Free · No login required # Linear Feet & Pallets per Trailer Calculate the linear feet your pallets take in a trailer, how many pallets fit, and whether the shipment may hit a carrier's linear-foot or capacity-load rule. ## How many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer? A 53' dry van takes 26 standard 48×40 pallets loaded straight, 28 pinwheeled and 30 turned, on one layer. Double-stacked, that is 52 straight or 60 turned. Linear feet = rows of pallets × the pallet side along the trailer ÷ 12: 5 pallets loaded straight, two across, take 3 rows × 48" = 12 linear feet. ## Trailer & pallets Trailer Inside dimensions (in) Length Width Height Typical inside dimensions; they vary by trailer make, liner and floor. Edit them to match your equipment or your carrier's. Pallet size Pallet (in) Length Width Height Number of pallets Weight per pallet (lb) Including the pallet. Optional; used for weight-based carrier rules. Loading pattern Stackable (double stack)Two pallets per floor position when two fit under the ceiling. Linear feet 20ft 240" of trailer floor Pallets that fit 26 in this trailer, pattern and stack height Of the trailer 38.2% 52.3 ft inside length 10 floor positions, 1 high ## Carrier linear-foot rule Check against ⚠ Likely triggers PITT OHIO (12 ft): Item 575: 12 linear feet or more is rated at the greater of the actual weight or 500 lb per linear foot; 20 ft or more at a minimum of 20,000 lb. Rated at the greater of the actual weight or 20,000 lb. [Read the tariff ↗](https://pittohio.com/myPittOhio/RulesTariff/575) Carrier rules differ and change: there is no industry-wide number. Check your carrier's current rules tariff before you book. ## Pallets per trailer type Standard 48×40 (GMA) pallets on one layer and double-stacked, computed from each trailer's typical inside dimensions. Double stacking needs pallets short enough for two to fit under the ceiling (about 55" in a 110" van) and freight that can bear the load. | Trailer | Inside L × W × H | Straight | Pinwheel | Turned | Double, straight | Double, turned | | ------------- | ------------------- | -------- | -------- | ------ | ---------------- | -------------- | | 53' dry van | 628" × 98.7" × 110" | 26 | 28 | 30 | 52 | 60 | | 48' dry van | 568" × 98.7" × 110" | 22 | 25 | 28 | 44 | 56 | | 53' reefer | 618" × 97" × 101.8" | 24 | 27 | 30 | 48 | 60 | | 48' flatbed | 576" × 102" × open | 24 | 26 | 28 | 48 | 56 | | 26' box truck | 311" × 97" × 97" | 12 | 13 | 14 | 24 | 28 | Inside dimensions: C.H. Robinson Contract Trailer Equipment Guide (dry vans, reefer), Ryan Transportation (flatbed; load height = a 13'6" overall height minus the 60" deck) and Penske (26' box truck). Reefers vary most: a 53' reefer with 52'2.5" inside (XTRA Lease spec) takes 26 pallets straight. ## How to calculate linear feet Linear feet is the length of trailer floor a shipment occupies, front to back, however much of the width it uses. Count how many pallets stand side by side across the trailer (two 48×40 pallets fit across a 98" wide van either way), divide the number of floor positions by that and round up to whole rows, then multiply the rows by the pallet side that runs along the trailer and divide by 12\. Stackable pallets that double-stack need half the floor positions. Example: 7 GMA pallets loaded straight take 4 rows × 48" = 192" = 16 linear feet. Turned, they take 4 rows × 40" = 160" = 13.3 linear feet. ## Carrier linear-foot and capacity-load rules LTL carriers charge freight that takes a lot of trailer for its weight by the space it uses. Each carrier sets its own threshold in its rules tariff: * **PITT OHIO (12 ft)**: Item 575: 12 linear feet or more is rated at the greater of the actual weight or 500 lb per linear foot; 20 ft or more at a minimum of 20,000 lb. [Read the tariff ↗](https://pittohio.com/myPittOhio/RulesTariff/575) * **XPO (14 ft)**: Item 234: 14 ft of trailer length or more, at least 49" wide and 51" high (or 112 sq ft of floor and 51" high), priced per linear foot per mile. [Read the tariff ↗](https://www.xpo.com/cdn/download%5Ffiles/s1/p2831/CNWY%5F199-AI.pdf) * **Estes (20 ft / 20,000 