How Many Pallets Fit in a Box Truck, Cargo Van or Pickup?

A 26-foot box truck fits 12 standard 48 × 40 pallets loaded straight, or up to 14 in a pinwheel pattern if the box is wide enough - and about 160–190 empty pallets stacked, because the rear door limits stack height. The real limit is often weight: a non-CDL 26′ truck carries roughly 10,000–12,900 lbs, so 14 loaded pallets at 1,000 lbs each won't fit on the scale even if they fit on the floor.

Box trucks, cargo vans and pickups are how most small pallet loads move: a few dozen pallets to a recycler, a partial load for a customer, a pickup of used pallets you just bought. This guide gives pallet counts by vehicle, the weight limits that usually bind first, and how to load safely.

How many pallets fit in a 26-foot box truck?

12 standard 48 × 40 pallets loaded straight - 6 rows of 2 - or up to 14 in a pinwheel pattern. Stacked empty pallets: about 160–190, limited by the 82″ rear door. Weight usually binds first: a 26′ rental truck carries roughly 10,000–12,900 lbs.

The math, using U-Haul's 26′ truck (inside: 26′2″ long × 8′1″ wide × 8′3″ high, or about 314″ × 97″ × 99″):

Empty pallets. Stack height is set by the door, not the ceiling: a stack built outside and driven in by pallet jack or forklift has to pass under the door header. U-Haul's 26′ door is 6′10″ (82″) high, so a stack of 5.5–6″ pallets tops out at about 13–14. That gives:

• 12 stacks × 13–14 = ~160–170

• 14 stacks (pinwheel) × 13–14 = ~180–190

You'll see figures like "192–224 empty pallets" quoted for a 26′ truck; those assume stacks 16 high, which only works in a box with a taller door - check yours. By weight, 190 dry empty pallets at about 40 lbs each is ~7,600 lbs, within the payload.

Loaded pallets. 14 pallets at 1,000 lbs each = 14,000 lbs - more than U-Haul's 12,859-lb max load and Penske's 10,000-lb non-CDL limit. At 1,000 lbs per pallet, plan on 10–12 pallets; at 2,000 lbs, only 5–6.

Box truck pallet capacity chart

\* Calculated from nominal box length (length ÷ 48″ rows × 2 across, plus a pinwheel block where it adds a row), assuming the inside width is at least 80″ - 88″ for pinwheel blocks. Actual inside length, wheel-well boxes, wall rails and liftgates can cut a position; measure your truck.

Payloads: U-Haul and Penske published specs (2025–2026). Liftgates and ramps reduce payload. Empty-pallet stack height = door height ÷ pallet thickness; with a ~78–82″ door and 5.5–6″ pallets, figure 13–14 per stack.

How many pallets fit in a 16-foot box truck?

8 standard pallets - 4 rows of 2 in a 192″ box - if the box is at least 80″ wide inside. Payload is the tighter limit: Penske's 16′ truck carries about 4,300 lbs, so 8 loaded pallets can average only ~540 lbs each.

How many pallets fit in a 24-foot box truck?

12 standard pallets - 6 rows of 2 in a 288″ box, or 3 pinwheel blocks. A non-CDL 24′ rental carries up to about 10,000 lbs, so heavy loads weigh out first.

How many pallets fit in a 12-foot box truck?

6 standard pallets - 3 rows of 2 - with a payload of about 3,100 lbs on Penske's 12′ truck. Good for a few loaded pallets or a load of empties.

Weight limits: why a 26-foot truck weighs out first

Rental box trucks up to 26′ are built to stay under 26,001 lbs gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) - the threshold for a commercial driver's license. U-Haul's 26′ truck, for example, is rated at 25,999 lbs GVW and weighs 13,140 lbs empty, leaving 12,859 lbs for cargo. Other 26′ trucks - with heavier bodies, a liftgate or a ramp - carry less; Penske quotes up to 10,000 lbs for its non-CDL 22–26′ trucks.

What you need to drive one:

Commercial vehicles over 10,000 lbs may also have to stop at weigh stations, and many states have their own intrastate rules - check yours.

Liftgates and ramps reduce payload, because their weight comes out of the same GVWR. If you rent a truck with a liftgate, check the payload for that exact unit.

