Pallet Calculator: The Short Answer
A brand ships 60 × 40 × 40 centimetre cartons on UK standard pallets of 1,200 × 1,000 millimetres, with a 15-centimetre pallet and a loaded height limit of 180 centimetres. The pallet calculator finds that four cartons fit on each layer and four layers fit in the height, so each pallet carries 16 cartons. An order of 500 cartons therefore needs 32 pallets, with the last one only partly full. Change the carton, the pallet or the height limit and the answer moves, which is why it is worth running before you agree the packing plan.
The figures assume cartons stacked in a plain grid with no overhang beyond the pallet edge. The pallet calculator below uses the same logic, tries every way up the carton can stand and keeps the best fit.
That last point matters more than it sounds. A carton can often stand on any of three faces, and each choice changes the footprint on the pallet and the number of layers under the height limit. A pallet calculator that tests all three finds arrangements that are easy to miss by eye, and it shows which carton face should be marked as the top so that the packing team and the forwarder agree.
Use the Pallet Calculator for Clothing Cartons
Enter the outside size of one carton, choose a UK standard or Euro pallet and set the height of the empty pallet and the maximum loaded height. The pallet calculator tests every orientation of the carton, works out cartons per layer and the number of layers that fit under the height limit, and reports the best result. Add pieces per carton and your total cartons to see garments per pallet and the number of pallets you will need.
Pallet calculator for clothing cartons
Cartons per pallet
Overhang is not allowed and the layout is a simple grid, so mixed or interlocking patterns may carry a little more. The height limit is your own input.
Start with a realistic set of inputs. Measure a packed sample carton rather than relying on the design drawing, because a loaded carton often bulges by a centimetre or two on each side, and that is enough to lose a carton per layer. Measure an empty pallet too, since pallet heights differ and the height of the deck takes space from the stack. Then run the calculator twice, once with the limit you expect and once with a tighter one, so that you know how much margin the plan has.
Treat the maximum height in the pallet calculator as an input you must check. Carriers, forwarders and receiving warehouses set their own limits, and the lowest one governs. Our container loading calculator for clothing cartons is the companion tool for loose floor loading.
UK and Euro Pallet Sizes
Two pallet footprints are common in UK and European freight. The UK standard pallet is 1,200 by 1,000 millimetres and the Euro pallet is 1,200 by 800 millimetres. The calculator offers both because the cartons that suit one may waste space on the other, and many shipments move on whichever the forwarder or the receiving site prefers. International pallet and container standards are published by the ISO.
The two pallet footprints in the calculator
| Pallet | Footprint (mm) | Footprint area | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK standard pallet | 1,200 × 1,000 | 1.20 m² | UK and general freight |
| Euro pallet | 1,200 × 800 | 0.96 m² | European freight and exchange schemes |
Standard footprints; individual pallets vary slightly. Check the pallet type with your forwarder and the receiving site.
A larger footprint is not automatically better. What matters is how neatly the carton divides into the footprint, which the next table shows for four carton sizes.
How Many Cartons Fit on a Pallet?
The table fits four carton sizes onto each pallet with the example height limit of 180 centimetres and a 15-centimetre pallet. The figures come from the same calculation as the pallet calculator and include every way up the carton can stand.
Cartons per pallet by carton size and pallet
| Carton size (cm) | UK pallet 1,200 × 1,000 | Euro pallet 1,200 × 800 |
|---|---|---|
| 50 × 40 × 30 | 32 | 24 |
| 60 × 40 × 40 | 16 | 16 |
| 60 × 40 × 50 | 16 | 12 |
| 70 × 50 × 40 | 12 | 9 |
Calculated with a simple grid, no overhang, a 15 cm pallet and a 180 cm maximum loaded height. Illustrative assumptions; use your own limits.
Compare the carton sizes and the two pallet columns. A carton that fills the UK pallet footprint in whole cartons may leave a gap on the Euro pallet, and the other way round. If you know the pallet in advance, pick carton dimensions that divide its footprint without a wasted strip.
Why the Height Limit Works in Steps
Layers come in whole numbers, so extra height helps only when it is enough for another full layer. The chart holds the carton at 60 × 40 × 40 centimetres on a UK pallet and varies the maximum loaded height. The cartons per pallet rise in steps, and some increases in height add nothing at all.
