Carton load calculator: cartons per pallet and container
Enter one carton size to see how many cartons fit on a Euro or UK pallet and in a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube container, checked against the container's maximum payload. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton of 15 kg, kept upright, fits 255 to a 20ft, 550 to a 40ft and 660 to a 40ft high cube.
Worked example
A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton weighing 15 kg, kept upright, 1,000 cartons in the order.
- 20ft container, 590 × 235.2 × 239.5 cm inside: 51 cartons per layer, 5 layers of 40 cm, so 255 cartons. At 15 kg each that is 3,825 kg, inside the 28,130 kg payload, so space is the limit.
- 40ft: 550 cartons. 40ft high cube: 660, because its extra height takes one more layer.
- 1,000 cartons need 4 × 20ft or 2 × 40ft by this count.
- On pallets with 150 cm of cartons: 12 cartons per Euro pallet and 15 per UK pallet. Palletised, a 20ft takes 11 Euro pallets (132 cartons), so pallets cost floor space that loose cartons would use.
How many cartons fit in a 20ft container?
Divide each inside dimension of the container by the matching carton dimension and round down, then multiply: that is one layout. The calculator tries every way the carton can stand (only upright if you tick this side up), and on each layer it also tries one block of rows turned 90° beside the rest, the way two orientations share a container floor. It keeps the layout that fits the most, then checks the cargo weight against the container's maximum payload and takes the lower count.
Why is the count lower than the container's CBM divided by the carton's?
Cartons are solid blocks. Whatever is left over at the end of each row and above the top layer is space no full carton can use. The volume-filled column shows how much of the container the cartons take; the rest is the gaps. A CBM-only estimate, such as the shipping volume calculator's 85% stowage figure, is a different question: how many containers a mixed load needs, not how one carton size stacks.
How many cartons fit on a pallet?
The same layout rule on the pallet deck, with no overhang: cartons stay inside 120 × 80 cm (Euro pallet) or 120 × 100 cm (UK standard pallet), stacked to the height you enter. Pallets per container are the floor counts on our container sizes page, single-stacked; whether pallets can be double-stacked depends on the cartons and the carrier.
Container figures used
| Container | Inside L × W × H (cm) | Max payload (kg) |
|---|---|---|
| 20ft | 590 × 235.2 × 239.5 | 28,130 |
| 40ft | 1,203.2 × 235.2 × 239.5 | 28,750 |
| 40ft HC | 1,203.2 × 235 × 270 | 28,600 |
What this count does not include
No handling gaps, dunnage or bulging cartons; no pallet or packaging weight in the payload check; and no axle-weight or road-weight limits for the UK haulage leg. Container sizes vary by carrier and manufacturer: the figures here are the carrier specification sheets cited below. Confirm the booked equipment, and ask the factory or forwarder for a loading plan before an order ships.
Related tools and guides
Sources
Data checked on 23 October 2026
Container inside dimensions and maximum payloads are carrier specification sheets, as held in our container sizes data; ISO 668 sets container classes and outside dimensions, not inside ones. Pallet footprints: EN 13698-1 (Euro pallet) and the UK standard 1200 × 1000 mm pallet.
- Carrier specification sheet: 20ft standard container (inside dimensions, payload)
- Carrier specification sheet: 40ft standard container
- Carrier specification sheet: 40ft high cube container
- ISO 668: Series 1 freight containers, classification and dimensions
- BS EN 13698: pallet production specification (Euro pallet 1200 × 800 mm)
- Forest Research (UK): wood packaging study, UK pallet sizes including 1200 × 1000 mm
Cite this tool:Cambridge China Bridge, Carton load calculator, https://camchinabridge.co.uk/tools/carton-load-calculator/ (data checked 23 October 2026).
A planning count, not a loading plan or a freight quote. Real loads can fit more with mixed orientations or fewer once gaps, dunnage and weight distribution are allowed for.
Questions about this tool
How many 60 × 40 × 40 cm cartons fit in a 20ft container?
Kept upright, 255: 51 per layer and 5 layers in a 20ft with 590 × 235.2 × 239.5 cm inside. A 40ft takes 550 and a 40ft high cube 660. Gaps, dunnage and the carrier's actual equipment can change the real count.
How do I work out how many boxes fit in a container?
Divide each inside dimension of the container by the box's matching dimension, round each down and multiply. Try the box standing each allowed way round, and try a block of rows turned 90°. Then check the total weight against the container's maximum payload and take the lower number.
How many cartons fit on a Euro pallet?
It depends on the carton and the height allowed. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton fits 12 on a 120 × 80 cm Euro pallet and 15 on a 120 × 100 cm UK pallet, with 150 cm of cartons and no overhang.
Is it better to ship cartons loose or on pallets?
Loose cartons fill more of a container: in the example a 20ft takes 255 loose but 132 on Euro pallets. Pallets make loading, unloading and UK delivery faster and safer, and many warehouses require them. The choice is a cost of space against handling.
Does the weight of the cartons matter?
Yes. Heavy cartons can reach the container's maximum payload before the space is full. The calculator caps the count at the payload and says when weight is the limit. Road weight limits for the UK leg can be lower again.