Truck and trailer dimensions
Inside measurements, payload and pallet capacity of European and North American trailers, box trucks and vans — in metric and imperial.
At a glance
- A standard European curtainsider is 13.60 m × 2.48 m inside with 2.45 m of loading height: about 82.6 m³, up to 24,000 kg and 33 Euro pallets.
- A mega trailer keeps the same floor but offers 3.00 m of loading height — about 101.2 m³.
- A US 53ft dry van is 16.00 m × 2.54 m × 2.79 m inside and takes 30 US pallets in one tier.
- A loading meter is one meter of trailer floor across the full width; a full European trailer is 13.6 LDM.
European trailers
Curtainsiders (tautliners) load from the side and the rear; the volume class — 82, 92 or 100 m³ — is set by the loading height. Reefer trailers lose a little length, width and height to insulation.
| Type | Inside L × W × H | Door W × H | Volume | Max payload | Pallets EUR / US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Curtainsider 13.6 m, standard (82 m³) | 13,600 × 2,480 × 2,450 mm 44′ 7½″ × 8′ 1½″ × 8′ 0½″ | 2,480 × 2,450 mm 8′ 1½″ × 8′ 0½″ | 82.6 m³ 2,918 ft³ | 24,000 kg 52,911 lb | 33 / 26 |
| Curtainsider 13.6 m, 2.7 m high (92 m³) | 13,600 × 2,480 × 2,700 mm 44′ 7½″ × 8′ 1½″ × 8′ 10½″ | 2,480 × 2,700 mm 8′ 1½″ × 8′ 10½″ | 91.1 m³ 3,216 ft³ | 24,000 kg 52,911 lb | 33 / 26 |
| Mega trailer 13.6 m (100 m³) | 13,600 × 2,480 × 3,000 mm 44′ 7½″ × 8′ 1½″ × 9′ 10″ | 2,480 × 3,000 mm 8′ 1½″ × 9′ 10″ | 101.2 m³ 3,573 ft³ | 24,000 kg 52,911 lb | 33 / 26 |
| Reefer trailer 13.3 m (82 m³) | 13,300 × 2,460 × 2,500 mm 43′ 7½″ × 8′ 1″ × 8′ 2½″ | 2,460 × 2,500 mm 8′ 1″ × 8′ 2½″ | 81.8 m³ 2,889 ft³ | 22,000 kg 48,502 lb | 33 / 26 |
| Reefer trailer 13.3 m, 2.8 m high (92 m³) | 13,300 × 2,460 × 2,800 mm 43′ 7½″ × 8′ 1″ × 9′ 2″ | 2,460 × 2,800 mm 8′ 1″ × 9′ 2″ | 91.6 m³ 3,235 ft³ | 22,000 kg 48,502 lb | 33 / 26 |
North American trailers
The 53ft dry van carries most US truckload freight; 48ft vans and 28ft “pup” trailers serve regional and less-than-truckload networks.
| Type | Inside L × W × H | Door W × H | Volume | Max payload | Pallets EUR / US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 53ft dry van | 16,000 × 2,540 × 2,790 mm 52′ 6″ × 8′ 4″ × 9′ 2″ | 2,490 × 2,690 mm 8′ 2″ × 8′ 10″ | 113.4 m³ 4,004 ft³ | 20,000 kg 44,092 lb | 39 / 30 |
| 48ft dry van | 14,400 × 2,540 × 2,790 mm 47′ 3″ × 8′ 4″ × 9′ 2″ | 2,490 × 2,690 mm 8′ 2″ × 8′ 10″ | 102.0 m³ 3,604 ft³ | 20,000 kg 44,092 lb | 34 / 28 |
| 28ft pup trailer | 8,380 × 2,540 × 2,690 mm 27′ 6″ × 8′ 4″ × 8′ 10″ | 2,490 × 2,640 mm 8′ 2″ × 8′ 8″ | 57.3 m³ 2,022 ft³ | 10,000 kg 22,046 lb | 20 / 16 |
| 53ft reefer trailer | 15,800 × 2,440 × 2,560 mm 51′ 10″ × 8′ 0″ × 8′ 5″ | 2,400 × 2,500 mm 7′ 10½″ × 8′ 2½″ | 98.7 m³ 3,485 ft³ | 19,500 kg 42,990 lb | 39 / 30 |
Open-deck trailers
Flatbeds, step decks, double drops and removable-gooseneck trailers carry machinery and oversize loads. The height shown is the cargo height that keeps the load within the usual 13ft 6in overall limit without a permit; limits differ by state.
