How to calculate a truck pack

A truck pack is a floor-space problem before it’s a volume problem. Measure the cases, lay out the deck, stack what’s safe, check the weight, and load it in the order you’ll unload it. Here’s the method — and how to know how many trucks you need.

The six steps

  1. 1

    Measure every case

    Length × width × height for each road case, plus its weight. Real specs — not eyeballed — because the floor plan is unforgiving.

  2. 2

    Know the truck

    Usable floor length × width and door height. A 53′ trailer, a 26′ box, and a 24′ straight truck pack very differently. Subtract for the cab and any inset.

  3. 3

    Plan by floor space, then stack

    Trucks pack by floor footprint first — cases stand on the deck. Then stack what’s safe and rated to stack on top, respecting fragile and top-heavy items.

  4. 4

    Check weight, not just volume

    You can run out of floor before you hit the weight limit, or the reverse. Track both, and watch axle distribution on long hauls.

  5. 5

    Secure each row

    Load bars and ratchet straps every few feet so the pack doesn’t shift in transit. Count them into the gear list.

  6. 6

    Order for the dock

    Last in, first out: the gear you need first at load-in goes in last. A good pack is also a load-in plan.

Why “volume ÷ truck size” is wrong

The back-of-napkin estimate that divides total cubic feet by truck capacity almost always under-counts trucks. Here’s what it misses.

Floor space vs. volume

Most packs are limited by deck footprint, not cubic feet — cases can’t always stack. Plan the floor first.

Stackability

Fragile, top-heavy, or odd-shaped cases can’t take weight on top, which strands the air above them. This is where naive “volume ÷ truck size” math fails.

Weight & axles

Heavy distro and motors can hit the legal weight limit before the floor fills. Distribute load front-to-back.

Strike speed

A tight, green pack uses fewer trucks but takes longer to load. A fast pack uses the deck loosely so the crew can move. Pick the strategy the schedule needs.

Let the floor plan do the math

Packing a real truck floor by hand — accounting for footprint, stacking rules, weight, and load order — is exactly the kind of fiddly geometry software is good at. Drop your cases onto the actual truck deck, pick a strategy (fast load-in, tightest pack, or lowest-CO₂), and get the truck count, load bars, straps, crew size, and load time computed for you.

Wavemist Truck Pack lays your cases onto real truck floor plans in 2D and 3D, from a 377-case catalog of real road-case specs — and prints the pack and gear list for the dock.

Open the truck pack calculator →

FAQ

How do I calculate how many trucks I need?

Add up the floor footprint of every road case (length × width), compare it to the usable deck area of the truck after accounting for the cab and door, then factor in what can safely stack on top and the weight limit. Because most packs run out of floor before volume, plan by footprint first. A truck pack calculator does this from your real case dimensions and tells you how many trucks the load needs.

Do you pack a truck by volume or by floor space?

By floor space first. Road cases stand on the deck and only some can be stacked, so the limiting factor is usually the floor footprint, not total cubic volume. Once the floor is laid out, you stack what’s rated to stack — fragile and top-heavy cases can’t take weight on top.

What size truck should I use for a show?

It depends on the total floor footprint and weight of your gear. Common options are a 53′ trailer, a 26′ box truck, and a 24′ straight truck, each with very different usable deck length and door height. Measure the load, then match it to the smallest truck (or fewest trucks) that fits with room to work.

How do I secure cases in a truck?

Use load bars and ratchet straps every few feet to lock each row in place so the pack can’t shift in transit, and keep heavy items low and distributed front-to-back. Count the bars and straps into your gear list so they ship with the load.

What order should I load the truck in?

Last in, first out. The gear you need first at load-in is loaded last so it comes off first. A well-planned pack doubles as the load-in sequence, which is why building it in advance saves time on both ends of the show.

Plan the pack → More guides →

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