20ft dry container guide
How Many Pallets Fit in a 20ft Container?
A practical single-floor plan is usually about 9–11 pallets, depending on the footprint and loading method. On the representative 5,898 × 2,352 mm dry floor used here, zero-added-clearance geometry fits 11 Euro pallets, 10 industrial pallets or 10 US 48 × 40 pallets.
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.
11 geometric placements; 11 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 | 11 | 11 · verified | Mixed 0°/90° layout |
| Industrial | 1200 × 1000 mm | 10 | 10 · verified | Tight mixed layout; confirm handling clearance |
| US GMA | 1219.2 × 1016 mm | 10 | 10 · verified | 48 × 40 in footprint |
| AU | 1165 × 1165 mm | No universal baseline | 10 · area-proven | Only about 22 mm total width remains at two across |
| JP | 1100 × 1100 mm | No universal baseline | 10 · best found | Custom operational review required |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft dry preset used by calculator | 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm | 2,340 × 2,280 mm |
| Hapag-Lloyd fleet example, checked October 2026 | 5,900 × 2,352 × 2,395 mm | 2,340 × 2,292 mm |
Why 11 is not a guarantee
The geometric result uses the stated dry floor, no added wall clearance and no inter-pallet gap. Pallet overhang, corrugations, dunnage, securing and the loading method can reduce it.
Dry and reefer are different
Refrigeration machinery and insulation reduce usable dimensions. Do not reuse the dry-container preset for reefer equipment.
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 — Representative 20ft dry dimensions, fleet-series variation and production tolerance.
- CMA CGM Containers — General-purpose and reefer dimensions; technical data is described as non-contractual and representative.
- Kuehne+Nagel VinLog FAQ — Industry planning context for the approximate 9–11 pallet range.
FAQ
Common planning questions.
How many Euro pallets fit in a 20ft dry container?
A geometry-only mixed-orientation layout can fit 11 Euro pallets measuring 1200 × 800 mm on the representative dry floor used here. Actual usable capacity can be lower after equipment variation, clearance, dunnage and loading rules are considered.
What internal dimensions does this estimate use?
The calculator preset uses 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,393 mm with a 2,340 × 2,280 mm door opening. Carrier fleets contain nearby but not identical equipment dimensions.
Is a 20ft reefer the same size inside?
No. Refrigeration equipment and insulation reduce usable interior dimensions, so a reefer-specific specification is required.
Is the pallet count guaranteed?
No. It is a planning estimate. Confirm the assigned equipment, actual pallet dimensions, clearances, cargo securing and payload with the carrier.
Compare another equipment class.
Keep the pallet footprint constant and compare how the interior, door and operating assumptions change.
Build the shipment plan from an eleven-pallet drawing
An eleven-position drawing answers whether eleven identical footprints can occupy the modeled floor. To turn it into a shipment decision, first count the finished pallets in the order. For 430 cases at 40 cases per full pallet, ceil(430 / 40) = 11 pallets. Ten pallets hold 400 cases and the last holds 30. That final pallet may be shorter and lighter, but it still occupies a floor position if its footprint is unchanged. Do not divide the case quantity by a container pallet count without first calculating cases per pallet.
A simple uniform Euro grid on the 5898 × 2352 mm preset gives floor(5898 / 1200) × floor(2352 / 800) = 4 × 2 = 8. Rotating all footprints gives floor(5898 / 800) × floor(2352 / 1200) = 7 × 1 = 7. The eleven-position result therefore depends on mixed orientation rather than multiplying two rounded dimensions. The finite engine searches strips and several MaxRects heuristics, validates the candidate and labels it optimal only for a supported bound or verified fixture. Best found in a changed custom scenario is not a mathematical optimum.
| Record | Planning value | Evidence to replace it |
|---|---|---|
| Floor | 5898 × 2352 mm preset | Assigned unit measurement or accepted specification |
| Footprint | 1200 × 800 mm nominal Euro | Wrapped load including protrusions |
| Spacing | Zero gap and clearance | Loading team requirements |
| Order | 430 cases; eleven pallet positions | Actual final pallet list |
A useful sensitivity check before booking
Two Australian 1165 mm square footprints use 2330 mm across the preset, leaving just 22 mm total. A 10 mm clearance at each side leaves 2332 mm usable width, so the pair still fits with zero gap. Adding a 5 mm gap requires 2335 mm and prevents that pair. This is an illustrative geometric threshold, not a recommended clearance. It shows why the width of a finished load, rather than the name of its pallet standard, can control the booking.
The current Hapag-Lloyd standard example lists 5900 × 2352 × 2395 mm inside, whereas this site retains a historical 5898 × 2352 × 2393 mm preset. Its listed door height is 2292 mm; the preset door height is 2280 mm. Do not silently combine the larger door from one source with the smaller floor from another and describe the result as a specific unit. Record which dimensions you used and update all relevant fields together.
For an illustrative 2300 mm loaded pallet, the preset interior height is sufficient but its 2280 mm door height is not. Pallet count cannot resolve that discrepancy. Measure the total height including base, top protection and wrap, then check the proposed handling method. A final-position footprint also says nothing about whether a pallet can be rotated inside the container after entering through the door.
Reproduce the Euro floor example
Use the existing planner with container 20ft, millimetres, pallet length 1200 and width 800, rotation enabled, gap 0 and wall clearance 0. Compare the mixed result with the eight-position unrotated grid. Then enter your operation’s real gap and clearance; retain any changed count and status rather than assuming eleven remains feasible.
Write your own input record beside this example: equipment identifier; dimension source and date; actual loaded footprint; rotation; gap; wall clearance; loaded height; result count and proof status. Retain the record with the layout.
Primary sources and scope
Hapag-Lloyd 20-foot standard example: Current equipment table; fleet dimensions vary.
EPAL Euro pallet: Reference footprint and base height; measure the completed cargo envelope.