Freight Planning Tools
Quick, free calculators built on the same engine that powers LoadLab.AI. Answer a freight question in seconds — then run your real orders through the full optimizer when you're ready.
Pallet Fit Calculator
How many pallets fit on a 53′ or 48′ trailer? Check your exact load by trailer type, pallet size, and weight — including when you weigh out before the floor is full.
FTL vs LTL Cost Calculator
Should this shipment go full truckload or less-than-truckload? Compare estimated cost by weight, distance, and pallet count to find the cheaper mode.
Axle Weight Calculator
Is your load road-legal? Estimate steer, drive, and trailer axle weights and check them against the 12k / 34k / 34k and 80,000 lb federal limits.
Freight planning questions, answered
- How many pallets fit on a 53-foot trailer?
- A standard 53′ dry van fits 26 standard 48″×40″ GMA pallets loaded straight in a single layer, or up to 30 turned. Double-stacked, roughly 52–60 if weight and height allow. The real limit is usually weight — a dry van caps near 48,000 lb of payload. Check your exact load →
- What are the federal axle weight limits for a truck?
- Under U.S. federal law the steer axle is limited to 12,000 lb, the drive and trailer tandem axle groups to 34,000 lb each, and the gross combination weight to 80,000 lb. A load can be under the 80,000 lb gross limit and still be illegal if one axle group is overweight.
- When should I ship FTL instead of LTL?
- Full truckload (FTL) is usually cheaper once a shipment fills most of a trailer — roughly 10+ pallets or about 15,000 lb. Below that, less-than-truckload (LTL) is typically cheaper because you pay only for the space you use. The break-even depends on weight, pallet count, distance, and freight class.
The tools answer one question. The optimizer answers all of them.
Paste your production plan and LoadLab.AI builds the fewest, cheapest, road-legal trucks — pallet packing, consolidation, axle and weight checks, and the savings, all at once.
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