To calculate a loading meter, use the formula length × width / 2.4, with the length and width of the shipment given in meters. A Euro pallet therefore takes up 0.4 loading meters and an industrial pallet 0.5 loading meters. This article explains what a loading meter is, how to calculate loading meters for different shipments and why freight forwarders charge on this basis.
What is a loading meter?
A loading meter (abbreviated LDM) is one meter of loading area along the length of a truck, measured across its entire width. The width used is 2.4 m. One loading meter therefore corresponds to an area of 1 m × 2.4 m, which is 2.4 m².
The width of 2.4 m is no coincidence. The internal width of a standard trailer is around 2.45 m. Exactly three Euro pallets fit across it side by side (3 × 80 cm), or two industrial pallets (2 × 120 cm). The loading meter translates the floor area of a shipment into the length it occupies on the loading area.
A standard semi-trailer has a loading length of 13.6 m and therefore 13.6 loading meters. This figure is the reference value for a full load.
The loading meter formula
The formula is:
Loading meters = length (m) × width (m) / 2.4
So you measure the floor area of your shipment and divide it by the width of the truck. Three points are important here:
- Measure the external dimensions: What counts is the widest and longest point, including any overhanging goods.
- Calculate in meters: 120 cm becomes 1.2 m, 80 cm becomes 0.8 m.
- Take stackability into account: If pallets may be stacked on top of each other, divide the result by the number of layers.
With a stacking factor, the formula looks like this:
Loading meters = length × width / 2.4 / stacking factor
The stacking factor is 1 for non-stackable goods, 2 for two layers on top of each other, and so on.
How to calculate loading meters in five steps
- Count the packages: Note how many pallets or crates of which size you are shipping.
- Measure the external dimensions: Length and width of each package at its widest point, in meters.
- Calculate the area per package: Length × width, then divide by 2.4.
- Check stackability: Divide the loading meters of stackable packages by the number of layers.
- Add it all up: Add the loading meters of all packages. The result is the space your shipment occupies on the loading area.
Then check the result against reality on the loading area. The formula assumes that the area is used without gaps. If packages do not fit neatly next to each other, the shipment takes up more space in practice than the calculation shows.
How to calculate loading meters: examples with Euro pallets
The Euro pallet measures 120 × 80 cm. You can find more about its dimensions, weight and load capacity in our blog.
Example 1: one Euro pallet
1.2 m × 0.8 m / 2.4 = 0.96 / 2.4 = 0.4 LDM.
Example 2: ten Euro pallets, not stackable
10 × 0.4 LDM = 4.0 LDM. The ten pallets therefore take up around 4 m of loading area when they stand crosswise three side by side.
Example 3: ten Euro pallets, double-stackable
4.0 LDM / 2 = 2.0 LDM. Five pallets stand on the floor, five more on top of them. This requires that the height, weight and load-bearing capacity of the goods allow stacking.
Example 4: seven Euro pallets, partly stackable
Four pallets with robust goods may be double-stacked, three pallets with fragile goods may not. The four stackable pallets take up 4 × 0.4 / 2 = 0.8 LDM, the three non-stackable ones 3 × 0.4 = 1.2 LDM. Together this makes 2.0 LDM. With mixed shipments, always separate stackable and non-stackable packages.
Rule of thumb for Euro pallets
One loading meter corresponds to 2.5 Euro pallets on one level. Mathematically, this means 34 Euro pallets fit on 13.6 m. In practice it is 33, because the pallets stand in rows of 1.2 m depth each: 11 rows of three pallets each take up 13.2 m, and the remaining space is not enough for a twelfth row.
Examples with industrial pallets and mixed shipments
The industrial pallet measures 120 × 100 cm and takes up more space than the Euro pallet.
Example 5: one industrial pallet
1.2 m × 1.0 m / 2.4 = 1.2 / 2.4 = 0.5 LDM.
Example 6: eight industrial pallets, not stackable
8 × 0.5 LDM = 4.0 LDM. A full trailer of 13.6 m holds 26 industrial pallets: 13 rows of two pallets each, each row 1 m deep.