Rule of thumb: divide the truck's payload by your pallet weight before you count floor positions. For pallet weights, see how much does a pallet weigh.

How many pallets fit in a Ford Transit?

3 standard 48 × 40 pallets on the regular and long vans, 4 on the extended-length van. The 2025 Ford Transit cargo van has 54.8″ between the wheel wells, so a 48 × 40 lies flat on the floor, and a 126″ cargo floor (143.7″ on the long van) fits three pallets placed with the 40″ side along the van. The extended-length Transit's floor of up to 172.2″ takes four.

Check the van's payload - on the sticker in the driver's door jamb - before loading: a cargo van carries far less than a box truck, and three loaded pallets can exceed it quickly.

Mercedes Sprinter and Ram ProMaster

Both are sold in several lengths and roof heights, and whether a 48 × 40 lies flat depends on the width between the wheel wells: at 48″ or more, the pallet fits flat either way; between 40″ and 48″, only with the 40″ side across. Per 2026 dealer specifications, the Sprinter has about 53″ between the wheel wells and a cargo floor of about 133″ on the 144″ wheelbase (up to about 189″ on the longest 170″ version) - roughly 3 or 4 pallets with the 40″ side along the van; payload up to about 4,211 lbs. The ProMaster 136″ has about 56″ between the wheel wells and a ~122″ floor - 3 pallets; payload up to about 4,280 lbs. Check the manufacturer's spec sheet for your exact model, and the payload on the door-jamb sticker.

Will a pallet fit in a pickup truck?

Yes - one standard 48 × 40 pallet lies flat in most full-size pickup beds. A Ford F-150 has 50.6″ between the wheel wells, and its shortest 5.5-ft bed is 67.1″ long, so the pallet fits flat with the tailgate closed. Longer 6.5-ft and 8-ft beds leave room for more cargo, but only one pallet fits between the wells.

• Loaded pallet: lift it in with a forklift; check the truck's payload (door-jamb sticker) - a single dense pallet can exceed a half-ton pickup's payload.

• Empty pallets: a stack of empties is limited by weight and by safe stack height, not by floor space. Divide the payload by about 40 lbs per pallet, and keep the stack low enough to strap down securely.

• Tie it down: strap the pallet to the bed's tie-down points; a pallet on a smooth bed liner slides.

Can a pallet fit in a car or SUV?

A standard 48 × 40 pallet usually doesn't fit flat in a car or small SUV - the cargo opening and the space between the wheel wells are too narrow. Some minivans and large SUVs with seats folded or removed can take one, but loading and unloading it by hand is hard, and a loaded pallet will exceed most cars' payload. Use a pickup, van or trailer.

Trailers: 5×8 and 6×12

The 6×12's 5′1″ door limits empty-pallet stacks to about 10 pallets of 5.5–6″, and the max load includes the pallets' own weight. Your tow vehicle's towing capacity must also cover the trailer's loaded weight.

How to load pallets on a box truck

• Dock or liftgate. At a dock, drive a pallet jack straight in over the dock plate. Without a dock, you need a liftgate (check its rated capacity against the pallet weight) or a forklift loading from the ground. Ramps work only for light loads with a pallet jack.

• Bring a pallet jack. Many rental trucks don't include one; without it, you can't move pallets inside the box.

• Load from the front. Place the first pallets against the front wall (behind the cab) and work toward the door.

• Spread the weight. Keep heavy pallets low and spread along the floor rather than piled at the rear, and balance the load side to side.

• Brace the load. In an enclosed box, cargo that's blocked against the walls and against other cargo so it can't shift counts as secured (49 CFR 393.100 and 393.106). Fill gaps with load bars or straps to E-track, especially at the door.

• Load in reverse delivery order if you're making several stops.

• Stay under the payload. Add up the pallets' gross weight before you drive.

For bigger volumes - a full truckload of 480–680 empty pallets or 26–30 loaded positions - see how many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer, and plan any load with the pallet loading calculator.

Buying or selling small pallet loads

A box truck load is the typical size for small buyers and sellers: a few dozen to 200 pallets. You can buy pallets on Repackify in smaller quantities for pickup or delivery, sell surplus pallets, or arrange recycling for broken and mixed pallets - see our pallet recycling guide for what recyclers pay and when pickup is free.