Floor positions
- Take the inside length and width of the container or trailer from the cited source, in millimetres.
- Take the pallet footprint as EPAL publishes it (or the stated footprint for non-EPAL pallets).
- Split the deck along its length into a run of rows. In each row, pallets sit with one side along the length or turned 90°. Across the width, allow up to three strips, each holding pallets in one orientation.
- Try every combination with a dynamic search over the row lengths and keep the arrangement with the most pallets.
- Repeat with 100 mm removed from the length and 50 mm from the width. That is the "with clearance" figure.
For example, in the 13.6 m trailer (13,620 × 2,480 mm inside, from the DP World Euroliner spec) the engine places 34 EPAL 1 pallets on the full deck and 33 with clearance.
Stacks of empty pallets
Divide the lower of the inside height and the door height by the pallet's published height and round down. Multiply by the number of positions with clearance. Multiply by the pallet's published weight and compare with the guideline payload where the source gives one.
What the method leaves out
- Overhang, mixed pallet sizes and pinwheel patterns that do not fit the row model.
- Air channels in reefers, load securing, and axle-load limits on road trailers.
- Variation between builders and ages of containers. Measure the actual unit for a tight load.
Checks
Automated tests assert known results, such as 11 EPAL 1 pallets in a 20 ft dry container and 30 pallets of 48 × 40 in in CN's 53 ft domestic container, which matches CN's own published figure. They also check that no pallet overlaps another or leaves the deck.
Sources and reviews
Every factual sheet cites the documents it draws on, with a "last reviewed" date. The build fails if a sheet is missing a source, a required field or enough unique content. Figures we could not verify are left out, not estimated. The full list is on the sources page.