How many cases of soda are on a pallet?
A pallet of 12 oz soda cans in 24-can cases typically holds about 72–80 cases (1,728–1,920 cans), roughly 1,500–1,650 lb. Wholesale listings also show about 70 cases of 35-can packs and around 40 cases of 2-liter 8-packs. Bottler pallet specs vary.
Soft-drink pallets are built by bottlers and distributors to their own specifications. The counts below are typical of wholesale listings, not a published industry standard, so expect variation between brands, bottlers and regions.
How many cases of soda are on a pallet?
| Package | Typical cases per pallet | Units per pallet | Weight per case (est.) | Pallet weight (est.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 oz cans, 24 per case | 72–80 | 1,728–1,920 cans | about 20 lb (9 kg) | 1,480–1,640 lb (670–745 kg) |
| 12 oz cans, 35 per case | about 70 | about 2,450 cans | about 29 lb (13 kg) | about 2,070 lb (940 kg) |
| 2 liter bottles, 8 per case | about 40 | about 320 bottles | about 36 lb (16 kg) | about 1,480 lb (670 kg) |
Counts come from 2026 wholesale listings (for example 80-case and 72-case pallets of 24-can cases, and a 70-case pallet of 35-can packs). Some pallets are built taller and carry more cases, as beer pallets often do. The 2-liter figure comes from a single secondary source and should be checked with your distributor. Weights are estimates: a 12 oz can of soda weighs about 0.8 lb full and a 2-liter bottle about 4.5 lb, plus about 40 lb for the pallet. The bottler's or distributor's pallet specification is authoritative.
What decides the count
- Package and case size. 24-can cases, 12-can fridge packs, 35-can club packs and 2-liter cases all have different footprints and weights.
- Ti-Hi. Cases per layer times layers. Heavy, tall packages (2-liter) use fewer layers for stability. See Ti-Hi.
- Pallet footprint. North American beverage pallets are commonly 48 × 40 in, but some bottlers use half pallets for direct store delivery and display.
- Store and route needs. Direct store delivery often uses mixed pallets built to each store's order, so the count is whatever the order is. See mixed pallets.
Weight, vehicles and floors
An 80-case pallet of canned soda is roughly 1,650 lb. That is within a three-quarter-ton pickup's payload in many cases but may exceed a half-ton's; check the payload on the driver-door label. On a floor, it puts about 125 lb per sq ft on a 48 × 40 in footprint, fine on a concrete slab but more than residential wood floors are designed to carry as a uniform load. Break the pallet down for home storage.
How to calculate it yourself
Measure a case (length, width, height and gross weight), enter it into the cases per pallet calculator, and set a height and weight limit. Beverage loads are dense, so weight often limits the pallet before height does. Add the pallet weight from the pallet weight guide to get the gross.
Pallet returns
Soft-drink bottlers commonly ship on pooled pallets or their own returnable pallets and collect them on the next delivery. If you buy a full pallet from a wholesaler, ask whether the pallet is returnable or carries a deposit.
For pallet specifications in this sector, see beverage pallets.
Frequently asked questions
How much does a pallet of soda weigh?
Roughly 1,500–1,650 lb for a pallet of 72–80 cases of 24 × 12 oz cans, and about 2,000 lb for 35-can packs, depending on the case count. A 12 oz can of soda weighs about 0.8 lb full.
How many 12-packs of soda are on a pallet?
It varies widely with the carton design and the bottler's pattern. Because a 12-pack holds half the cans of a 24-pack, a pallet of 12-packs usually has about twice as many cases for a similar weight. Ask the distributor.
Why are some soda pallets smaller than 48 × 40 in?
Some bottlers use half pallets or other footprints for store delivery and display. Check the pallet size with your distributor before planning storage or trailer space.
Related
- What fits on a palletHow many cases of beer are on a pallet?A 48 × 40 in pallet of beer typically holds about 80–100 cases of 24 × 12 oz cans or 60–72 cases of 12 oz bottles, kept under about 2,200 lb. For kegs, a common layout is 8 half-barrels, 14 quarter-barrels or 20 sixth-barrels per pallet.
- What fits on a palletHow many cases of water are on a pallet?A pallet of 16.9 oz (500 mL) bottled water usually holds 72 to 84 cases of 24 bottles (1,728–2,016 bottles), or about 54 cases of 35-packs. Gallon jugs are commonly 48 cases of 6 (288 gallons). A full pallet weighs roughly 2,100–2,500 lb.
- IndustriesPallets for beverages: water, soft drinks, beer and spiritsA pallet of bottled water commonly weighs 2,100 to 2,500 lb, and canned drinks and beer 1,500 to 2,200 lb. Most North American beverage loads ship on 48 × 40 in pooled or GMA-style pallets, plus 48 × 20 in half pallets for store delivery. Stiff decks, tier sheets and good wrap prevent crushed loads.
- CalculatorsCases per pallet (Ti-Hi)Cases per layer, layers, total cases, load height, gross weight and cube utilization for any case and pallet size, with the layer pattern.
- GuidesHow much does a pallet weigh? Weights by type, material and moistureA standard 48 × 40 wood stringer pallet weighs about 30 to 60 lb (14 to 27 kg). New green hardwood pallets sit at the top of that range and dry ones near the bottom. A EUR pallet weighs about 25 kg (55 lb), pooled 48 × 40 block pallets about 60 to 70 lb, and plastic pallets 14 to 70 lb depending on type.
- GlossaryWhat is ti-hi?Ti-hi describes how cases are stacked on a pallet: the ti is the number of cases in each layer and the hi is the number of layers. Ti times hi gives the cases per pallet; for example, a 10 × 5 ti-hi is 50 cases.
- GuidesMixed pallets: how to build and label a mixed-SKU palletA mixed pallet carries more than one product (SKU). Build it like a wall: heaviest, strongest and squarest cases at the bottom, light and fragile cases on top, each layer flat, voids filled, and liquids low. Label the pallet with one SSCC and list every product in the advance ship notice.
More in Beverages and consumer goods
- What fits on a palletHow many bags of wood pellets are on a pallet?A standard pallet of heating pellets is 50 bags of 40 lb, exactly one short ton (2,000 lb, 907 kg) of pellets, or about 2,040–2,100 lb with the pallet and wrap. Some dealers also sell 1.5-ton pallets of 75 bags (3,000 lb).
- What fits on a palletHow many bags of water softener salt are on a pallet?A pallet of water softener salt in 40 lb bags typically holds 56 to 63 bags, which is 2,240–2,520 lb (1,015–1,145 kg) of salt. Pallets of 50 lb bags usually hold 49 bags (2,450 lb). Add roughly 40–60 lb for the pallet.
Last reviewed 2026-09-24. 516 words.