Pallet sizes and dimension limits for LTL freight

Pallet dimensions decide three things in LTL: whether the freight fits the equipment, which fees apply, and (through density) what freight class you pay. A couple of inches of overhang or bulge can move all three.

By Ryan Poynter, SVP of LTL, Armstrong Transport Group · Updated September 24, 2026

Standard pallet sizes

Sizes are written length × width, where length is the stringer (or the side the forklift doesn’t enter on a two-way pallet). The 48 × 40 dominates because two of them sit side by side across a US trailer with room to spare. Euro pallets are narrower, so they fit three across; a 1200 × 1000 mm pallet behaves roughly like a 48 × 40.

Trailer interior and door dimensions

LTL freight often rides in 28-foot “pup” trailers pulled in pairs, and moves in 53-foot vans on some lanes. The door opening, not the interior, is usually the tightest point.

Dimensions vary by manufacturer, model year and wall construction. Federal rules cap trailer width at 102 inches outside on the National Network (FHWA), which is why inside widths cluster around 100 inches.

How many pallets fit

Single-stacked floor positions, best of lengthwise or turned loading, ignoring weight limits. A 48 × 40 loaded lengthwise fits 12 in a pup and 26 in a 53’ van; turned, the counts rise because two 48-inch sides (96 inches) still fit across.

How tall can a pallet be?

There are three different height limits, and the lowest one that applies to your shipment wins:

1. The door. The pup spec above lists a 104-inch door opening; 53’ vans run a bit taller. Freight also has to clear the forklift mast and the terminal’s dock doors, so treat anything over about 96 inches as a call-ahead item.
2. The liftgate. Estes may decline liftgate service for a handling unit over 72 inches tall, 84 inches long or 48 inches wide on the gate, or over 2,000 lb (Item 567, EXLA 105, effective January 2, 2026). R+L lists a 48 × 60 inch platform limit and 2,000 lb per pallet (R+L liftgate, as of September 2026). Check the carrier’s current tariff.
3. The cubic rules. Tall pallets that can’t have freight on top are billed as if they used the full height of the trailer (next section).

Stackable vs. non-stackable

A stackable pallet lets the carrier use the space above it. A non-stackable one (fragile, pointed, pyramided, or marked “do not stack”) takes that space away from everyone, and carriers price for that:

• Old Dominion cubes an article at a 96-inch height when other freight can’t be loaded on top because of its nature, packaging, pyramided or rounded-off palletizing, or shipper instructions (Item 610-1, ODFL 100-Q).
• XPO uses a minimum 96-inch height for any article 75 inches or taller when applying its cubic capacity rule (Item 233, CNWY 199-AK.1, February 2026).
• Estes treats the height as 84 inches for its cubic capacity minimum when the BOL or packaging prohibits using the space above the freight (Item 615, EXLA 105).

Here’s what that does to a 55.6-cubic-foot, 600 lb pallet that measures 48 × 40 × 50 inches. On its real dimensions it’s 10.8 lb per cubic foot. Cubed at 96 inches it becomes 106.7 cubic feet and 5.6 pcf. Those rules apply once a shipment crosses the carrier’s cubic thresholds (typically 350 cubic feet or more), but the lesson holds for any shipment: don’t mark freight do-not-stack unless it truly can’t take weight, and flat-top your pallets so it can.

Overhang and length

Carriers measure the freight, not the pallet. If cartons stick out past the deck, the overhang becomes your length or width. XPO’s lineal foot rule, for one, calculates each handling unit on its maximum length, width and height. Overhang also exposes cartons to forklift tines and neighboring pallets, which is a common source of freight claims.

Length has its own fees. Old Dominion’s excessive-dimension item starts at 8 feet, with higher tiers at 12 and 20 feet, and articles over 27 feet 3 inches are accepted at the carrier’s discretion (Item 670-5, ODFL 100-Q, revised June 2026). Other carriers use different breakpoints and fees; compare them in overlength fees by carrier.

How dimensions change your freight class

Most freight now gets an estimated density-based freight class from pounds per cubic foot, using the 13-tier scale NMFTA adopted effective July 19, 2025 (some commodities keep item-specific classes). Density is weight ÷ cubic feet, so every inch counts. Two real-world examples:

Three inches of overhang or two inches of bulge moved each pallet up a class. Here’s why that matters in dollars. Across Armstrong shipments of 500–999 lb in September 2025 – August 2026, typical all-in prices by class looked like this:

All-in rates Armstrong customers paid, including fuel and any accessorials; middle 50% of shipments. Not a quote or guarantee. See how we calculate these figures.

Class is not the only driver in that table, since heavier-class freight also skews toward different lanes, but the pattern is consistent: less dense freight costs more to move. Run your own numbers in the freight density calculator and read what is freight class? for the full tier table.

How to measure a pallet the way the carrier will

1. Measure after wrapping and banding, with the freight on the pallet.
2. Take length and width at the widest points, including overhang, and height from the floor to the highest point, including the pallet deck.
3. Round up to the next whole inch in your own records. Carrier dimensioning equipment measures the outermost points, not the average.
4. Weigh on a certified scale; write each pallet’s dimensions and weight on the bill of lading.
5. Keep a photo with a tape measure in frame. It’s the fastest way to win a dispute. See reweighs and reclasses.

Quick rules for pallet building

• Keep cartons inside the deck edges; no overhang.
• Build square and flat-topped so the pallet is stackable.
• Stay under about 96 inches tall, or 72 inches with a liftgate delivery.
• Keep liftgate pallets under 2,000 lb and 48 inches wide.
• Anything 8 feet or longer: check overlength fees before you book.
• Six or more pallets: see volume LTL; heavy freight: see LTL weight limits.

For typical prices by weight and distance, see the pallet shipping cost guide and the lane pages; for a start-to-finish walkthrough, see how to ship a pallet.