Both layouts
EPAL 2 covers 90.8% of the floor and 48 × 40 covers 93.8%. One EPAL 2 takes 1.20 m² and one 48 × 40 takes 1.24 m², so the count alone does not tell you which carries more goods: 20 × 1.20 = 24.0 m² against 20 × 1.24 = 24.8 m² of pallet deck.
Floor and door
The 40 ft high cube reefer container has 26.4 m² of floor (284 sq ft) inside. Pallet decks cover 24.0 m² with EPAL 2 and 24.8 m² with 48 × 40, leaving 2.4 m² and 1.7 m² of gaps.
The door opening is 2,290 mm wide, so the EPAL 2, carried narrow side first, clears it by 1,290 mm and a 48 × 40 by 1,274 mm. The EPAL 2 layout puts 9 with the 1200 mm side along the length and 11 turned with the 1000 mm side along the length; the 48 × 40 layout puts 9 with the 1219 mm side along the length and 11 turned with the 1016 mm side along the length.
Inputs
| Inside length × width | 11,588 × 2,280 mm |
|---|---|
| Inside height | 2,537 mm |
| Door opening, width × height | 2,290 × 2,502 mm |
| Guideline payload | 30,560 kg |
| EPAL 2 footprint | 1,200 × 1,000 mm |
| 48 × 40 footprint | 1,219 × 1,016 mm |
| Equipment source | SeaCube Containers. lessor payload, approximate |
How this is computed
The engine tries every split of the deck into rows of pallets placed one way and rows placed the other way, along the length and across the width, and keeps the arrangement with the most pallets. It does not overhang, mix in other pallet sizes or allow for bulging goods. The methodology page explains each step, and the load planner runs the same code on your own dimensions.