Trailer cube and load volume calculator
Enter your inside dimensions and the freight. See the cubic feet used, the payload used and whether the load fills the space or the scale first.
INSIDE THE BOX OR TRAILER
THE FREIGHT
CUBE AND WEIGHT
THIS LOAD WILL
Weigh out first
- Space inside
- 1,664 cu ft
- Freight volume
- 800 cu ft
- Freight weight
- 9,600 lb
- Density
- 12.0 lb per cu ft
- Most pieces that fit (space and payload)
- 12
Raw volume. Real loads lose space to pallet gaps, door and wheel wells, and freight that cannot stack. Use it as a ceiling.
Heavy freight hits your payload before the box is full. We match loads to your ratings, as well as the floor space.
Get loads that fit my truckHow the cube and weight check works
- Space = inside length (ft) x inside width (in) / 12 x inside height (in) / 12.
- Freight volume = pieces x length x width x height (in) / 1,728.
- Space used = freight volume / space. Payload used = pieces x weight each / payload.
- Whichever is higher is the limit: cube out or weigh out.
EXAMPLE 26 FT BOX
Box truck cubic feet in practice
Raw cubic feet is a ceiling, not a promise. Pallets leave gaps; furniture and appliances cannot always stack; wheel wells and the door frame eat space. If your freight cubes out well before the payload, you have room to take more weight; if it weighs out, take lighter freight or fewer pieces.
Density, pounds per cubic foot, tells you which freight suits your truck. Dense freight like paper or tiles weighs out a box truck quickly; light freight like furniture or e-commerce parcels cubes out first.
Check the weight side in detail with the max payload calculator, and see our guides on box truck weight and reefer box truck loads. For fuel on a heavy load, the fill-up cost calculator helps. Our dispatchers match loads to your box before they reach you; see box truck dispatch.
Questions about this calculator
Q-01How many cubic feet is a 26 ft box truck?
26 ft box truck cubic feet = inside length times inside width times inside height, in feet. A 26 ft box measuring 96 by 96 inches inside holds about 1,664 cubic feet. Bodies differ in inside width and height, so measure yours: a few inches either way changes the total by over a hundred cubic feet.
Q-02What does cube out vs weigh out mean?
A load cubes out when it fills the space before it reaches the payload, which happens with light, bulky freight. It weighs out when it reaches the payload before the space is full, which happens with dense freight. The calculator shows which comes first for your load.
Q-03How do I use a cubic feet calculator for freight?
Multiply each piece's length, width and height in inches, divide by 1,728 to get cubic feet, and multiply by the number of pieces. Compare the total with the space inside your box or trailer. Leave room for gaps, straps and freight that cannot be stacked.
Q-04How do I find my box truck's cubic feet?
Measure inside, wall to wall and floor to ceiling, at the narrowest points. Wheel wells, the door frame and any shelving take space. Multiply length by width by height in feet. The number on a rental ad or brochure may be measured differently.
Ryan, TruckSwing dispatch desk
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026 · EDITORIAL POLICY
Loads that fit your space and your scale
We match loads to your box and your ratings before they reach you. You approve every load.