Launch offer30% off Starter for 3 months — first 100 subscribers — plus 10% off any annual plan. Ends September 15, 2026.30% off Starter · 10% off annual · ends September 15, 2026Get the codes →

How many GMA pallets fit in a 40ft Reefer?

20 GMA pallets (1,219 × 1,016 mm) fit in a 40ft Reefer in a single floor layer, turned to their best orientation — up to 40 if the load is under 1,250 mm tall and stackable.

Floor (one layer)
20
Best mixed orientation, pallets touching.
Double-stacked
40
Only if each loaded pallet is under 1250 mm.
Payload allows
41
At 700 kg per loaded pallet.
Binding limit
Space
The floor fills before the payload does.

Space runs out first

20 loaded pallets at 700 kg each is about 14,000 kg, inside the 29,000 kg payload — so space is the limit here. Above roughly 1,450 kg per pallet that flips, and weight becomes the constraint instead.

The floor layout

20 pallets on the 11.56 m × 2.29 m (37′11″ × 7′6″) interior floor, seen from above. Shaded pallets are turned 90° — that mix is what gets the count above a plain row-by-row fit.

1234567891011121314151617181920

The assumptions

  • Pallet US GMA pallet (48 × 40 in), deck 150 mm.
  • Interior 11.56 m × 2.29 m × 2.50 m, payload 29,000 kg (63,934 lb).
  • Loaded pallet assumed at 700 kg gross — the one figure that can't be derived from the vessel, so it is stated rather than buried.
  • Maximum floor fit with pallets turned to their best orientation — the same basis as the widely quoted 11-in-a-20ft and 25-in-a-40ft figures. It is a geometric maximum: it assumes pallets touch, so allow a pallet or two fewer where a crew needs handling clearance, and check the door opening for the last row.

Your pallets aren't all 700 kg

Put in your real dimensions and weights and the engine packs them into a 40ft Reefer — with the 3D layout, the weight distribution and an exportable loading plan.

Pack a 40ft Reefer

Related

ContainerMathContainerMath

The industry standard for 3D container cargo packing and loading plans. Optimize layouts, maximize volume, and reduce shipping overhead.

Built by Backrock Studios
3D Container Loading CalculatorCargo Stacking SoftwareSea Freight Packing OptimizerFreight Cube UtilizationContainer Load PlannerLogistics Stowing AlgorithmNesting & Bundling Calculator2D/3D Container Stowage PlanTruck & Trailer Cargo PackerPallet Load OptimizationLogistics Dispatch SoftwareBackrock Studios

© 2026 ContainerMath. All rights reserved. All calculations and packing manifests generated using industry-standard stowing logic.