of the wood. A load of 1,500 kg is often quoted for evenly distributed weight; in racking, under point loads or with damaged pallets the safe figure can be much lower. What counts is the guidance from the pallet manufacturer, your warehouse and your carrier.
| Property | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Footprint | 1,200 × 800 mm | 0.96 m² |
| Height | 144 mm | subtracted from the maximum height |
| Tare weight | approx. 25 kg | guide value, varies with moisture |
| Maximum load height | no fixed figure | set by the consignee, the racking or the carrier |
Maximum height is the input people get wrong most often. Many warehouses and marketplaces specify an overall height that includes the pallet. The examples below use 1,800 mm – replace it with whatever your consignee requires.
Worked example: a 400 × 300 × 250 mm carton
Step 1 – cartons per layer. With the 400 mm side along the 1,200 mm edge, 3 cartons fit lengthwise and 2 across (800 ÷ 300 = 2.67, rounded down to 2): 6 cartons, with 200 mm left empty. Turn them 90° and you get 1,200 ÷ 300 = 4 lengthwise and 800 ÷ 400 = 2 across: 8 cartons, covering the deck completely (8 × 0.12 m² = 0.96 m²).
Step 2 – layers. (1,800 − 144) ÷ 250 = 6.62, rounded down to 6 layers. The loaded pallet stands 6 × 250 + 144 = 1,644 mm high.
Step 3 – result. 8 × 6 = 48 cartons per Euro pallet.
If the carton may lie on its side, check the other orientations as well. Here they don’t help:
| Footprint | Height | Per layer | Layers | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 400 × 300 mm | 250 mm | 8 | 6 | 48 |
| 400 × 250 mm | 300 mm | 9 | 5 | 45 |
| 300 × 250 mm | 400 mm | 12 | 4 | 48 |
Whether a carton may be turned or tipped depends on what’s inside, not on the maths. “This way up” arrows are a hard limit.
When a simple grid doesn’t fit: mixed patterns
A simple grid – every carton facing the same way – is only optimal when the carton dimensions divide the pallet dimensions evenly. Otherwise a pattern made of two differently oriented blocks can hold more.
Example: a 350 × 250 mm carton. A grid holds at most 9 per layer (3 × 3). Split the 1,200 mm length into a 700 mm block (2 × 350) and a 500 mm block (2 × 250), and you fit 2 × 3 = 6 on one side and 2 × 2 = 4 on the other: 10 per layer. That is the ceiling, because 11 cartons would need more area than the pallet has.
| Pattern | Per layer | Area used | 200 mm carton height: 8 layers |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grid | 9 | 82.0% | 72 |
| Two-block | 10 | 91.1% | 80 |
Eight more cartons per pallet doesn’t sound like much. Across 1,000 cartons, though, it means 13 pallets instead of 14 – one less pallet to buy, store and ship. Our guide to layer patterns explains how two-block, pinwheel and five-block patterns work.
When weight runs out before height
With heavy cartons the limit is gross weight, not height. Say the 400 × 300 × 250 mm carton weighs 22 kg and the consignee allows 1,000 kg per pallet, pallet included:
- Available payload: 1,000 − 25 = 975 kg
- Cartons: 975 ÷ 22 = 44.3, rounded down to 44
- Build: 5 full layers of 8, plus 4 cartons in a sixth layer
- Gross weight: 44 × 22 + 25 = 993 kg
A partly filled top layer is fine, but arrange it so the load isn’t lopsided. JetPallet shows the load’s centre of gravity for exactly this reason.
Overhang and underhang: a few millimetres, a big difference
Sometimes a carton only just fails to fit. Then the question is whether goods may stick out past the pallet edge (overhang) or are deliberately set back (underhang). An example: 410 × 210 mm cartons give only 6 per layer in a simple grid on 1,200 × 800 mm. Allow 30 mm of overhang on every side and the load area grows to 1,260 × 860 mm – enough for 12.
Overhang isn’t always allowed. Many warehouses refuse it because carton edges get damaged in stacks, in racking or against the trailer wall, and compression strength drops. Settle this before you plan.
From pallet to truck
Cartons per pallet is rarely the real goal. What matters is how many pallets an order needs and how many fit on the truck. Two terms first: lengthwise means the long pallet side (1,200 mm) points in the direction of travel; crosswise means it lies across the direction of travel.
The rule of thumb is 33 Euro pallets per semi-trailer: lengthwise, three side by side, eleven deep (11 × 1,200 = 13,200 mm). Placed crosswise, two fit side by side and seventeen deep (17 × 800 = 13,600 mm) – that makes 34. This is also how the app’s cargo-space example calculates, with an inside size of 13,600 × 2,480 mm. Whether the 34th pallet really fits depends on the actual inside length, tolerances and loading; your vehicle’s data sheet is authoritative.
At 48 cartons per pallet that’s 33 × 48 = 1,584 or 34 × 48 = 1,632 cartons per load – provided gross weight and axle loads allow it. Whether pallets may be double-stacked depends on the goods, the packaging and the vehicle.
How JetPallet handles it
The web calculator answers the basic question. The JetPallet Mac app goes further and works through the whole chain in one model:
- Patterns: grid, two-block, pinwheel, five-block and more; every layer is checked independently for geometry.
- Limits: height, weight, overhang and underhang per side, layers rotated 180° or mirrored.
- Other pallets: 1,200 × 1,000 mm industrial pallets, half pallets, 48 × 40 in and custom sizes.
- On to the vehicle: load planning, axle loads and a driver sheet.
- Paperwork: PDF packing report, packing instructions and pallet labels.
Everything is listed under Features. What the app deliberately doesn’t check – stability, or load securing in the legal sense – is set out in Limits of the calculation. JetPallet runs on macOS 15 or later, and you can try it free for 14 days.
Frequently asked questions.
How many boxes fit on a Euro pallet?
It depends on the box size: boxes per layer × layers, capped by height and weight. A 400 × 300 × 250 mm box gives 8 × 6 = 48 boxes at 1,800 mm overall height.
How do I calculate the number of layers on a pallet?
Layers = floor((maximum height − pallet height) ÷ carton height). A Euro pallet is 144 mm high.
How much weight can a Euro pallet carry?
1,500 kg is often quoted for evenly distributed loads. Racking, point loads or shipping rules often impose lower limits – follow the manufacturer, warehouse and carrier.
How many Euro pallets fit in a truck?
The rule of thumb is 33 Euro pallets (lengthwise, three side by side). Placed crosswise – two side by side, 17 deep – 34 are possible with 13.6 m inside length; JetPallet’s example calculates it that way. Your vehicle’s data sheet is authoritative.