Cartons per UK pallet by maximum loaded height (60 × 40 × 40 cm cartons)
Cartons per pallet
Calculated with a 15 cm pallet, trying every way up the carton can stand. Illustrative heights; the limit on your route applies.
Raising the limit from 100 to 120 centimetres adds no cartons, because the extra 20 centimetres is not enough for another 40-centimetre layer. At 150 a third layer fits, and at 180 a fourth. At 200 the best arrangement changes: the carton stands on its smaller face, six to a layer, for 18 in all. Knowing where those steps fall lets you choose a carton height that makes the most of the limit, and the pallet calculator finds the best orientation for you.
How Full Is the Pallet?
The usable volume of the pallet in the example is 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.65 metres, which is 1.98 cubic metres. Sixteen cartons of 0.096 cubic metres use 1.536 of it. The pie shows the split between cartons and unused space.
Share of usable pallet volume used by 16 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm
- Cartons (1.54 CBM)77.6%
- Unused space (0.44 CBM)22.4%
Arithmetic: 16 × 0.096 = 1.536 CBM against 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.65 = 1.98 CBM of usable pallet space. Illustrative dimensions.
The unused slice is the top of the stack, where there is not room for another layer. A pallet that is not full still takes a full pallet space on the truck or in the container, so unused volume is a cost. If part of the order is urgent and may fly instead, our volumetric weight calculator shows how the same cartons are charged by air. The CBM calculator for clothing cartons gives the volume side of the picture.
How to Work Out Pallets for an Order
Once you know the cartons per pallet, the pallet count is a short calculation. Divide the total cartons by the cartons per pallet and round up, then check how full the last pallet is, because a nearly empty one costs as much space as a full one.
From carton plan to pallet count
- 1Fix the carton sizeOutside dimensions in cm, as packed.
- 2Choose the palletUK standard or Euro, as the forwarder prefers.
- 3Set the height limitUse the lowest limit that applies on the route.
- 4Find cartons per palletCartons per layer × whole layers.
- 5Divide the orderTotal cartons ÷ cartons per pallet, rounded up.
- 6Check the last palletConsider changing the carton count to fill it.
In the example, 500 cartons make 31 full pallets and 4 cartons on the 32nd. Adding 12 cartons to the order would fill that pallet at no extra pallet space, which is a small change with a real saving if your forwarder charges per pallet position.
Palletised or Floor-Loaded Freight?
Palletising has costs and benefits, and the right choice depends on your route and volume. Weigh them before you commit to a pallet calculator result as the final plan. Our calculator for how many T-shirts fit in a 40ft container assumes floor loading, so pallets carry fewer cartons into the same container.
Palletised compared with floor-loaded cartons
What pallets help with
- Pallets are quicker to load and unload with a forklift
- Wrapped pallets protect cartons from handling damage
- Pallet positions make part-load pricing easy to understand
What pallets cost
- Pallets take height and floor area, so fewer cartons fit
- Pallets add weight and a cost to the shipment
- A part-full pallet is charged as a full space
Qualitative comparison. Your forwarder can advise on what suits your route.
For packing choices that affect both approaches, our clothing packaging guide covers polybags, cartons and labelling.
Checks Before You Palletise
A short list of questions, answered before the cartons are packed, avoids most pallet surprises.
Pallet checks before packing
- Which pallet type the forwarder and the receiving site want
- The maximum loaded height on every leg of the route
- The gross weight of a full pallet against any limit
- Whether cartons are strapped, wrapped or both
- Whether the pallet is mixed or one style per pallet
- How the last, part-full pallet will be filled or labelled
A general checklist. Your forwarder confirms what applies to your shipment.
Forwarders can advise on all of these, and the international federation FIATA describes the role they play.
How Ruhrose Helps You Plan Pallets
Ruhrose develops hoodies, fleece, jersey, denim and woven casualwear for UK buyers, with production in Bangladesh. We can talk through carton dimensions during development so that cartons divide neatly into the pallet and container you plan to use. Ruhrose's clothing manufacturing pages show what we make.
Before you finalise a carton size, ask yourself one question: does it divide neatly into the pallet, or does the pallet have to forgive it?