The evaluation of the dose rate distributions from radioactive sources, together with the specific detector locations with respect to those sources, in many cases presents a significant analytical challenge. With the exception of a few, simple source-detector geometries, it is not possible to find an analytical expression for these dose rate distributions as functions of detector location. In this paper, the dose rate distributions due to the arrangement of radiological waste drums on a standard wooden transport and storage pallet are investigated. The dose rates at various distances, ranging from 5 cm to 20 m, from the waste drum assembly have been evaluated by Monte Carlo calculations. The simulation data are fitted by smooth analytical functions in two independent regions, the waste drum near zone, where a logarithmic function best described the data, and the far zone, where the functional dependence closely approximates the 1/r2-law for point sources.