40ft dry and High Cube guide
How Many Pallets Fit in a 40ft Container?
A conservative floor plan often uses 24 Euro pallets or 20 industrial/US pallets. With the representative 12,032 × 2,352 mm dry floor and zero added clearance, the tested geometric layouts place 25 Euro, 22 industrial or 21 US pallets. Keep the operating baseline and geometric capacity separate.
Equipment and source review: 9 August 2026. Results below are single-floor planning values, not booking or safety guarantees.
Single floor layerDry equipment0° / 90° rotationEditable pallet gapEditable wall clearanceAxis-aligned rectangles
Interactive layout
Compare the geometry with the planning baseline.
Choose a pallet and add realistic allowances. The geometric result changes immediately; the operational baseline remains a separate reference.
Representative equipment dimensions. Source: equipment specification.
25 geometric placements; 24 pallets · common Euro planning baseline.
Footprint comparison
The same equipment gives different answers for different pallets.
“Verified” refers to the geometry fixture under the stated zero-gap assumptions. A common baseline is a planning convention, not an algorithmic maximum.
| Pallet | Footprint | Planning baseline | Zero-gap geometry | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Euro | 1200 × 800 mm | 24 | 25 · verified | +1 depends on a tight mixed layout |
| Industrial | 1200 × 1000 mm | 20 | 22 · verified | +2 with zero added clearance |
| US GMA | 1219.2 × 1016 mm | 20 | 21 · verified | +1 with a mixed layout |
| AU | 1165 × 1165 mm | No universal baseline | 20 · area-proven | Confirm equipment width and loading access |
| JP | 1100 × 1100 mm | No universal baseline | 20 · best found | No optimality proof for this custom case |
Equipment is not universal
Use the assigned unit’s internal and door dimensions.
Nearby equipment types can have materially different usable space. Height affects stacking, while the floor calculation uses internal length and width.
| Equipment | Published interior | Door / note |
|---|---|---|
| 40ft Standard dry preset | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,395 mm | 2,340 × 2,292 mm |
| 40ft High Cube dry preset | 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,700 mm | 2,340 × 2,597 mm |
| CMA CGM 40ft High Cube reefer example | 11,584 × 2,294 × 2,557 mm | 2,284 × 2,567 mm |
What High Cube changes
Standard High Cube equipment mainly adds about 305 mm of internal height. For the same floor dimensions it does not automatically add floor positions.
Pallet-wide is another equipment type
A 40ft High Cube pallet-wide container has a wider floor and door and can change pallet counts. It must not be treated as a standard High Cube preset.
Use your actual pallet and equipment dimensions.
Open the full calculator with this equipment preset, then change the pallet, gap, clearance, stack height and units without losing the assumptions.
Sources
Equipment references used on this page.
Checked 9 August 2026. Manufacturer and carrier data describes equipment families; confirm the serial or assigned unit before loading.
- Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification — 40ft Standard and High Cube dry dimensions, door openings, fleet-series variation and tolerances.
- CMA CGM Container Technical Brochure — General-purpose, reefer and pallet-wide equipment dimensions and published pallet-capacity references.
- CMA CGM Containers — Current equipment categories and the non-contractual status of representative technical data.
FAQ
Common planning questions.
How many Euro pallets fit in a 40ft container?
A conservative operating plan often uses 24 Euro pallets per floor layer. The zero-added-clearance mixed layout used here places 25 on a representative 12,032 × 2,352 mm dry floor. Confirm the assigned unit and required clearances before using the higher figure.
How many 1200 × 1000 pallets fit?
A conservative plan often uses 20. The tested zero-added-clearance geometric layout places 22 on the representative floor, but handling and securing requirements can reduce that count.
Does a 40ft High Cube fit more pallets on the floor?
Not automatically. A standard High Cube mainly adds internal height while keeping a similar floor footprint. Pallet-wide and refrigerated equipment are different types and require separate dimensions.
Are these counts guaranteed?
No. The page separates geometric capacity from a conservative operating baseline. The carrier’s assigned equipment and accepted load plan control.
Compare another equipment class.
Keep the pallet footprint constant and compare how the interior, door and operating assumptions change.