How many pallets fit on a rigid, drawbar and artic?

A typical 7.2 m rigid holds 18 euro pallets in a single layer, a drawbar combination with two bodies of roughly 7.7 m holds 36-38, and a 13.6 m artic holds 33. Those are guide figures for 1200 × 800 mm pallets with no stacking. The real answer depends on the dimensions of the specific body, the pallet format and the weight of the goods, so every vehicle has to be counted on its own.

What besides geometry decides the count

The vehicle name does not settle it. What does is the geometry of the load space and whether the goods fit not only physically but by weight. Two separate questions: how many pallet spaces can you get, and does the permitted payload let you use them all.

The carrier format changes how rows stand: a wider industrial base takes two per row instead of three, so the same body yields fewer spaces. The standards and their footprints are listed in pallet types and sizes - an identical footprint can hide different constructions, so establish the carrier type before counting, not after.

Typical figures

Where does the long-rigid figure come from? At a body width of about 2.45 m, three euro pallets stand short-side-on in one row (3 × 800 mm = 2400 mm), and 7.2 m of length takes six rows of 1200 mm. Three by six is 18 pallet spaces. Apply the same logic to a different body length and the answer changes immediately - which is why the table gives ranges rather than one number per vehicle type.

Pallet spaces versus payload

Pallet spaces describe the floor. The second and often tighter limit is payload: rigids in the common gross-weight classes carry roughly 2-3 tonnes up to low double figures, and an artic usually about 24 tonnes of freight. Those depend on the specific configuration and body, so confirm them from the documents rather than assuming from the vehicle class.

The practical consequence is that filling the floor is often impossible with heavy goods. The heavier the individual unit, the more often it is mass, not geometry, that sets the number of pallets that actually travel.

How to count without guessing

• Establish the exact pallet type, not just its footprint.
• Measure or confirm the load space dimensions of the vehicle.
• Sketch the row arrangement and check the pallets go in without clashes.
• Compare load weight against vehicle payload.
• If the goods vary in size or weight, count the variants separately.

A simple model helps: first work out how many pallets fit geometrically, then verify their combined mass against the limit. That order catches the problem before dispatch rather than at the dock.

Worked example: the same pallets, different answers

Say the shipment is 18 euro pallets at 700 kg each - 12.6 tonnes in total. On a long rigid they fit geometrically to the piece, but with a payload of 5-6 tonnes the vehicle will take at most 7 or 8 of them. The weight limit rules out a plan that looks perfect on paper.

The same load on an artic occupies a little over half the pallet spaces and leaves a wide payload margin. On a drawbar it fits easily, but has to be split across two bodies with an unloading order planned. The pallet count alone is not a decision.

The most common mistakes

Confusing the pallet standard with the footprint alone - two pallets with the same plan view can have different constructions and working parameters. Counting pallet spaces and ignoring mass: eighteen pallets at 700 kg is 12.6 tonnes, more than a large share of rigids will take. And carrying a figure between a rigid, a drawbar and an artic without confirming the dimensions of the specific body.