Pallet Calculator (Cartons per Pallet)

A pallet calculator turns the size of your cartons into a practical number for freight quotes and warehouse planning: how many cartons fit on one pallet, and how many pallets a shipment will need.

Enter the outside dimensions of one carton, the footprint of the pallet (120 × 80 cm is a common Euro pallet size; 120 × 100 cm is also widely used) and the maximum height you can load above the pallet deck. The calculator tests both carton orientations on the pallet floor and keeps the one that fits more.

Real loading is messier than a formula: weight limits, overhang rules, interlocking patterns and carrier height limits all change the result. Treat the output as a planning figure and check it against your carrier’s or 3PL’s actual rules.

How the calculation works

Cartons per layer = the larger of ⌊pallet length ÷ carton length⌋ × ⌊pallet width ÷ carton width⌋ and the same with the carton turned 90°. Layers = ⌊load height ÷ carton height⌋. Cartons per pallet = cartons per layer × layers.

Example: a 40 × 30 × 25 cm carton on a 120 × 80 cm pallet fits 3 × 2 = 6 per layer one way, or 4 × 2 = 8 per layer turned 90°, so the better layout is 8 per layer. With 6 layers under a 150 cm limit that is 48 cartons per pallet, and 500 cartons then need 11 pallets.

The formula assumes one orientation per layer, no overhang and no weight limit. Heavy cartons often cap the stack below the height limit, so check the weight per pallet separately.

See also: CBM calculator, Landed cost calculator, Warehouse space utilization calculator.