Sizing
Cable reel sizes
Three numbers name a reel: flange x traverse x drum, in inches. A 48x28x24 reel has a 48 in flange, 28 in between the flanges, and a 24 in drum.
The designation
Reel charts list each size by the same three dimensions, and buyers, programs and trucking all work from them:
Flange diameter (F)
The outside diameter of the round ends. It sets the reel's height when it is rolled, and its footprint when it is stood on its flange. Programs set flange limits: Service Wire takes 30 to 72 in, and Prysmian's telecom service takes reels over 40 in.
Traverse (T)
The inside width between the flanges, where the cable winds. It is not the overall width. Southwire's chart gives both: its A-38 has a 28 in traverse and a 32 in overall width, because each flange adds about 2 in.
Drum diameter (D)
The diameter of the barrel. Bigger cable needs a bigger drum, because the drum limits how tightly the cable bends. If you can't reach across the drum, measure around it and divide by 3.14.
Arbor hole
The centre hole for the payoff shaft. In Southwire's chart it is 3.125 in on wooden reels and 3 to 7.625 in on steel. A damaged arbor hole fails Service Wire's and AFL's inspections.
Codes you'll see stencilled
Many reels also carry an Aluminum Association code. NR is a non-returnable reel, RM a returnable metal reel, and RMT a returnable metal reel with I-beam tires. The numbers are flange and traverse: NR 48.28 is a 48 in flange with a 28 in traverse. Manufacturers add their own codes too. Southwire's letter is the series and its number is the reel volume in thousands of cubic inches. More in reading reel stencils.
What NEMA WC 26 is, and isn't, here
NEMA WC 26 is the wire and cable industry's packaging standard. Southwire's packaging document, for example, says its package protection types comply with it. The standard is a paid document, and we don't reproduce it. The sizes below are what a manufacturer publishes in its own reel chart, cited on every row.
Common reel sizes
From Southwire Company, Reel Packaging Information (CableTech, rev. 6.9.25), read 2026-10-27. Dimensions in inches, weights empty.
| Designation | Reel | AA code | Build | Overall width | Arbor | Weight (lb) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23x8x12 | C-1 | Nailed wood | 11 | 3.125 | 29 | Southwire Company | |
| 23x10x12 | C-3 | Nailed wood | 13 | 3.125 | 30 | Southwire Company | |
| 23x17x12 | C-5 | Nailed wood | 20 | 3.125 | 34 | Southwire Company | |
| 23.75x10x12 | N-3 | Plywood | 11.88 | 3.125 | 16 | Southwire Company | |
| 23.75x17x12 | N-5 | Plywood | 18.5 | 3.125 | 20 | Southwire Company | |
| 23.75x22x12 | N-7P | Plywood | 25 | 3.125 | 30 | Southwire Company | |
| 28x21x11 | N-11 | Nailed wood | 24 | 3.125 | 49 | Southwire Company | |
| 30x22x16 | A-10 | NR 30.22 | Nailed wood | 25 | 3.125 | 66 | Southwire Company |
| 30x23x17 | A-11 | Nailed wood | 26 | 3.125 | 60 | Southwire Company | |
| 30x17x17 | N-7 | Nailed wood | 20 | 3.125 | 50 | Southwire Company | |
| 31x19x16 | C-10 | Nailed wood | 22.5 | 3.125 | 66 | Southwire Company | |
| 32x22x14 | N-15 | Nailed wood | 25 | 3.125 | 62 | Southwire Company | |