lb)**: Item 390: 20 linear feet or more, or over 20,000 lb, is a capacity load. [Read the tariff ↗](https://www.estes-express.com/dA/ea677fdb-3bfa-45fb-9ef8-511174177f84/EstesRulesTariff.pdf) Published tariffs as found online on September 27, 2026: PITT OHIO Items 575 and 605, XPO CNWY 199-AI (effective January 15, 2024; newer revisions may exist), Estes EXLA 105 FF Rev. 3 (effective January 2, 2026). Several carriers also have cubic-capacity rules for light freight, for example a minimum of 6 lb per cubic foot at class 125 for shipments of 350 cubic feet or more under 3 lb per cubic foot. ## Linear feet and pallets: frequently asked questions ### How many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer? A 53' dry van takes 26 standard 48×40 (GMA) pallets loaded straight: 13 rows of two with the 48" side along the trailer. Turned so the 40" side runs along the trailer, it takes 30 (15 rows of two; two 48" sides need 96" of the roughly 98.7" inside width). A pinwheel pattern gives 28\. Double-stacked, that is 52 straight or 60 turned. The counts use a 52'4" inside length; a trailer with a thicker nose or liner can lose a row. ### What are linear feet in freight? Linear feet is the length of trailer floor a shipment takes up, measured front to back, regardless of how much of the trailer's width it uses. LTL carriers use it for freight that is light for the space it takes: once a shipment passes a set number of linear feet, several carrier tariffs rate it on the space or on a minimum weight per linear foot instead of its actual weight. ### How do you calculate linear feet for pallets? Find how many pallets fit side by side across the trailer, divide the number of pallets by that and round up to whole rows, then multiply the rows by the pallet side along the trailer and divide by 12\. Five 48×40 pallets loaded straight go two across, so they take 3 rows × 48" = 144" = 12 linear feet. Pallets that can be double-stacked need half the floor positions. ### How many pallets fit in a 48-foot trailer? A 48' dry van with 47'4" of inside length takes 22 GMA pallets loaded straight (11 rows of two) and 28 turned (14 rows of two), or 44 and 56 double-stacked. Some guides quote 24 straight, which needs at least 48 feet (576") of inside floor. ### How many pallets fit in a 26-foot box truck? About 12 GMA pallets loaded straight (6 rows of two) or 14 turned (7 rows of two), based on a 26' truck with up to 25'11" of inside length and 97" of width, such as Penske's. Its load capacity is up to about 10,000 lb, so heavy pallets can run out of weight before floor space. ### When does a shipment trigger a carrier's linear foot rule? It depends on the carrier; there is no industry-wide number. PITT OHIO rates shipments of 12 linear feet or more at the greater of the actual weight or 500 lb per linear foot (Item 575). XPO's lineal foot rule applies from 14 feet of trailer length when the freight is also at least 49" wide and 51" high (Item 234). Estes treats 20 linear feet or more, or over 20,000 lb, as a capacity load (Item 390). Check your carrier's current rules tariff. ### What is the difference between straight, turned and pinwheel loading? Straight loading puts the 48" side of a 48×40 pallet along the trailer, two across (80" wide). Turned loading rotates the pallets so the 40" side runs along the trailer, two across at 96", which fits 15 rows instead of 13 in a 53' van. Pinwheel puts one straight and one turned pallet side by side (88" across). Carriers measure the freight as loaded, and PITT OHIO's tariff states it is not liable to turn or pinwheel pallets for you. [See how Transportial plans loads](/en-us/product/load-planning) · Pricing an LTL shipment? [Estimate its freight class](/en-us/tools/freight-class-calculator) ### Planning loads by hand? Transportial's 3D load planner arranges freight in a realistic trailer view and checks every plan against weight and stacking rules before the truck leaves. [See how it works →](/en-us/product/load-planning) [← Back to all free tools](/en-us/tools) --- Canonical page: https://transportial.com/en-us/tools/linear-feet-calculator