Fill every inch of the trailer.
A 53-foot trailer costs the same whether you put 20 pallets in it or 30. Freight is priced by the truck, not the pallet, so every empty foot is money you already spent. Turn a standard 48x40 pallet sideways and the same truck carries 30 instead of 26.
Download the Guide (PDF)How many pallets fit in a 53-foot dry van?
Pallet counts for a 53-foot, 102-inch-wide dry van, single layer, for the nine pallet sizes you are most likely to ship.
| Pallet (L x W) | Straight | Side loaded | Pinwheeled |
|---|---|---|---|
| 48x48 | 26 | 26 | 26 |
| 48x40 (standard) | 26 | 30 | 28 |
| 45x48 | 28 | 26 | 26 |
| 42x42 | 30 | 30 | 30 |
| 40x48 | 30 | 26 | 28 |
| 36x36 | 34 | 34 | 34 |
| 44x44 | 28 | 28 | 28 |
| 48x36 | 26 | 34 | 30 |
| 48x20 | 65 | 62 | – |
Single layer, no double stacking. Loaded straight, the first number (L) runs down the length of the trailer; side loaded turns the pallet 90 degrees. That is why 48x40 and 40x48 show mirrored counts: they are the same pallet facing different ways.
Three ways to load a 48x40 pallet
Same pallet, same trailer, three different counts. The difference is all in the width.
Straight
26 palletsThe 40-inch side faces the door, 48 inches runs down the trailer. Two across uses 80 of the 102 inches, so 22 inches of width rides empty for all 53 feet.
Side loaded
30 palletsTurn the pallet so the 48-inch side runs across the trailer. Two across uses 96 of the 102 inches. Each row is 40 inches long instead of 48, so you fit 15 rows instead of 13.
Pinwheeled
28 palletsAlternate straight and side-loaded pallets down each wall. It spreads the weight more evenly, but it costs you two pallets against a full side load.
Drawn to scale for a 53-foot, 102-inch-wide dry van. The doors are on the right.
Where the four pallets come from
A dry van is 102 inches wide. Two pallets loaded straight take up 80 of them, leaving 22 inches of dead space along the walls. Side loaded, two pallets take up 96, leaving 6. That gap adds up over 53 feet.
At 100 pallets a week to Amazon, loading straight takes 3.85 trucks. Side loaded, it takes 3.33. That is the difference between four trucks and three and change, every week.
Why ZonPrep cares
Pallet math decides what it costs to get your freight to us. Load tight and you pay for fewer trucks into McDonough. Once it lands, we break your pallets down and floor-load full truckloads to Amazon’s regional cross-docks, because that’s what Amazon’s regional facilities are built to receive.
Trailer loading FAQ
How many pallets fit in a 53-foot trailer?
A 53-foot, 102-inch-wide dry van fits 26 standard 48x40 pallets loaded straight and 30 when side loaded, single stacked. Pinwheeling the same pallets fits 28.
What does side loading a pallet mean?
Side loading means turning the pallet so its 48-inch side runs across the trailer instead of down its length. Two side-loaded 48x40 pallets use 96 of a dry van's 102 inches of width.
What is pinwheeling a trailer?
Pinwheeling alternates straight and side-loaded pallets down the trailer. It helps spread the weight, and fits 28 standard 48x40 pallets in a 53-foot dry van, two fewer than a full side load.