Cartons Per Pallet Calculator
Give it the carton and the pallet, and it works out Ti (cartons per layer) and Hi (layers high), then caps the stack by whichever runs out first — height or weight.
The estimate assumes cartons stay square to the pallet in one of two orientations. Real column, brick and pinwheel patterns can beat or trail it — use it to plan, then confirm on the floor.
Ti-Hi, in plain terms
Ti is how many cartons sit in one layer; Hi is how many layers you stack. Multiply them and you have cartons per pallet. That single number drives a surprising amount downstream: how many pallets your order becomes, how much of a container or trailer it fills, and what it costs to store and ship.
The layer count is never just "how tall can it go." It is the smaller of two limits:
- Height — usable stack height divided by carton height. A trailer, a rack bay or a retailer's max pallet height sets the ceiling.
- Weight — the pallet's rated load divided by the weight of a full layer. Dense product hits this long before it runs out of height.
Get either wrong and the pallet either topples or gets refused at the dock. The calculator shows which limit bit first, so you know whether to stack lighter or spread wider.
Why the pallet footprint changes the answer
The same carton yields a different Ti on a different pallet, because layer fit is pure geometry — how the carton footprint divides into the pallet footprint. A carton that wastes space on a 48 x 40 GMA pallet might pack tight on a Euro pallet, or the other way round. If you can choose the pallet, this is where you claw back cube. The standards are laid out in standard pallet dimensions.
The overhang trap
Letting cartons hang a little past the pallet edge fits more per layer, and it is tempting when a load is close to a clean number. It also weakens everything above it: an overhung carton loses the support of the pallet under its edge, crushes sooner, and snags in transit. Plenty of retailers and carriers reject overhang on sight. The default here is zero for a reason — turn it on only if you know the receiver allows it.
Common questions
What does Ti-Hi mean?
Ti is the number of cartons in one layer on the pallet; Hi is the number of layers stacked. Multiply them and you have the total cartons per pallet. The terms come from tie (the layer pattern) and high (the stack), and they are the two numbers a warehouse needs to plan a pallet.
How do you calculate cartons per pallet?
Fit the carton footprint into the pallet footprint in both orientations and take the better count - that is Ti, cartons per layer. Then divide the usable stack height by the carton height for the number of layers, and check that the total weight stays under the pallet's limit. Layers are capped by whichever runs out first, height or weight. Ti times the number of layers is the total.
What is a standard pallet size?
In North America the GMA pallet is 48 by 40 inches and about 6 inches tall empty. Europe uses the 1200 by 800 mm Euro pallet. The footprint decides how many cartons fit per layer, so the same carton yields a different Ti on a different pallet.
Can cartons overhang the pallet edge?
A small overhang fits more cartons per layer but weakens the load - cartons hanging past the edge lose support, crush more easily and can snag in transit. Many retailers and carriers refuse overhang outright. This calculator lets you add overhang to see the effect, but zero overhang is the safe default.
Want the palletizing done right?
We build pallets to retailer spec at our Kent, WA dock — the right pattern, the right height, wrapped to survive the trip.
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