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LDM Calculator

Calculate loading meters for your shipment. Add multiple lines, set stackability, and see trailer fill in real time.

Shipment lines

DescriptionLength (cm)Width (cm)Height (cm)Weight (kg)QtyStackableLDM
0.400 LDM
Total LDM
0.400LDM
Loading meters required
Trailer fill
2.9%
0.400 of 13.6 m standard
Gross weight
500kg
Total shipment weight

Trailer fill: 13.6 m standard semi-trailer

0 m3.4 m6.8 m10.2 m13.6 m
25%50%75%100%
Within standard trailer limits: 13.20 LDM and 23.5 t remaining capacity.

Loading metres and pallets per vehicle type

The loading metres of a vehicle equal the length of its load floor. The pallet counts are the most that fit on one layer (not stacked), without loading tolerance.

VehicleFloor (L × W)Loading metresEuro palletsBlock pallets
Semi-trailer / mega trailer13.60 × 2.40 m13.603426
Swap body C 7827.82 × 2.40 m7.821914
Swap body C 7457.45 × 2.40 m7.451814
Swap body C 7157.15 × 2.40 m7.151714
Rigid truck, 7.2 m body7.20 × 2.40 m7.201814
Box truck (7.5 t), 6 m body6.00 × 2.40 m6.001512
40 ft container12.03 × 2.35 m12.032522
20 ft container5.90 × 2.35 m5.90119

Loading metres: frequently asked questions

How many loading metres does a truck have?

A standard semi-trailer, including a mega trailer, has 13.6 loading metres, because one loading metre is one metre of floor length across the full 2.4 m width. A C 745 swap body has about 7.45 LDM, a rigid truck with a 7.2 m body 7.2 LDM and a 7.5-tonne box truck with a 6 m body 6 LDM. The table above lists the common vehicle types.

How many pallets fit in a trailer?

A 13.6 m trailer takes 33 Euro pallets in the usual pattern of 11 rows of three, and up to 34 when the floor is a full 13.6 m long (10 rows of three plus 2 rows of two). Block pallets (120 × 100 cm) fit two per metre: 26 on a 13.6 m trailer.

How do you calculate loading metres?

Loading metres = length × width ÷ 2.4, with the length and width of the goods in metres, multiplied by the number of pieces. Example: a Euro pallet is 1.2 × 0.8 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 LDM, so 5 Euro pallets take 2.0 LDM. If the goods can be stacked two high, halve the result. The calculator above does this per shipment line.

How many loading metres is one pallet?

A Euro pallet (120 × 80 cm) takes 0.4 LDM, a block pallet (120 × 100 cm) 0.5 LDM and a half pallet (60 × 80 cm) 0.2 LDM. One loading metre therefore holds 2.5 Euro pallets or 2 block pallets.

How does stacking affect loading metres?

Goods that can be stacked two high share one footprint, so their loading metres are halved: a stackable Euro pallet takes 0.2 LDM instead of 0.4. Turn on "Stackable" for a line in the calculator to apply this.

Pricing your groupage shipments on LDM?

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