Loading Meter Calculator
Work out how many loading metres (LDM) your cargo takes up on a trailer, based on its footprint, quantity and how it stacks.
Results
Assumptions
Loading metres use the simplified formula: cargo floor area ÷ usable trailer width. The default trailer is 2.4 m wide and 13.6 m long; edit both to match your equipment.
Stackable cargo counts one floor position per stack (quantity ÷ stacking factor, rounded up). The result ignores how footprints actually fit side by side, axle loads and weight limits.
How the Loading Meter Calculator works
A loading metre (LDM) is one metre of trailer length across the full usable width. For each cargo line, the calculator multiplies the footprint by the number of floor positions it needs (stacked items share a position), adds the lines together and divides by the usable trailer width. It also shows how much of a trailer that uses and roughly how many full trailers it equals.
The default trailer is 2.4 m wide and 13.6 m long inside, typical of a European curtain-side trailer. Both values can be changed.
Formula
Floor positions = ceil(quantity ÷ stacking factor) Adjusted floor area = length × width × floor positions LDM = adjusted floor area ÷ usable trailer width Trailer utilization = LDM ÷ usable trailer length
Worked example
10 Euro pallets (1.2 × 0.8 m), not stackable, trailer 2.4 m wide Floor area = 1.2 × 0.8 × 10 = 9.6 m² LDM = 9.6 ÷ 2.4 = 4.0 LDM Trailer = 4.0 ÷ 13.6 = 29.4%
When to use it
- Requesting a road freight or groupage quote charged per loading metre.
- Checking whether a load will fit on one trailer.
- Comparing the effect of stacking pallets on the space you pay for.
Limitations
This is the simplified area formula. It does not plan the actual floor arrangement, so awkward footprints may need more length than calculated. Carriers can also apply their own rules, such as a minimum LDM, a weight-to-LDM conversion or charging the full width for wide items.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a loading metre?
A loading metre (LDM) is one metre of trailer floor length across the full usable width, usually 2.4 m. It is used to price road freight by the floor space cargo takes.
How many Euro pallets make one loading metre?
With a 2.4 m wide trailer, one LDM is 2.4 m² of floor, which holds 2.5 Euro pallets (1.2 × 0.8 m) if they are not stacked, so each Euro pallet is 0.4 LDM.
Does stacking reduce loading metres?
Yes. Stacked items share a floor position, so the stacking factor divides the floor positions needed.