Loading meter (LDM)

A standard European semi-trailer is 13.6 m long and about 2.48 m wide inside, so a full trailer is 13.6 loading meters. For pricing, LDM is the cargo's floor area in square meters divided by a conventional width of 2.4 m, then divided by the number of pieces stacked on top of each other. A non-stackable Euro pallet of 1.2 × 0.8 m takes 0.4 LDM.

Loading meters measure floor space, not volume or weight. Carriers convert them into a weight, commonly around 1,750 kg per LDM although terms vary between carriers, and charge whichever is higher: that figure or the actual weight. Volumetric weight at 1:3000 does a similar job for small consignments. North American LTL works differently, using freight class and, for bulky loads, linear feet of trailer.

Example: six industrial pallets of 120 × 100 cm, 400 kg each, not stackable. The floor area is 6 × 1.2 = 7.2 m², and 7.2 ÷ 2.4 = 3.0 LDM, which bills as 3.0 × 1,750 = 5,250 kg against 2,400 kg actual. If the pallets can be stacked two high, the load drops to 1.5 LDM, or 2,625 kg, so declaring stackability correctly changes the price.