Most loads are booked by weight and pallet count, but the questions that bite are about size: will that machine clear the van's side walls, will that crate stand under 13 ft 6 in on a flatbed, will 26 pallets fit in a 26 ft box. This checker answers them before you commit the truck.
How it is calculated
The checker compares three numbers against three numbers:
- Spare length = usable length − freight length
- Spare width = usable width − freight width
- Spare height = usable height − freight height
If all three are zero or more, it fits. For open decks, usable height is the legal height minus the deck height, and the checker also shows the overall loaded height = deck height + freight height, because that is what the bridge sees.
Space used = freight volume ÷ usable volume. It tells you how much room is left for other freight, not how the load should be secured.
Starting dimensions
Every trailer is a little different, so the usable space is editable. The defaults are typical figures:
| Equipment | Usable length | Width | Height |
|---|---|---|---|
| 53 ft dry van | about 52 ft 6 in | 101 in (sheet) | 110 in at the front (sheet) |
| 53 ft reefer | about 51 ft 6 in | about 98 in | about 102 in |
| 48 ft flatbed | 48 ft | 102 in | 13 ft 6 in minus a 60 in deck |
| 53 ft step deck, lower | about 42 ft | 102 in | 13 ft 6 in minus a 40 in deck |
| 26 ft box truck | up to 25 ft 11 in | up to 8 ft 1 in | up to 8 ft 7 in |
A 26 ft box truck measures just under 26 feet inside because of its walls; we dispatch box trucks 26 ft and up only. Measure your own trailer and type the numbers in: door openings, wheel wells, reefer chutes and logistics posts all take inches.
A worked example
A crated generator, 14 ft long, 92 inches wide and 112 inches tall:
- In a 53 ft dry van: width fits with 9 inches spare, but height is 2 inches over the 110-inch interior. No.
- On a 48 ft flatbed: the deck at 60 inches puts the top at 172 inches, over 13 ft 6 in. No, not without a permit.
- On a step deck's lower deck at 40 inches: the top sits at 152 inches, 10 inches under 13 ft 6 in. Yes.
That is the step deck's whole reason to exist.
Good and bad results
- Fits with room: book it, then check weight and axle spread with the axle weight calculator.
- Fits by an inch: measure again. Pallets bulge, crates have skids, and doors are smaller than the box.
- Over on width or height on an open deck: that is an over-dimension load and needs state permits.
- Over inside a van: switch to an open deck, or split the load.
For pallets, plan the layout with the trailer load planner. How long a full rig runs with a 53 ft trailer is covered in semi truck length with a 53 ft trailer, and lighting connections in semi truck trailer wiring. Pulling someone else's trailer instead? See power only dispatch.
Results are estimates from the numbers you enter. Check the trailer's own spec plate, and your route's height limits, before you load.
SOURCES
- Wabash, DuraPlate dry van product sheet: 53 ft x 102-3/8 in x 13 ft 6 in; interior width 101 in sidewall to sidewall; interior height 110-1/4 in front, 111-1/4 in rear (checked 2026-10)
- Penske Truck Rental: 22 to 26 ft box truck, non-CDL: interior up to 25 ft 11 in x 8 ft 1 in x 8 ft 7 in, up to 1,700 cu ft, up to 10,000 lb payload (varies by make, model, year) (checked 2026-10)
- eCFR, 23 CFR 658.15: Federal vehicle width: 102 in on the National Network (checked 2026-10)
- FHWA, Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles: No federal height limit; states set their own, most between 13 ft 6 in and 14 ft (checked 2026-10)