Freight volume calculator: cubic feet, pallet spots and linear feet
Add boxes and skids of any size — the calculator totals them in cubic feet, converts that into pallet spots on 48×40 GMA pallets and linear feet in a 53-foot trailer, and shows how much of a trailer or ocean container your freight takes. Free, no sign-up.
Dimensions in inches, feet or yards; results in cubic feet. Nothing is sent anywhere — the math runs entirely in your browser.
Got the cube — now get a rate. The team (your company could be here) will quote LTL, volume LTL or a full truckload for your dimensions and lane.
Get a shipping quotethis button is for saleHow to use it
Enter every handling unit on its own line: length, width, height in inches and how many identical pieces you have. Sizes can differ from line to line — the calculator adds them up. For anything that is not a rectangle (pipe, drum, bag) enter the bounding box: carriers measure to the outermost points, including pallet overhang.
What it gives you
Cubic feet
Length × width × height per piece, times quantity, summed across lines. One cubic foot is 1,728 cubic inches, which is why a 48×40×48 pallet works out to 53.3 cu ft. Cube is what drives LCL and air rates, and it tells you how much room the shipment needs.
Pallet spots
A pallet spot is the footprint of a standard GMA pallet — 48×40 inches, or 13.33 square feet — with freight on it. Warehouses, carriers and your own dock all count in pallet spots, so it is the fastest way to describe a shipment to somebody else.
Linear feet
A linear foot is one foot of trailer length across the full width. Two 48×40 pallets sit side by side in a 53-foot van, so every row eats four linear feet and 26 pallets fill 52 of the 53 feet available. Volume LTL carriers price by linear feet, and most online calculators skip the number entirely — this one does not.
Trailer and container fill
The calculator shows what share of a 53' dry van, a 48' van or a 26' box truck the freight takes, and how it fits a 20', 40' or 40' high cube ocean container. Once fill passes roughly 70 to 80 percent, it is worth pricing a dedicated truck against LTL.
Which trailer to choose
The calculator works for one specific piece of equipment, not for trucks in general. Pick it in the dark panel on the right — from a 53-foot dry van down to a cargo van. Two numbers change with it: linear feet and how many pallets fit.
Why linear feet depend on the equipment
A linear foot is one foot of deck length across the full width of the trailer. A 53-foot dry van is 8.17 ft wide inside; a cargo van is 5.5 ft. The same freight takes more linear feet on the smaller truck because the deck is narrower. Linear feet quoted without the equipment mean nothing.
Freight height does not change linear feet: the calculation uses floor area. Stacking is not counted — if your freight stacks, the real figure will be lower.
Your own truck
If your equipment is not in the list, type the inside dimensions of the box into the light panel under the results. Measure inside the trailer, not outside: the overall length includes the tractor and the overhangs, which carry nothing. The dimensions stay in your browser, so next time your equipment is selected straight away.
Equipment in the calculator
| Equipment | Inside (L × W × H) | Payload | Pallets straight | Pallets turned |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53' dry van | 52.5 × 8.17 × 9 ft | 45,000 lb | 26 | 30 |
| 48' dry van | 47.5 × 8.17 × 9 ft | 45,000 lb | 22 | 28 |
| 53' reefer | 51.5 × 7.83 × 8.42 ft | 42,000 lb | 24 | 15 |
| 28' pup | 27.5 × 8 × 9 ft | 22,000 lb | 12 | 16 |
| 26' box truck | 25.5 × 8 × 8.5 ft | 10,000 lb | 12 | 14 |
| 16' box truck | 15.5 × 7.5 × 7 ft | 5,000 lb | 6 | 4 |
| Cargo van | 12.5 × 5.5 × 6.25 ft | 3,500 lb | 3 | 3 |
Figures are typical — inside dimensions vary by a few inches between builds. For an exact result, ask the carrier for the inside dimensions and enter them under “Your own truck”.
26 or 30 pallets in a 53-foot trailer?
Both numbers are right, and the difference is how the pallets sit. Loaded straight — 48 inches deep, 40 inches across — two fit side by side and you get 13 rows, so 26 pallets. That is the answer most carriers give, because it is how freight is loaded by default.
Turned — 40 inches deep, 48 inches across — two still fit side by side in a 98-inch wide van, and the shorter depth gives 15 rows, so 30 pallets. The calculator shows whichever of the two fits more, which is why it says 30 for a dry van.
Turning is not always possible: long or overhanging freight, pallets that must stay in one direction, and pinwheel loading all rule it out. And it does not always help — in a 53-foot reefer the inside width is only 7.83 ft, two 48-inch pallets no longer fit across, and the straight layout wins with 24 against 15.
Reference dimensions
| Equipment | Inside dimensions | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| GMA pallet | 48 × 40 in | 13.33 sq ft footprint · 4 linear ft per row of two |
| 53' dry van | 636 × 100 × 110 in | ≈ 3,800 cu ft · 53 linear ft · 26 pallets |
| 48' dry van | 576 × 100 × 110 in | ≈ 3,400 cu ft · 48 linear ft · 24 pallets |
| 26' box truck | 312 × 96 × 100 in | ≈ 1,700 cu ft · 26 linear ft · 12 pallets |
| 20' container | 232 × 92 × 94 in | ≈ 1,170 cu ft · 10 pallets |
| 40' container | 474 × 92 × 94 in | ≈ 2,390 cu ft · 20 pallets |
| 40' high cube | 474 × 92 × 106 in | ≈ 2,700 cu ft · 20 pallets |
Figures are typical. Actual inside dimensions vary by a few inches between equipment and steamship lines — if your load is close to the limit, confirm with the carrier.
FAQ
How do I work out cubic feet by hand?
Multiply length × width × height in inches, then divide by 1,728. A 48×40×48 pallet is 92,160 cubic inches, which is 53.3 cu ft. Multiply by the number of pieces and add the lines together — that is exactly what the calculator does.
What are linear feet and why do carriers use them?
A linear foot is a foot of trailer length across the full width. Freight that cannot be stacked blocks the whole cross-section, so it is billed by the length it occupies rather than by cube. Two 48×40 pallets fit across, so each row costs four linear feet.
Does this give me a freight class?
Not yet. Freight class under the NMFC comes from density — pounds per cubic foot — and this calculator does not ask for weight. Take the cubic feet from here, divide your total pounds by it, and that density maps to a class.
Why measure the bounding box instead of the item?
Because in the trailer the outermost points decide, not the shape. A 10-foot pipe 8 inches across occupies the same slot as a 120 × 8 × 8 inch crate. Measure packaged and palletized, including any overhang.
Stackable or not — does it change the answer?
It changes what you pay. Stackable freight is priced on cube; non-stackable takes its floor area over the full height and is priced on linear feet. The calculator assumes no stacking, which gives you the safe, worst case.
Is my shipment data sent anywhere?
No. The widget is a script running entirely in your browser — dimensions and results are never transmitted or stored.
How many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer?
Twenty-six standard 48×40 GMA pallets loaded straight, 48 inches deep, in 13 rows of two. Turned 40 inches deep they make 15 rows of two, so 30 pallets. The calculator shows the layout that fits more; turning is not possible with long or overhanging freight.
Why do linear feet change when I pick a different truck?
Linear feet are measured across the full width of the deck you chose. A 53-foot van is 8.17 ft wide inside, a cargo van 5.5 ft, so the same freight takes more feet on the smaller truck. That is why linear feet are always quoted with the equipment.
My equipment is not in the list — what do I do?
Type the inside length, width and height of the box into the light panel under the results. The calculator recomputes linear feet, pallet positions and fill straight away, and keeps the dimensions in your browser.