Semi truck and trailer dimension fit checker
Pick a trailer type, then enter your cargo's length, width and height in inches. The checker compares them with typical inside dimensions for enclosed trailers, or with the legal height and width for open decks, and tells you whether the load fits and how much room is left. Every trailer size can be changed to match your own equipment.
YOUR NUMBERS · defaults are EXAMPLES, replace them
CARGO, IN INCHES
Trailer and route sizes (typical, editable)
On a 53 ft dry vanIt fits
- Length
- fits, 40 ft 6 in spare
- Width
- fits, 4 ft 4 in spare
- Height
- fits, 4 ft 0 in spare
- Floor space used
- 11%
Enclosed: cargo must clear the inside length, width and door height.
It fits. We match freight to your exact trailer dimensions before an offer ever reaches you.
Get loads that fit my trailerBy Evan DavidsonUpdated Sources checked
How the checker works
There are two kinds of trailer, and they have different limits.
Enclosed trailers (dry vans, reefers and box trucks) have walls and a roof. The cargo has to clear the inside length, the inside width and the door height. The checker compares each dimension and shows what's left over, plus the share of the floor the cargo takes.
Open decks (flatbeds and step decks) have no walls, so the limits are on the road, not the trailer. Height is the deck height plus the cargo height, and it has to stay under the route's height limit. Width has to stay within the legal width, 102 inches on the National Network 23 CFR 658.15 WidtheCFR (Office of the Federal Register), 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source. There's no federal height limit. States set their own, mostly between 13 ft 6 in and 14 ft Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor VehiclesFHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations, 2026. Checked 2026-10-10.Open the source, so the checker starts at 13 ft 6 in and lets you change it.
The trailer sizes in the checker are typical values, not your trailer's specs. Walls, insulation, liftgates and different makers all change the real space. Measure your own equipment and enter it.
Two worked examples
- Cargo
- 144 x 48 x 60 in
- Length left (630 - 144)
- 40 ft 6 in
- Width left (100 - 48)
- 4 ft 4 in
- Height left (108 - 60)
- 4 ft
- Result
- Fits, about 11% of the floor
- Cargo
- 240 x 100 x 110 in
- On a flatbed: 60 in deck + 110 in
- 14 ft 2 in
- Over a 13 ft 6 in limit by 8 in
- On a step deck: 40 in deck + 110 in
- 12 ft 6 in
- Result
- Step deck fits, 1 ft to spare
The machine is the classic step deck case. It's too tall for a flatbed on most routes, but the lower deck brings it under the limit without a height permit.
Reading your result
"It fits" means the cargo clears the space. It doesn't mean the load is ready to go. Leave room to load and secure it: forklifts need space to set freight down, straps and chains need anchor points, and odd shapes may need blocking. On open decks, the checker measures the cargo itself; tarps, chains and binders can add a little height and width.
"Over" on an open deck usually means a permit or a different trailer. Over on height suggests a step deck or a lowboy. Over on width means an oversize permit for every state on the route, and sometimes escorts. Our page on oversize dispatch explains what those loads involve.
Dimensions and the rest of the rules
Size is only one of the limits a load has to meet. Weight is checked separately, by axle group and gross, in the truck weight limit checker. If you're moving into bigger equipment, the do I need a CDL checker shows which license your truck and trailer need. And a tall, heavy load changes how far the truck takes to stop: try the truck stopping distance calculator.
New to trailer types? Our guide to the types of semi trucks covers vans, reefers, flatbeds, step decks and more, and the 18 wheeler guide explains how the whole rig fits together.
Matching freight to your trailer
Brokers book trucks by trailer type and size, and a load that doesn't fit wastes everyone's day. That's why our first call with a carrier asks for the trailer's real inside measurements, door and deck height, and any gear on board. Offers are checked against them before they reach you. Dry van dispatch shows the idea on the most common trailer.
Sources: eCFR, 23 CFR 658.15 Width (2026); FHWA Office of Freight Management and Operations, Federal Size Regulations for Commercial Motor Vehicles (2026).
Questions about this tool
CH 01What are the inside dimensions of a 53 ft dry van?
They vary by maker, model year and wall type, but a 53 ft dry van is typically a little over 52 ft long inside, around 100 inches wide and about 108 to 110 inches high at the door. Thicker walls and lift gates reduce the space. Measure your own trailer and enter the real numbers in the checker for an exact answer.
CH 02How tall can a load be on a flatbed?
It depends on the deck height and the route's height limit. There's no federal height limit, so states set their own, most often between 13 ft 6 in and 14 ft. With a standard flatbed deck around 5 ft off the ground, cargo can usually be about 8 ft 6 in tall. A step deck sits lower and takes taller freight.
CH 03How wide can a load be without a permit?
On the National Network, the legal width is 102 inches, or 8 ft 6 in. Freight wider than that is an oversize load and needs permits from each state on the route, and wider loads may need escort vehicles and travel-time limits. The checker flags any open-deck cargo wider than the legal width.
CH 04What's the difference between a flatbed and a step deck?
A flatbed has one flat deck at the same height from front to back, usually about 5 ft off the ground. A step deck has a short upper deck over the tractor and a long lower deck closer to the ground. The lower deck lets it carry taller freight without going over height limits, which is why machinery often moves on step decks.
CH 05Does a load that fits always meet the weight limit?
No. Size and weight are separate limits. A small, dense load can fit with room to spare and still be too heavy for the axles or the gross weight limit. Check weight separately with our truck weight limit checker, and balance the load so no axle group is overloaded.
Freight matched to your exact trailer
Tell us your trailer's real dimensions once. Every offer we bring you fits it, and you still approve each load.