| Type | Deck L × W, height | Door W × H | Volume | Max payload | Pallets EUR / US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 48ft flatbed | 14,630 × 2,590 × 2,590 mm 48′ 0″ × 8′ 6″ × 8′ 6″ | — | — | 21,700 kg 47,840 lb | 36 / 28 |
| 53ft flatbed | 16,150 × 2,590 × 2,590 mm 53′ 0″ × 8′ 6″ × 8′ 6″ | — | — | 21,700 kg 47,840 lb | 40 / 30 |
| 53ft step deck | 12,800 × 2,590 × 3,050 mm 42′ 0″ × 8′ 6″ × 10′ 0″ | — | — | 21,700 kg 47,840 lb | 30 / 24 |
| 48ft double drop | 8,840 × 2,590 × 3,560 mm 29′ 0″ × 8′ 6″ × 11′ 8″ | — | — | 18,000 kg 39,683 lb | 22 / 16 |
| RGN (removable gooseneck) | 8,840 × 2,590 × 3,560 mm 29′ 0″ × 8′ 6″ × 11′ 8″ | — | — | 38,000 kg 83,776 lb | 22 / 16 |
Box trucks
Straight trucks for local and regional delivery, named by the length of the box. A liftgate or a reefer unit costs some payload.
| Type | Inside L × W × H | Door W × H | Volume | Max payload | Pallets EUR / US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16ft box truck | 4,880 × 2,340 × 2,290 mm 16′ 0″ × 7′ 8″ × 7′ 6″ | 2,290 × 2,200 mm 7′ 6″ × 7′ 2½″ | 26.1 m³ 923 ft³ | 3,300 kg 7,275 lb | 10 / 7 |
| 20ft box truck | 6,100 × 2,340 × 2,290 mm 20′ 0″ × 7′ 8″ × 7′ 6″ | 2,290 × 2,200 mm 7′ 6″ × 7′ 2½″ | 32.7 m³ 1,154 ft³ | 4,300 kg 9,480 lb | 12 / 9 |
| 24ft box truck | 7,320 × 2,340 × 2,290 mm 24′ 0″ × 7′ 8″ × 7′ 6″ | 2,290 × 2,200 mm 7′ 6″ × 7′ 2½″ | 39.2 m³ 1,385 ft³ | 4,500 kg 9,921 lb | 15 / 12 |
| 26ft box truck | 7,920 × 2,340 × 2,290 mm 26′ 0″ × 7′ 8″ × 7′ 6″ | 2,290 × 2,200 mm 7′ 6″ × 7′ 2½″ | 42.4 m³ 1,499 ft³ | 4,500 kg 9,921 lb | 15 / 13 |
Vans
Large panel vans for urgent and small consignments.
| Type | Inside L × W × H | Door W × H | Volume | Max payload | Pallets EUR / US |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Large van, standard roof | 3,270 × 1,780 × 1,700 mm 10′ 8½″ × 5′ 10″ × 5′ 7″ | 1,560 × 1,600 mm 5′ 1½″ × 5′ 3″ | 9.9 m³ 349 ft³ | 1,500 kg 3,307 lb | 4 / 3 |
| Large van, high roof | 3,270 × 1,780 × 2,000 mm 10′ 8½″ × 5′ 10″ × 6′ 6½″ | 1,560 × 1,900 mm 5′ 1½″ × 6′ 3″ | 11.6 m³ 411 ft³ | 1,400 kg 3,086 lb | 4 / 3 |
| Large van, extended | 4,700 × 1,780 × 2,000 mm 15′ 5″ × 5′ 10″ × 6′ 6½″ | 1,560 × 1,900 mm 5′ 1½″ × 6′ 3″ | 16.7 m³ 591 ft³ | 1,300 kg 2,866 lb | 6 / 4 |
Pallets: one tier on the floor, no overhang, tight loading. Real loads often fit one or two fewer.
Figures are customary planning values from carrier and manufacturer specifications — the same equipment catalog our load planner uses. Boxes differ by a few millimeters between owners; check the carrier's spec sheet for critical loads.
The 3D load planner does the fitting.
Enter the cargo or drop in a packing list: DO IT ALL SOFT picks the containers or trucks, shows how full they are and how to load them, and shares the plan by link.
Frequently asked questions
What are the inside dimensions of a 53ft trailer?
A 53ft dry van is about 16.00 m × 2.54 m × 2.79 m inside (52′ 6″ × 8′ 4″ × 9′ 2″), with a rear door of 2.49 m × 2.69 m. It holds about 113.4 m³ and up to roughly 20,000 kg of cargo.
How many pallets fit in a 13.6 m trailer?
33 Euro pallets (1200 × 800 mm) loaded three across, or 26 pallets of 1200 × 1000 mm loaded two across, in a single tier.
How many pallets fit in a 53ft trailer?
30 standard US pallets (48 × 40 in) loaded two across with the 40in side along the trailer (“turned”), or 26 loaded “straight”, in one tier.
What is the difference between a curtainsider and a mega trailer?
Both have the 13.6 m European floor. A mega trailer has a lower deck and a higher roof: about 3.00 m of loading height and 101.2 m³, against 2.45 m and 82.6 m³ for a standard curtainsider — useful for light, bulky goods.
What is a loading meter?
A loading meter (LDM) is one meter of trailer floor across the full width of about 2.48 m. European groupage carriers bill part loads by LDM: a full trailer is 13.6 LDM, and one LDM commonly counts as 1,750 kg of chargeable weight.
How much can a box truck carry?
Typical rental-class box trucks carry from about 3,300 kg (16ft) to 4,500 kg (26ft) of cargo. A 26ft box holds about 42.4 m³ and 13 US pallets on the floor.
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