Calculate loading meter (ldm)

Gerhard Hänel14.05.2018 • 7 min

Content

1. Learn to understand and calculate truck loading meters
2. Load meter calculation
3. Inaccuracies when calculating the loading meters
4. Calculation of the load meters with several load carriers
5. A small task for calculation

Learn to understand and calculate truck loading meters

The number of loading meters of a load specifies how many meters of the length of the means of transport are required for a particular freight. Loading meters are therefore a measure of the load on a truck and are used to plan and settle the available loading space in the means of transport.

An example: a semi-trailer is 13.6 m long, ~ 2.7 m high and ~ 2.4 m wide by default. Regardless of the height and width of the load, one loading meter is always one meter in length of the loading area. The number of truck loading metres therefore always corresponds to the length of the loading area - it therefore has 13.6 loading metres (ldm).

Depending on the combination of a load carrier (e.g. a Euro pallet), a different number of the same load carriers can use the same number of load meters. In the following example, from left to right, 4 identical load carriers take up one loading meter, 2 identical load carriers take up one loading meter and one load carrier takes up one loading meter. In total, all three combinations require 3 ldm. In addition to width, height and depth, the stackability of the load carriers therefore also influences the load meters of the cargo.

PS: Here you can find our free truck route planner with toll: CargoApps

Load meter calculation

The formula for calculating the load meters for a load carrier is as follows:

Load carrier length x load carrier width / 2.4 = load meter_ (e.g. for a Euro pallet: 1.2 m x 0.8 m / 2.4 m = 0.4 ldm)

If the goods to be loaded can be stacked, the above formula is extended by the stacking factor. If, for example, the goods can be stacked 3-fold, a stacking factor of 3 is used.

Length x width / 2.4 / stacking factor = loading meter (for example, for a Euro pallet: 1.2 m x 0.8 m / 2.4 m / 2 = 0.2 ldm)

If more than one load carrier with the same footprint is to be loaded, the result can simply be multiplied.

Length x width / 2.4 / stacking factor * number of load carriers = loading meter (e.g. for a Euro pallet: 1.2 m x 0.8 m / 2.4 m / 2 * 16 = 3.2 ldm)

PS: You can find our free truck route planner with toll for Europe in our CargoApps.

Inaccuracies when calculating the loading meters

But beware - the formula is not always accurate. In the above example, we reach 3.2 loading metres with 16 load carriers. If we now reduce the loading volume by 2 Euro pallets, the loading metres are reduced by 0.4 loading metres to 2.8 loading metres. In reality, however, we still need 3.2 lane metres, as only 2 stacked pallets are missing (see picture below).

PS: In the CargoApps you can find the free truck route planner with toll.

Calculation of the load meters with several load carriers

The load meters for several load carriers are always calculated for each specific load carrier and are added up at the end.

For 16 load carriers of type 1, the result is 3.2 load metres as follows:

1.2 m x 0.8 m / 2.4 m / 2 * 16 = 3.2 ldm

For 6 load carriers of type 2, this results in 1.6 load meters as follows:

1.2 m x 1.6 m / 2.4 m / 3 * 6 = 1.6 ldm

Together you take 4.8 lane metres:

3.2 ldm + 1.6 ldm = 4.8 ldm

A small task for calculation

A semi-trailer with a length of 13.6 metres and an internal height of 2.7 metres shall be loaded with 40 Euro pallets with a length of 1.2 metres, a width of 0.8 metres and a height of 1 metre. The pallets can be stacked according to the customer. How many loading metres are required?

Calculate the stacking factor:

2.7 m / 1 m = 2.7

The pallet mathematically fits 2.7 times into the height of the semi-trailer. In reality, of course, only 2 times - so the stacking factor is 2. You should always make sure that there is at least 5 cm space left in the loading height.

Calculate loading meter:

1.2 m x 0.8 m / 2.4 m / 2 * 40 = 8 ldm

The solution is 8 charge meters. A simple loading meter calculator can be found here.