For Carriers Equipment
Length, width, deck height, payload and pallet count for cargo vans through lowboys on one page, with the federal limits that sit over all of them.
By One Load Board5 min read920 words
A 53 ft dry van is about 52 ft 6 in long and 99 in wide inside, holds 26 standard pallets on the floor and takes up to about 45,000 lb. A flatbed deck is 48 or 53 ft long and 8 ft 6 in wide. Federal law caps width at 102 in on the National Network and gross weight at 80,000 lb on the Interstate, and makes every state allow a semitrailer of at least 48 ft. Height has no federal limit: the states set it, and 13 ft 6 in is the common figure.
This is the reference we keep for our own equipment pages, put on one page so it can be printed, bookmarked or linked. Figures are typical for the equipment as it is commonly built and run in the United States. Individual trailers vary by manufacturer and by year, so the sticker on the trailer and the spec sheet in the cab beat any table, this one included.
A 53 ft dry van is about 52 ft 6 in long and about 99 in wide inside, and holds 26 standard 48 by 40 in pallets loaded on the floor, with a typical payload of up to about 45,000 lb. A 53 ft reefer loses some length and payload to its insulation and refrigeration unit: about 52 ft inside, 24 to 26 pallets and up to about 43,000 lb.
| Equipment | Length | Width or height | Typical payload | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry van (53 ft) | ~52 ft 6 in inside | ~99 in inside width | up to ~45,000 lb | 26 standard pallets, floor loaded |
| Reefer (53 ft) | ~52 ft inside | Varies by build | up to ~43,000 lb | 24 to 26 standard pallets |
| Flatbed | 48 or 53 ft deck | 8 ft 6 in deck width | up to ~48,000 lb | Legal load height ~8 ft 6 in above the deck |
| Step deck | ~37 to 43 ft lower deck, ~10 to 11 ft upper |
Pallet counts assume standard 48 by 40 in pallets. "Varies" means the figure depends too much on the individual build for a single number to be honest.
On the National Network of highways, federal law sets the maximum width of a commercial vehicle at 102 in, which is 8 ft 6 in. States cannot set a lower limit on those roads. A load wider than that is oversize and needs a permit from every state it crosses.
That 8 ft 6 in figure is why flatbed and hotshot decks are built to it, and why "legal width" in a load posting means 8 ft 6 in. Mirrors and certain safety devices are excluded from the measurement; the freight is not.
Federal law does not set one maximum trailer length. It requires every state to allow a semitrailer of at least 48 ft in a tractor and semitrailer combination on the National Network, and most states allow 53 ft, which is why 53 ft is the standard van and reefer length. Some states also limit the distance from the kingpin to the rear axle, which matters more than the trailer length on a 53.
There is no federal height limit. Each state sets its own, and 13 ft 6 in is the most common, with 14 ft in many western states. The limit is measured from the road to the highest point of the load, which is why the legal load height on a flatbed is about 8 ft 6 in above a deck that sits about 5 ft off the ground.
This is also the whole reason the step deck and the lowboy exist: a lower deck buys back height for tall machinery without a permit, or with a smaller one.
On the Interstate System the federal limits are 80,000 lb gross vehicle weight, 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem axle, with the bridge formula governing how weight is spread across axle groups. What a trailer can carry is that gross limit minus the weight of the tractor, the trailer and the fuel, which is why a typical dry van payload is about 45,000 lb and not 80,000.
A single vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating of 26,001 lb or more needs a Class B CDL, and a combination of 26,001 lb or more whose towed unit is rated over 10,000 lb needs a Class A. That threshold is why box trucks are sold just under it and why hotshot set-ups are built around it. Cargo vans and sprinter vans sit well below it.
The bottom lineWidth and weight are federal, height is the state, and everything else depends on the individual trailer. Use the chart to plan, and the trailer itself to decide.
About 52 ft 6 in long and about 99 in wide inside, with room for 26 standard 48 by 40 in pallets on the floor and a typical payload of up to about 45,000 lb.
A 53 ft dry van takes 26 standard 48 by 40 in pallets loaded on the floor. A 53 ft reefer takes 24 to 26, because its walls and refrigeration unit take some of the space.
On the National Network, 102 in, which is 8 ft 6 in, under federal law. Anything wider is oversize and needs a permit from each state it travels through.
There is no federal limit. States set it, most commonly at 13 ft 6 in and at 14 ft in many western states, measured from the road to the top of the load.
Usually 48 or 53 ft, with a deck 8 ft 6 in wide. The legal load height on a standard flatbed is about 8 ft 6 in above the deck.
Box truck bodies commonly run from 16 to 26 ft long, with a typical payload of 5,000 to 12,000 lb and room for 8 to 14 standard pallets. Trucks rated at 26,001 lb or more need a CDL.
Every figure in this article is linked in place. The full list, for anyone who wants to check the working.
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© 2026 One Load Board. All rights reserved.
| Lower deck ~3 ft 4 in high |
| Varies by build |
| Legal load height ~10 ft on the lower deck |
| Lowboy (RGN) | ~24 to 29 ft well | Deck ~18 to 24 in high | ~40,000 lb on two axles | 80,000 lb+ on more axles, with permits |
|---|
| Hotshot | 32 to 40 ft gooseneck | 8 ft 6 in deck width | 8,000 to 16,500 lb | Non-CDL ceiling 26,000 lb GCWR |
|---|
| Box truck | 16 to 26 ft body | Varies by body | 5,000 to 12,000 lb | 8 to 14 standard pallets |
|---|
| Sprinter van | Varies by roof and wheelbase | ~450 to 530 cu ft of cargo space | 3,000 to 4,000 lb | 3 to 5 standard pallets |
|---|
| Cargo van | Varies by model | Varies by model | 1,500 to 3,000 lb | 2 to 3 standard pallets |
|---|
| Auto carrier | Varies by rig | Varies by rig | 80,000 lb gross limit | 7 to 10 vehicles open, 5 to 7 enclosed |
|---|
| Tanker | Varies by build | Varies by build | 80,000 lb gross limit | 5,000 to 11,600 gal |
|---|
