Linear feet calculator
Enter your pallets and whether they stack. You get the linear feet of trailer the shipment takes, loaded the usual way and turned, the share of the trailer, and whether it is in linear foot rule territory.
Inputs
Result
Linear feet by number of pallets
Standard 48 × 40 pallets, two across a 100 in wide trailer. “Straight” is the 48 in side front to back, the way most docks load; “turned” is the 40 in side front to back.
| Pallets | Straight, ft | Turned, ft | Double stacked, ft |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 3.3 | 4 |
| 2 | 4 | 3.3 | 4 |
| 3 | 8 | 6.7 | 4 |
| 4 | 8 | 6.7 | 4 |
| 5 | 12 | 10.0 | 8 |
| 6 | 12 | 10.0 | 8 |
| 7 | 16 | 13.3 | 8 |
| 8 | 16 | 13.3 | 8 |
| 9 | 20 | 16.7 | 12 |
| 10 | 20 | 16.7 | 12 |
| 11 | 24 | 20.0 | 12 |
| 12 | 24 | 20.0 | 12 |
| 14 | 28 | 23.3 | 16 |
| 16 | 32 | 26.7 | 16 |
| 18 | 36 | 30.0 | 20 |
| 20 | 40 | 33.3 | 20 |
| 22 | 44 | 36.7 | 24 |
| 24 | 48 | 40.0 | 24 |
| 26 | 52 | 43.3 | 28 |
How linear feet are calculated
A linear foot is one foot of trailer floor, measured front to back, whatever the height of the freight. Standard 48 × 40 pallets ride two across, so each row of two takes 48 inches, or 4 linear feet. Ten pallets make five rows: 5 × 48 ÷ 12 = 20 linear feet. An odd pallet still takes a whole row, which is why five pallets take 12 feet, not 10.
Height does not count, which is why stacking matters so much: two stackable pallets on one floor position take the same floor as one. Turning pallets so the 40 in side runs front to back saves 8 inches a row, but only if the carrier loads them that way.
The linear foot rule
LTL rates assume freight dense enough to share the trailer. A shipment that is light for the space it takes, long, or not stackable, uses up room the carrier could have sold. So most LTL carriers have a linear foot rule (also called a capacity load or cubic capacity rule) in their tariff: once a shipment takes more than a set amount of trailer, commonly somewhere from 10 to 16 linear feet, the carrier can re-rate it, often by charging a minimum weight for every linear foot it uses.
The trigger and the charge differ from carrier to carrier, so check the rules tariff of the carrier you are booking. When a shipment is near or over the line, ask for a volume LTL or partial truckload quote as well; for large, light shipments it is often cheaper than standard LTL.
How to use fewer linear feet
- Stack. If the product can take the weight, build pallets that are rated and labelled stackable, and say so on the bill of lading.
- Build to the pallet. Overhang adds to the length the carrier measures. The pallet calculator finds the pattern that fits most cartons on the deck.
- Combine. Two half-empty pallets cost more floor than one full one.
- Know your density. Freight that is dense for its size is less likely to be re-rated; the freight density calculator shows where yours sits.
Questions
How do you calculate linear feet for LTL freight?
Work out how many floor positions the pallets need (divide by 2 if they can be double stacked), divide by the number that fit across the trailer (2 for standard pallets), round up to whole rows, multiply by the pallet length that runs front to back, and divide by 12. Ten standard pallets: 5 rows × 48 in = 240 in = 20 linear feet.
How many linear feet is a 48 inch pallet?
A single 48 × 40 pallet takes 4 linear feet when loaded with the 48 in side front to back. Two pallets side by side share those 4 feet, so in a full row each pallet uses 2 linear feet.
How many linear feet are in a 53 foot trailer?
53 feet nominally, about 52.5 feet of usable inside length on a typical dry van. That holds 26 standard pallets loaded straight, two across, in 13 rows of 4 feet.
What is the linear foot rule in LTL shipping?
A tariff rule that lets an LTL carrier re-rate a shipment that takes up more than a set length of trailer, commonly 10 to 16 linear feet, usually by charging a minimum weight for each linear foot. The threshold and charge vary by carrier, so check the carrier's rules tariff.
Does stacking pallets reduce linear feet?
Yes. Linear feet only measure floor length, so two stackable pallets on one position take the same floor as one. Ten stackable pallets take 12 linear feet instead of 20.
How many pallets is 10 linear feet?
Standard 48 × 40 pallets, loaded two across: 10 linear feet holds two full rows (8 ft) plus part of a third, so 4 pallets fit within 10 feet and a fifth starts a new row at 12 feet. Loaded turned, five pallets fit in 10 ft (rows of 40 in).
More LTL freight calculators
Freight class calculator
Freight class from your pallet dimensions and weight, on the 13-sub NMFC density scale.
Freight density calculator
Pounds per cubic foot for one piece or a pallet, and the class band it falls in.
Pallet calculator
Cartons per pallet with a real packing solver, and how many pallets fit in a 53 ft trailer, box truck or container.
Fuel surcharge calculator
Surcharge per mile from the diesel price, base price and mpg, with the all-in rate.