How many pallets fit in a 26 ft box truck?

How many pallets fit in a 26 box truck is the question brokers ask before they tender, and the one owners get wrong when they guess. The short answer is 12. The useful answer is 12 straight, sometimes 13, and fewer than you think if the pallets are heavy. Here is the quick answer with diagrams, the two layouts, double stacking and the weight limit, and the counts for other box sizes.

Quick answer, with diagrams

A standard North American pallet is 48 x 40 inches. A typical 26 ft box is about 25 ft 11 in long and 92 to 98 in wide inside: Morgan's 26 ft body measures 25 ft 11½ in by 92⅜ in on its 96 in model, and Penske lists its 26 ft trucks at up to 25 ft 11 in by 8 ft 1 in.

• Two pallets fit side by side with the 40 in side across: 80 in, with room to spare.
• Six rows of 48 in fit in 25 ft 11 in: 288 in, with about 2 ft left over.
• 6 rows × 2 = 12 pallets.
• That leftover 2 ft is what a pinwheel layout uses for a 13th pallet.

Straight vs pinwheel layouts

Straight

Every pallet faces the same way, 48 in side along the length, two across. It is the fastest to load and unload, works with any pallet jack approach, and is what most shippers expect. 12 pallets on a full-length 26 ft floor.

Pinwheel

Pallets alternate: one facing the normal way, the next turned 90°, so that two pairs take 88 in of length instead of 96. On a floor at least about 25 ft 4 in long and 88 in wide, that fits 13 pallets. Trade-offs:

• Slower to load, because the forklift or pallet jack has to come in from two directions.
• Some shippers and receivers don't want it, especially with unload sequencing.
• A floor that is a few inches short, or a liner that steals width, can kill the 13th spot.

Turned all the way

Turning every pallet so the 48 in side is across needs 96 in of inside width for two across. Most 96 in bodies measure about 92 in inside, so you only get one turned pallet per row. That layout usually fits fewer pallets, not more, unless you have a wider 102 in body.

Double stacking and weight limits

Double stacking can, on paper, put 24 pallets in a 26 ft box. In practice, weight stops you long before height does.

When stacking is possible:

• The freight is packaged to stack (marked stackable, with a flat, strong top)
• The shipper and receiver allow it
• The stacked height clears the door opening and the roof, with room to unload
• The combined weight stays under your payload

The weight check. On a 26 ft truck rated 26,000 lb GVWR, payload is often roughly 9,000 to 10,000 lb; Penske lists its non-CDL 26 ft trucks at up to 10,000 lb. Divide that by your pallet count:

Pallets	Average weight per pallet to stay under 9,200 lb
8	1,150 lb
10	920 lb
12	767 lb
13	708 lb
24 (double stacked)	383 lb

The full payload math, with axle limits, is in our box truck weight capacity guide.

Pallets in other box truck sizes

Using Morgan's inside lengths (nominal length minus ½ in) and a 92⅜ in wide floor:

Box	Inside length	Straight	Pinwheel
16 ft	15 ft 11½ in	6	8
20 ft	19 ft 11½ in	8	10
24 ft	23 ft 11½ in	10	12
26 ft	25 ft 11½ in	12	13

Small rental trucks can be narrower: Penske's 12 ft truck is 6 ft 6 in wide inside, too narrow for two pallets across. For every size side by side, see the box truck sizes chart, and for the 26 ft in detail, 26 ft box truck dimensions.

When you have fewer spots than you think

• A sleeper built into the front of the box shortens the floor; see box truck with sleeper.
• A reefer unit with a bulkhead or air chute can steal inches at the front.
• Swing doors add about 1½ in of length over roll-up; liners and E-track take width.
• Wheel wells don't affect most box trucks, but some low-floor bodies have them.

Measure your floor once with a tape and write the numbers on the dash.

Plan the load before you accept it

Before you say yes to a pallet load, check three numbers: pallet count against your floor, total weight against your payload, and whether the pallets can be loaded the way the count needs. Our box truck pallet calculator does all three in a minute.

We dispatch 26 ft box trucks, and every truck's floor length, width and payload go into its profile, so pallet counts and weights are checked before a load reaches you. See 26 ft box truck dispatch and our box truck dispatch service.