Example 7: mixed shipment
Six Euro pallets and four industrial pallets, none stackable: 6 × 0.4 + 4 × 0.5 = 2.4 + 2.0 = 4.4 LDM.
Example 8: wide single item
A machine crate measures 4.0 × 1.8 m. According to the formula, this gives 4.0 × 1.8 / 2.4 = 3.0 LDM. However, only around 0.6 m of width remains free next to the crate, and hardly any other shipment fits there. Many freight forwarders therefore charge the full occupied length in such cases, in this case 4.0 LDM. For bulky or unusually shaped goods, you should clarify the occupied space in advance.
Stackable or not stackable: the biggest lever
Stackability changes the loading meters more than any other factor. Two stackable pallets only take up the space of one. Whether stacking is possible depends on several conditions:
- Height: Both pallets together must fit under the internal height of the truck. For a standard trailer, this is around 2.70 m.
- Load-bearing capacity of the goods: The lower pallet must carry the weight of the upper one without the cartons being crushed.
- Flat surface: A pallet with a pointed or uneven top cannot carry anything.
- Information when booking: The freight forwarder only calculates with stackability if you state it. But only state it if it really applies.
Incorrect information can be expensive: if a non-stackable pallet is booked as stackable and still has a load placed on it, damage occurs. If the error is noticed beforehand, additional charges are made.
Why freight forwarders charge by loading meters
A truck has two limits: the payload and the loading area. Heavy, compact goods reach the weight limit first. Light, bulky goods, on the other hand, fill the loading area long before the truck reaches its permissible weight. If the freight forwarder only charged by weight, bulky shipments would be far too cheap, even though they block space for other customers.
That is why many tariffs use the loading meter as a second basis for calculation. The tariff often converts the loading meters into a chargeable weight using a fixed factor and compares it with the actual weight. The higher value is charged. Each freight forwarder sets the conversion factor in its tariff conditions. It differs depending on the provider and the type of transport.
Loading meters also matter when choosing the shipping option. Small shipments of a few tenths of a loading meter travel as groupage, from several loading meters a partial load is often worthwhile, and at close to 13.6 loading meters a full truckload. Our article Groupage, partial load or full truckload explains the differences. You can read how freight costs are made up overall in How to calculate freight costs.
Common mistakes when calculating loading meters
- Forgetting overhang: If the goods overhang the pallet, the external dimensions of the goods count, not those of the pallet.
- Centimeters instead of meters: 120 × 80 / 2.4 gives 4,000, not 0.4. Always calculate in meters.
- Being too optimistic about stackability: Only pallets that can really withstand the height and load may be calculated with a stacking factor.
- Overlooking the remaining width: For wide single items, the freight forwarder may charge the full length because the rest of the width remains unused.
- Ignoring rounding: Some tariffs round up to certain increments. The rules for this are in the freight forwarder's conditions.
Frequently asked questions
What is the loading meter formula?
Loading meters = length (m) × width (m) / 2.4. For stackable goods, also divide the result by the number of layers.
How many loading meters does a Euro pallet take up?
A Euro pallet measuring 120 × 80 cm takes up 0.4 loading meters. An industrial pallet measuring 120 × 100 cm takes up 0.5 loading meters.
Why divide by 2.4?
2.4 m is the width used to calculate the loading area of a truck. Three Euro pallets or two industrial pallets fit side by side across this width.
How many loading meters does a truck have?
A standard semi-trailer has a loading length of 13.6 m and therefore 13.6 loading meters. It holds 33 Euro pallets on one level.
What is the difference between a loading meter and a pallet space?
A pallet space is the space for one pallet on the loading area. The loading meter, on the other hand, measures the occupied length regardless of the shape of the shipment. This also makes it possible to compare crates, mesh boxes or loose goods that do not fit on a standard pallet.
Do you know the dimensions and number of your pallets? In the price calculator you can see the fixed price for your shipment instantly, without an account. You can find an overview of all transport options on the Freight and Transport page.