Dimensions / Industrial & logistics / Semi-truck trailers / Dry van
A 53 ft dry van is 53′ × 102″ × 13′6″ outside and, on Hyundai’s composite van, 52′ 6″ × 101.5″ × 110″ inside: about 16,002 × 2,578 × 2,794 mm and 4,070 cu. ft. The walls set the width, from 98.5″ on an aluminium sheet-and-post van to 101.5″ on a composite one, and the door sets the opening: Great Dane’s swing door clears 110.38″ × 98.31″, its roll-up door only 105.25″ × 93.19″. A 53 ft van takes 26 pallets of 48 × 40 loaded straight, 30 turned (Nelson), one high. Hyundai rates its van at 68,000 lbs GVWR with a 13,350 lbs tare; on the Interstate the whole rig is limited to 80,000 pounds.
| Inside width × height, Hyundai composite 53 ft | Swing door opening, Great Dane | Pallets of 48 × 40, one high: straight / turned (Nelson) |
|---|---|---|
| 2,578 × 2,794mm101.5″ × 110″ | 2,497 × 2,804mm98.31″ × 110.38″ | 26 / 30 |
Sources: Hyundai Translead, Great Dane, Nelson. Checked October 2026.
Hyundai’s composite van, Great Dane’s swing door and an example load of 48 × 40 pallets are filled in. Enter your pallets; each check uses the numbers on this page.
Sizes in millimetres, weights in kilograms (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 ft = 304.8 mm, 1 lb = 0.4536 kg). Pallets go in straight columns, either way round. The GVWR is the trailer’s own rating; the whole rig has its own legal limit.
A pallet 1016 mm across its narrow side and 1500 mm high goes through the 2497 × 2804 mm door.
Great Dane’s swing door opens 110.38″ × 98.31″; its roll-up door only 105.25″ × 93.19″, so check which door the van has.
In straight columns, 30 pallets of 1219 × 1016 mm fit on the 16002 × 2578 mm floor; 1 high that is 30, enough for your 26.
Hyundai’s composite van is 52′ 6″ × 101.5″ × 110″ inside; Nelson loads 30 pallets of 48 × 40 turned, 26 straight.
26 × 800 kg = 20800 kg of cargo on the 6055 kg trailer makes 26855 kg, 3990 kg under its 30845 kg GVWR.
Hyundai: 13,350 lbs tare, 68,000 lbs GVWR. On the Interstate the whole rig, tractor included, stops at 80,000 pounds (23 CFR 658.17).
Selling by the truckload? Photograph a loaded pallet, mark its size and weight in SizeMarker and send it so the buyer can plan the van.
Mark a photoMakers’ own sheets, plus one carrier’s spec. All 53′ long, 102″ (or 102.36″ / 102-3/8″) wide and 13′ 6″ high outside.
| Van | Inside | Door; tare; GVWR |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Composite4,070 cu. ft.; floor 18,000 lbs | 52′ 6″ × 101.5″ × 110″ | Swing; 13,350 lbs; 68,000 lbs |
| Hyundai Composite XT | 52′ 6″ × 101.50″ above side scuff × 110″ | 13,460 lbs tare |
| Hyundai HY-CubeHDPE panels; 4,050 cu. ft. | 52′ 6″ × 101″ lining to lining × 110″ | 13,855 lbs tare |
| Hyundai OriginalAluminium sheet-and-post; 3,950 cu. ft. | 52′ 6″ × 98.5″ lining to lining × 110″ | 13,510 lbs tare; 68,000 GVWR |
| Great Dane Champion, composite | Up to 101.20″ wide × 110.20″ high | Swing 110.38″ × 98.31″; roll-up 105.25″ × 93.19″ |
| Great Dane Champion, sheet-and-post | 99.00″ to 100.50″ wide | Same doors |
| Wabash DuraPlate53′ x 102-3/8″ x 13′6″ outside | 101″ wide; 110-1/4″ high at the front, 111-1/4″ at the rear | GVWR 68,000 lb / 30,845 kg |
| Utility 4000D-X Composite | 101" wide | 110½" door opening height |
| Con-way standard 53′ dry vanCarrier spec, 2015; rear floor 48.25" high | 52′ 6″ × 100.75" | 110.25" × 98" door; 14,000 lbs empty |
Sources: Hyundai Translead · Hyundai Translead · Hyundai Translead · Hyundai Translead · Great Dane · Wabash · Utility · Con-way
