Quick answer
How many pallets fit on a truck?
Counted in Australian standard pallets on the floor: a ute takes 1, a courier van 2, a large van 3, a 2 tonne truck 4, a 4 tonne or 6 pallet truck 6, an 8 pallet truck 8, a 10 pallet rigid 10, a 12 pallet rigid 12, a 14 pallet rigid 14, a heavy rigid 16, a semi trailer 22 and a B-double 34. On the small classes the weight runs out before the floor: a 2 tonne truck carries 1,900 kg, which is 475 kg a pallet. Take your heaviest pallet, multiply by the count, and check that against the payload before you count positions.
Pallet positions for every vehicle class we run, with the payload beside them, because the positions on their own will send you to the wrong truck.
| Vehicle | Pallet positions | Payload | Per position | Max height | Licence |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ute | 1 | 1,000 kg | 1,000 kg | 1.2 m | C |
| Courier Van | 2 | 1,100 kg | 550 kg | 1.7 m | C |
| Large Van | 3 | 1,400 kg | 466 kg | 1.8 m | C |
| 2 Tonne Truck | 4 | 1,900 kg | 475 kg | 2 m | C |
| 4 Tonne Truck | 6 | 3,990 kg | 665 kg | 2.2 m | LR |
| 6 Pallet Truck | 6 | 3,790 kg | 631 kg | 2.2 m | LR |
| 8 Pallet Truck | 8 | 5,200 kg | 650 kg | 2.3 m | MR |
| 10 Pallet Rigid | 10 | 7,500 kg | 750 kg | 2.3 m | MR |
| 12 Pallet Rigid | 12 | 9,000 kg | 750 kg | 2.4 m | MR |
| 14 Pallet Rigid | 14 | 12,000 kg | 857 kg | 2.5 m | HR |
| Heavy Rigid | 16 | 12,500 kg | 781 kg | 2.5 m | HR |
| Semi Trailer | 22 | 24,000 kg | 1,090 kg | 2.5 m | HC |
| B-double | 34 | 40,000 kg | 1,176 kg | 2.5 m | MC |
Positions are Australian standard 1165 by 1165 mm pallets on the floor. Per position is the payload divided by the positions, which is the heaviest average pallet that vehicle can carry while it is full.
Loading diagrams: how the pallets sit on each deck
Top view of every deck with the positions drawn and numbered, two across wherever the deck is at least 2.3 m wide inside. Standard 1165 pallets are square, so turning one does not buy a position. Schematics from the configuration on file, decks drawn to their internal length and width.
Is a truck limited by floor space or by weight?
Everyone counts the floor. The weight is what actually stops you, and it stops you sooner on the smaller classes. A 2 tonne truck has four positions and 1,900 kg, which is 475 kg a pallet. Put four 700 kg pallets on it and you are 900 kg over, with the floor looking fine. Go the other way and a semi at 22 positions carries nearly 1,100 kg a pallet, so light freight fills the deck long before the axles care.
The practical rule: take your heaviest pallet, multiply by how many you are sending, and check that against the payload column before you look at the positions column. If the two disagree, the payload wins.
What quietly costs you a pallet position?
- Height. Every class has a limit, from 1.2 m on a ute to 2.5 m on the heavy vehicles. Over it and the pallet either moves to another vehicle or takes two positions.
- Footprint. Positions are counted in Australian standard 1165. A Euro at 1200 by 800 or an export pallet at 1200 by 1000 does not tessellate the same way and can cost you space that looks like it should be there.
- Overhang. Freight wider than the pallet is freight wider than the position. It is the most common reason a load that was quoted as eight pallets arrives as nine.
Get a price for your load Every vehicle, side by side What pallet delivery costs
Questions about pallets and truck capacity
How many pallets fit in a truck?
It depends entirely on the truck, and the honest range in Australia runs from one on a ute to 34 on a b-double. The table above gives the pallet positions for every class we run. The number that catches people out is not the positions though, it is the weight.
How many pallets fit in a 12 pallet rigid?
Twelve standard 1165 pallets, two across and six along on an 8.5 m deck, with about 9,000 kg of payload, which is 750 kg a position. The diagram above shows the positions. Heavier pallets than that and the weight runs out before the floor does; the 14 pallet rigid or a semi is the next step.
How many pallets can an 8 tonne truck carry?
Eight pallet positions, with about 5,200 kg of payload, which is roughly 650 kg a position. If your pallets are lighter than that you fill the floor first. If they are heavier you run out of weight with floor space left over.
How many pallets fit on a semi trailer in Australia?
Twenty two positions on a standard semi, with about 24,000 kg of payload, which works out near 1,091 kg a position. A B double doubles the deck to 34 positions and 40,000 kg.
What limits it, the floor or the weight?
Whichever runs out first, and it is the weight more often than people expect. Divide the payload by the pallet positions and you get the heaviest average pallet that vehicle can carry while full. On a 2 tonne truck that is 475 kg. A load of 675 kg pallets fills the weight before the floor, and you are paying for positions you cannot use.
What is a standard pallet size in Australia?
The Australian standard pallet is 1165 by 1165 mm, which is the one most domestic freight moves on and the one these positions are counted in. Euro is 1200 by 800 and export is commonly 1100 by 1100 or 1200 by 1000. A non standard footprint can cost you a position even when it looks like it should fit.
Does pallet height matter?
Yes, and it is the limit people forget. Every class has a maximum freight height in the table above, from 1.2 m on a ute to 2.5 m on the heavy vehicles. Anything over the limit either goes on a different vehicle or takes two positions, and either way it changes the price.
How many skids is a full truckload?
In Australia a full load usually means a semi at 22 pallets or a B double at 34. Anything under that is part load or shared freight, where you pay for the positions you use rather than the whole vehicle.
Can I just get a price for my load?
Yes, and it is faster than working it out. Tell us the pallet count, the rough weight each and the two suburbs. On our two published lanes the price is already on the site. Everything else comes back the same business day.
Palletised freight and final mile across Australia. Pricing a job? See what pallet delivery costs. There is a page for every vehicle in the fleet with its deck and payload. The Sydney to Melbourne, Sydney to Brisbane, Sydney to Newcastle, Sydney to Wollongong, Sydney to the Central Coast, Sydney to Canberra, Sydney to the Mid North Coast, Sydney to the Central West, Sydney to Adelaide, Newcastle to Sydney, Melbourne to Sydney and Brisbane to Sydney lanes carry their own pages. If you need the pallets too, we supply those as well.
Related questions
- How many pallets fit in a 20 or 40 foot container?
- What does pallet delivery cost?
- Can I send one to six pallets without paying for a truck?
- When is a pallet pickup free?
Page updated 16 October 2026. Facts on this page are kept in step with the facts page; terms are explained in the glossary; the suburbs we stop at are on the areas page. Written by the team at 360 Operations Group, Prestons NSW; follow 360 on LinkedIn.