Worked example
Ten 48 × 40 inch pallets, not stackable, going into a 53 foot dry van with 100 inches of inside width.
- Turn the pallets so the 40 inch side runs across the trailer. Two of them come to 80 inches, which clears 100, so you get 2 across.
- Ten pallets at two per row is 5 rows.
- Each row is 48 inches deep, so 5 × 48 ÷ 12 = 20 linear feet, which is 38% of the trailer.
Twenty linear feet is comfortably past most carriers’ linear foot threshold, so this shipment is worth pricing as a volume quote as well as a standard class rate.
The formula
Across = 2 if 2 × short side ≤ trailer width, else 1 Floor spots = pallets (÷ 2 and rounded up, if stackable) Rows = ⌈floor spots ÷ across⌉ Linear feet = rows × long side (in) ÷ 12
The short side is whichever pallet dimension is smaller, because that is the side a loader turns across the trailer to fit two side by side. The long side sets how deep each row is, and therefore how much floor the shipment blocks.
Why linear feet cost you money
An LTL trailer has about 53 feet of floor. Once your freight blocks a stretch of it, nothing else can go there, whatever it weighs. That is why carriers stopped pricing purely on weight and class for big shipments and added linear foot rules: a shipment that takes a third of the trailer has to pay for a third of the trailer.
Most carriers apply the rule somewhere between 8 and 12 linear feet, though a few start as low as 6. Cross the line and the shipment usually reprices as a volume or capacity load, which can be several times a class rate. Knowing your linear feet before you book is the difference between quoting a job and eating a correction.
Common mistakes
- Assuming everything stacks. Stacking halves your floor space, so it is tempting to tick the box. Only do it if the freight, the packaging and the carrier all agree, because crushed goods cost more than the extra linear feet would have.
- Loading pallets the long way across. Put the 48 inch side across a 100 inch trailer and only one pallet fits per row, which doubles your linear feet for no reason.
- Forgetting overhang. Measure the freight, not the pallet. A 48 × 40 pallet with boxes hanging two inches over each side behaves like a 52 × 44 pallet and can cost you the second slot in the row.
- Ignoring the carrier’s threshold. The rule is in the rules tariff, not the rate sheet, and it varies. Check the number for the carrier you are actually booking.
- Confusing linear feet with cubic feet. Linear feet measure floor length only. A half-height pallet takes exactly as many linear feet as a full-height one.
FAQ
What is a linear foot in trucking?
One foot of trailer length across the full width of the trailer, floor to ceiling. Carriers bill on the floor space your freight blocks, not the cube it fills, because nothing else can go in that space.
When do LTL carriers charge by linear feet?
Most carriers apply a linear foot rule somewhere between 8 and 12 linear feet, and some start as low as 6. Past the threshold the shipment moves to volume or capacity pricing, which is usually far more expensive than a class rate. Check the rules tariff for the specific carrier before you book.
Does the trailer length change my linear feet?
No. Linear feet depend only on your pallets and how they sit on the floor. Trailer length only tells you what share of the trailer you are taking, which is the number the carrier compares against its capacity rule.
How do I count linear feet for stacked pallets?
Two stacked pallets take one floor position, so a stackable shipment needs half the floor spots. Only count it as stackable if the freight, the packaging and the carrier all allow it.
Do 48 x 40 pallets always fit two across?
Yes, in a standard dry van. Two 40 inch sides come to 80 inches, which clears the roughly 98 to 100 inch inside width with room to spare. Turn them so the 48 inch side runs down the trailer and you get two per row.
Rules last checked: Sep 24, 2026
Estimate only. Confirm with your carrier before booking.