Loading meter calculator
Calculate the loading meters (LDM) your cargo takes on a truck or trailer — with stacking — and how much of a standard 13.6 m semi-trailer it uses.
- Total pieces
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- Gross weight
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- Share of a 13.6 m trailer
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- Loading meters
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- Trailers needed: —
Estimates for planning. Final figures depend on the carrier's rules and the actual cargo.
How it's calculated
A loading meter (LDM) is one meter of a trailer's length at its full width. Road carriers use it to price part loads: cargo that blocks the full width of a meter of floor takes one loading meter, whether it weighs 100 kg or a ton.
Loading meters = (length × width of the cargo footprint in meters) ÷ trailer width (usually 2.4 m), divided by how many pieces are stacked on top of each other. A standard semi-trailer is 13.6 m long, so a full trailer is 13.6 LDM — 33 Euro pallets on the floor.
Worked example
10 Euro pallets (1.2 × 0.8 m), not stackable: 10 × 0.96 m² = 9.6 m²; 9.6 ÷ 2.4 = 4.0 LDM — about 29% of a 13.6 m trailer. Stacked two high, the same pallets take 2.0 LDM.
DO IT ALL SOFT calculates it inside the quote.
Chargeable weight, volume and the right equipment are worked out on every quote automatically — with your company's rules, in 3D when you need it.
Frequently asked questions
What is a loading meter?
A unit of trailer floor length at full trailer width — one meter of a 2.4 m wide trailer is one loading meter. It's how road freight prices cargo that takes space but isn't heavy enough to be charged by weight.
How many loading meters is a Euro pallet?
A Euro pallet (120 × 80 cm) takes 0.4 LDM when placed lengthwise across a 2.4 m trailer (three pallets side by side across the width per 1.2 m of length): 0.96 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4.
How many Euro pallets fit in a 13.6 m trailer?
33 Euro pallets on the floor, or 26 industrial pallets (120 × 100 cm), when not stacked.
How do carriers convert loading meters to weight?
Many European carriers count 1 loading meter as 1,650–1,850 kg for pricing — check your carrier's terms. The chargeable figure is the higher of the actual weight and the loading-meter weight.
More reference
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