| 34x24x16 | C-17 | Nailed wood | 27.5 | 3.125 | 92 | Southwire Company | |
| 34x26.5x15 | N-19 | Nailed wood | 29.5 | 3.125 | 73 | Southwire Company | |
| 36x16.38x18 | H-13 | Nailed wood | 19.38 | 3.125 | 76 | Southwire Company | |
| 36x28x14 | N-24 | Nailed wood | 31.75 | 3.125 | 83 | Southwire Company | |
| 38x22x20 | C-18 | NR 38.22 | Nailed wood | 25.5 | 3.125 | 99 | Southwire Company |
| 40x28x16 | N-29 | Nailed wood | 31 | 3.125 | 96 | Southwire Company | |
| 42x28x21 | A-29 | NR 42.28 | Nailed wood | 32 | 3.125 | 154 | Southwire Company |
| 42x24x24 | C-22 | Nailed wood | 28.5 | 3.125 | 167 | Southwire Company | |
| 42x29x17 | N-34 | Nailed wood | 32.75 | 3.125 | 114 | Southwire Company | |
| 45x30x21 | N-37 | Nailed wood | 34.75 | 3.125 | 168 | Southwire Company | |
| 46x24x24 | C-29 | Nailed wood | 30 | 3.125 | 250 | Southwire Company | |
| 48x28x24 | A-38 | NR 48.28 | Nailed wood | 32 | 3.125 | 212 | Southwire Company |
| 50x30x21 | N-48 | Nailed wood | 34 | 3.125 | 198 | Southwire Company | |
| 58x30x27 | N-62 | Nailed wood | 34.5 | 3.125 | 303 | Southwire Company | |
| 60x28x28 | A-62 | NR 60.28 | Nailed wood | 34 | 3.125 | 397 | Southwire Company |
| 66x28x30 | A-76 | NR 66.28 | Nailed wood | 34 | 3.125 | 473 | Southwire Company |
| 66x28x30 | N-76 | NR 66.28 | Nailed wood | 32.5 | 3.125 | 370 | Southwire Company |
| 68x38x36 | A-99 | Nailed wood | 44 | 3.125 | 536 | Southwire Company | |
| 68x38x36 | N-99 | Nailed wood | 44 | 3.125 | 562 | Southwire Company | |
| 60x28x28 | S-62 | Steel | 34.5 | 3 | 340 | Southwire Company | |
| 66x32x36 | S-77 | RM 66.32 | Steel | 38 | 3 | 400 | Southwire Company |
| 68x38x36 | S-99 | RM 68.38 | Steel | 44.75 | 3.125 | 444 | Southwire Company |
| 84x36x42 | S-120 | RMT 84.36 | Steel | 43 | 5.25 | 895 | Southwire Company |
| 84x45x42 | S-153 | RMT 84.45 | Steel | 52.5 | 5.25 | 930 | Southwire Company |
| 90x45x42 | S-187 | RMT 90.45 | Steel | 52.5 | 5.25 | 1030 | Southwire Company |
| 90x60x42 | S-249 | Steel | 68 | 5.25 | 1176 | Southwire Company | |
| 96x60x42 | S-300 | RMT 96.60 | Steel | 68 | 5.25 | 1082 | Southwire Company |
| 102x68x47 | S-435 | Steel | 77.37 | 5.25 | 1278 | Southwire Company | |
| 110x70x60 | S-400 | Steel | 78 | 5.25 | 1770 | Southwire Company | |
| 118x85x60 | S-600 | Steel | 94.5 | 7.625 | 2825 | Southwire Company |
How many fit on a truck
Published maximum counts per truckload, nesting included. Use them as a ceiling; yard math gives a floor.
| Flange | Traverse | Drum | Max reels | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 36 | 17 | 24 | 200 | Sonoco | |
| 42 | 18 | 26 | 120 | Sonoco | |
| 48 | 24 | 28 | 100 | Sonoco | |
| 50 | 24 | 32 | 60 | Sonoco | |
| 54 | 36 | 32 | 60 | Sonoco | |
| 58 | 24 | 32 | 56 | Sonoco | |
| 58 | 38 | 53 ft van, nested (28 un-nested; 26 on a 48 ft flatbed) | AFL | ||
| 60 | 28 | 28 | 39 | Sonoco | |
| 66 | 36 | 36 | 24 | Sonoco | |
| 72 | 36 | 36 | 22 | Sonoco | |
| 72 | 36 | 22 | 53 ft van, nested (16 un-nested; 20 on a 48 ft flatbed) | AFL | |
| 84 | 42 | 46 | 9 | Sonoco | |
| 84 | 20 | 53 ft van, nested (14 un-nested; 18 on a 48 ft flatbed) | AFL | ||
| 90 | 42 | 45 | 9 | Sonoco | |
| 96 | 42 | 60 | 8 | Sonoco |