Pallet pile size calculator
Count the stacks, say how tall they are, and get an estimated pallet count, the floor space, the vehicle it takes and whether a forklift helps. No need to count every pallet.
How the estimate works
Pallets per stack is the stack height divided by the height of one pallet, rounded down. Multiply by the number of stacks for the count. Floor space is the number of stacks times the footprint (48 by 40 inches is about 13.3 square feet). The vehicle is the smallest one whose usual capacity covers the count.
Default heights
| Type | Default height | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wood stringer pallet | 5.5 in | The common 48x40 grocery-style pallet: three long boards (stringers) between the decks. About 5 to 6 inches tall. |
| Wood block pallet | 6 in | Nine wooden blocks between the decks, so a forklift can enter from all four sides. Slightly taller than a stringer pallet. |
| Skid (no bottom deck) | 4.5 in | A top deck on runners with no bottom boards. Lower than a pallet, so more fit in a stack. |
| Plastic pallet | 6 in | Rackable and stackable plastic pallets are about 5 to 6 inches tall. Nestable ones sit inside each other and stack far tighter: measure a stack of ten and divide. |
| Wood crate | Measure one | Crates vary too much for a useful default. Measure one crate's height and footprint and enter them. |
Body-height shortcuts
knee high: about 20 in · waist high: about 38 in · chest high: about 52 in · head high: about 66 in · over my head: about 84 in. They assume an average adult; measure if you can.
Pallets per vehicle
| Vehicle | Typical capacity | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup truck | about 10 to 20 | A full-size pickup bed takes one or two stacks, depending on bed length and how high it is safe to stack. |
| 16 ft box truck | about 60 to 100 | Eight floor positions two-wide, stacked by hand or with a pallet jack. |
| 26 ft box truck | about 150 to 220 | Twelve to fourteen floor positions. Stacking near the roof usually takes a forklift. |
| 53 ft trailer | about 400 to 600 | A full truckload. Loaded at a dock with a forklift. |
When a forklift helps
A driver can hand-load a small pile. From about 25 pallets a forklift or pallet jack shortens the pickup, and from about 100, or with stacks above head height, it's recommended: unstacking a tall stack by hand is slow and unsafe.
Three reference piles
More on method and messy piles: estimating a pile without counting and how many pallets fit in a truck. You're welcome to cite these figures.