| Feature | What the maker says |
|---|---|
| Door typeGreat Dane | A roll-up door opens 105.25″ × 93.19″, about 5″ lower and 5″ narrower than the 110.38″ × 98.31″ swing door |
| Wall typeGreat Dane; Hyundai | Composite up to 101.20″ inside, sheet-and-post 99.00″ to 100.50″; Hyundai 101.5″ composite against 98.5″ aluminium |
| Logistics postsUtility; Wabash | Utility posts at a maximum 24" centerlines; Wabash flush logistics on 16.6″ and 25″ centers |
| Floor ratingWabash; Utility; Great Dane | Wabash 20,000-lb dynamic, 24,000 and 28,000 lb options; Utility 20,000 lb fork truck front axle; Great Dane 19k to 28k |
| Inside height front and rearWabash | 110-1/4″ at the front, 111-1/4″ at the rear |
| Walls as securement49 CFR 393.102(c)(2) | Cargo is secured if a sided vehicle’s walls are strong enough and each article is in contact with, or close to, a wall or other articles so it cannot shift or tip |
Sources: Great Dane · Hyundai Translead · Hyundai Translead · Utility · Wabash · Utility · 49 CFR 393
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| Pallets of 48 × 40, 53 ftNelson, pallet maker | 30 turned; 26 if loaded straight; turning needs a 4-way entry base |
| Pallets of 48 × 40, single and double stackedMercer, carrier | 53 ft: 26 single, up to 52 double; 48 ft: 24 single |
| Width23 CFR 658.15 | 102 inches, or 2.6 meters (102.36 inches) |
| Semitrailer length23 CFR 658.13 | States must allow at least 48 feet; no overall length limit for a tractor and semitrailer |
| Weight23 CFR 658.17 | 80,000 pounds gross; 20,000 pounds on one axle; 34,000 pounds on tandem axles |
| HeightFHWA | No federal limit; most states 13 feet, 6 inches to 14 feet |
Sources: Nelson · Mercer · 23 CFR 658 · FHWA
Our conversion (1 in = 25.4 mm, 1 lb = 0.4536 kg), rounded to whole millimetres and kilograms.
| Figure | In mm or kg |
|---|---|
| Hyundai composite inside | 16,002 × 2,578 × 2,794 mm |
| Great Dane swing door | 2,497 × 2,804 mm |
| Pallet of 48 × 40 | 1,219 × 1,016 mm; 30 per layer on that floor |
| Hyundai tare; GVWR | 13,350 lbs = 6,055 kg; 68,000 lbs = 30,845 kg (Wabash’s figure) |
Sources: Hyundai Translead · Great Dane · Wabash
About 52′ 6″ long, 98.5″ to 101.5″ wide and 110″ high: Hyundai’s composite van is 52′ 6″ × 101.5″ × 110″, its sheet-and-post van 98.5″ wide. Wabash’s DuraPlate is 110-1/4″ high at the front and 111-1/4″ at the rear.
On Great Dane’s Champion, 110.38″ × 98.31″ with swing doors and 105.25″ × 93.19″ with a roll-up door. Con-way’s carrier spec gives 110.25" × 98".
26 pallets of 48 × 40 loaded straight, or 30 turned if they have a 4-way entry base (Nelson), one high; Mercer counts up to 52 double stacked. A 48 ft van takes 24 single stacked.
The walls: composite panels leave up to 101.20″ (Great Dane) or 101.5″ (Hyundai), while aluminium sheet-and-post walls leave 99.00″ to 100.50″ (Great Dane) or 98.5″ (Hyundai).
Hyundai rates its composite van at 68,000 lbs GVWR with a 13,350 lbs tare. On the Interstate the tractor, trailer and cargo together are limited to 80,000 pounds, with 34,000 pounds on a tandem.
Buyers planning trucked deliveries ask how many of your pallets fit a 53 ft van, whether they clear a swing or roll-up door, how high and heavy each pallet is, and whether the forklift can work the floor. Mark the real pallet, its size and weight on your own photo in SizeMarker, as in the picture at the top, and send one product card for WhatsApp or WeChat.
