Partial Load Planner
One trip. Multiple loads. Know what fits—and what pays.
1. Truck capacity
Example dimensions—confirm your truck. Enter your actual payload and reserve before planning freight.
Use the narrowest clear dimensions, including wheel wells and equipment. Available payload is not GVWR. Axle weights and securement require separate checks.
2. Trip & stop order
Mileage needs updatingChoose a location suggestion for every stop; road miles update automatically.
Use one time zone for every appointment. Estimates include driving, entered service time, and waiting for the earliest window. Add realistic breaks and expected delays at each leg. This does not verify hours-of-service compliance.
Appointment window (optional)
Appointment window (optional)
Reordering stops keeps loads attached to their cities. Automatic mode recalculates selected locations; in manual mode, update each leg after changing order. Remove or reassign loads before removing a linked stop.
Review stop order in Google MapsGoogle Maps is a reference for ordinary driving, not truck-clearance or commercial routing approval.
3. Loads to combine
Dimensions are per piece. Weight and pay are totals for the entire load. Add separate load entries for pieces with different sizes. Toggle a candidate off to exclude its revenue and freight. Its stops remain until you edit the itinerary.
4. Costs & driver pay
Operating cost per mile covers fuel and mileage-related expenses. Original-trip hours include driving and service.
Check the whole trip before adding a partial.
The Partial Load Planner helps you estimate a multi-stop trip using the truck, freight, stop order and costs you enter. Start with your truck’s usable dimensions, clear door opening and payload. Add pickup and delivery stops, then enter each load’s pieces, dimensions, total weight and pay. The planner models available floor space and weight after each stop, and flags possible fit, access or timing problems.
Enter route miles, service time, waiting and your operating costs to estimate trip profit. Compare the full trip with a revised itinerary that excludes a partial. Removing a load alone does not remove its pickup or delivery stops: update the route assumptions to reflect the trip you would actually drive. Confirm dimensions, securement, axle limits, appointment times and contract terms yourself; the model is a planning aid, not dispatch advice or a loading guarantee.
How many pallets fit in a 26-foot box truck?
Twelve standard 48 × 40-inch pallets are a useful floor-layout example—not a universal capacity or maximum. Two pallets across at 40 inches each and six rows at 48 inches each need a clear rectangle 80 inches wide × 288 inches long (6 feet 8 inches × 24 feet), before adding clearance. Pallets must not have freight overhang beyond the dimensions entered.
For context, Penske lists its 26-foot truck interior as up to 25 feet 11 inches × 8 feet 1 inch, and cautions that specifications vary by manufacturer. CHEP identifies 48 × 40 inches as a standard pallet size. These examples do not establish the usable space or payload of your truck.
What should I check before accepting a pallet load?
Measure the narrowest usable floor and clear door opening, cargo height and any obstructions. Include pallets and packaging in total weight. Check available payload, axle limits, securement, forklift or pallet-jack access, unloading order and extra working clearance. Floor space alone does not establish a safe or legal load.
Enter actual dimensions and quantities in the planner, and use 90° floor rotation only where the freight permits it. The tool tries rectangular, non-stacked placements; it does not find every possible arrangement or certify a maximum pallet count. Stacking, axle distribution, securement and extra clearances are not modeled.
Example from “Try example”
This is an illustrative calculation from the tool’s existing sample inputs, not a real offer or earnings claim. The sample has a $1,000 main load and partials paying $450 and $400, a 300-mile itinerary, $0.90 per mile in operating costs, $30 per hour in labor, $150 in fixed trip costs, $20 in extra expense and a 5% fee.
- Sample total pay
- $1,850.00
- Modeled trip costs
- $795.00
- Estimated trip profit
- $1,055.00
Modeled time includes driving and entered service time. Change the sample inputs to match your own expenses and itinerary before relying on a result.
Common questions
Do I need an account?
No. The planner and directory are free to use without registration. Saved drafts stay in the browser and device where you created them.
Does this find loads or guarantee the freight fits?
No. BTO is an opportunity directory, not a load board. Floor layouts and capacity flags are estimates based on your entries. Confirm actual loading, securement, legal weight limits and delivery access before accepting freight.
How do I save or reopen a trip?
Use the planner’s save and resume options on the same browser and device. Clearing browser storage can remove drafts. They do not sync to an account or another device.
Why can a profitable partial make the trip worse?
Extra miles, labor, waiting, fees and delivery constraints can outweigh its pay. Compare the actual alternative itinerary and include those costs rather than judging the partial only by its quoted rate.