What size truck do I need?
Enter your pallets, volume or heaviest load. Get the smallest box truck that fits, and whether it needs a CDL.
YOUR FREIGHT
ASSUMPTIONS (EDIT TO MATCH YOUR TRUCK)
TRUCK SIZE FINDER
SMALLEST TRUCK THAT FITS
16 ft box truck
- Pallets it holds (2 across)
- 8
- Inside volume
- 1,024 cu ft
- CDL needed?
- Enter GVWR
Box dimensions vary by manufacturer and body. Measure inside the box and read the GVWR on the door sticker before you buy or rent.
We dispatch 26 ft and larger box trucks only. For smaller trucks, see the size guides below.
How the truck size finder works
The finder checks each common box length from 12 ft up to 26 ft and returns the first one that fits both your pallet count and your volume. Past 26 ft, it points you to a semi or a larger straight truck.
Pallet math assumes standard 48 by 40 inch pallets, loaded two across (two 40 inch sides need 80 inches of width) and in rows of 48 inches down the box. Pallets = 2 x the whole number of 48 inch rows in the box length. Volume = inside length x inside width x inside height. The inside width and height are set to 96 inches as a starting point; change them to match the truck you are looking at, because bodies differ.
The CDL check uses the weight rating, not the length. If you enter the GVWR from the door sticker and the empty weight, the finder also works out payload and tells you whether your heaviest load fits.
SOURCE:eCFR, 49 CFR 383.5, OCT 2026
Box truck sizes chart
Floor pallets and volume at a 96 by 96 inch inside box. Your truck's real numbers depend on the body.
| Box length | Floor pallets (48 x 40, two across) | Volume at 96 x 96 in inside |
|---|---|---|
| 12 ft | 6 | 768 cu ft |
| 16 ft | 8 | 1,024 cu ft |
| 20 ft | 10 | 1,280 cu ft |
| 22 ft | 10 | 1,408 cu ft |
| 24 ft | 12 | 1,536 cu ft |
| 26 ft | 12 | 1,664 cu ft |
What size truck requires a CDL?
A CDL is required for a single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating or actual weight of 26,001 lb or more, for a vehicle carrying hazmat in amounts that need placards, and for vehicles designed to carry 16 or more people. Length has nothing to do with it. Two 26 ft trucks can sit on either side of the line depending on their rating.
That matters for more than the license. CDL drivers fall under DOT drug and alcohol testing, so a truck over the line also means a testing program. See our guide to drug testing requirements.
Size versus what pays
The smallest truck that fits your freight is not always the one that earns the most. Many broker loads for box trucks call for a 26 ft box with a liftgate: final mile, LTL partials, furniture and appliance freight. A 16 ft truck can be right for local moving or a single customer, but it fits fewer of those loads. Our guides on box truck sizes and the 16 ft box truck go deeper, and the profit calculator and cost per mile calculator show what a size choice does to your margins.
We dispatch box trucks 26 ft and larger. See box truck dispatch.
Questions about this calculator
Q-01What size truck do I need for 10 pallets?
With standard 48 by 40 inch pallets loaded two across, a box needs five rows of 48 inches, or 20 feet of floor. That makes a 20 ft box the smallest fit on paper, if the inside width is at least 80 inches. Leave room for straps and the liftgate, and check the weight against the payload.
Q-02What size truck requires a CDL?
Any single truck with a GVWR or actual weight of 26,001 lb or more needs a CDL, as does a truck hauling placarded hazmat or a vehicle designed for 16 or more people. The weight rating on the door sticker decides it, not the box length. Many 26 ft box trucks are built at 26,000 lb or less.
Q-03What is the biggest box truck size?
26 ft is the longest box you will commonly find on a truck rated at or under 26,000 lb. Longer straight trucks exist; check their weight rating, because a heavier rating means a CDL.
Q-04How do I find a box truck's payload?
Subtract the truck's empty weight, with fuel and the driver, from its GVWR on the door sticker. What is left is what you can legally carry. A liftgate, a reefer unit or a heavy body all cut into payload, so weigh the truck empty on a certified scale if you can.
Q-05How many pallets fit in a 26 ft box truck?
With standard 48 by 40 inch pallets loaded two across, a 26 ft box fits 12 on the floor: six rows of 48 inches use 24 feet, leaving a little space at the door. That assumes an inside width of at least 80 inches. Stacking or turned pallets change the count.
Ryan, TruckSwing dispatch desk
UPDATED OCTOBER 2026 · EDITORIAL POLICY
Running a 26 ft box or bigger?
We dispatch box trucks 26 ft and larger, and semis of every kind. You approve every load.