Loading metre (LDM) calculator
Part loads are priced by the trailer length they take. Enter the pallets and see the loading metres a carrier will quote on.
How it is calculated
A loading metre (LDM) is one metre of trailer length across the full 2.4 m width. One pallet position takes length × width ÷ 2.4.
An EUR pallet (1.2 × 0.8 m) is 0.4 LDM, a UK pallet (1.2 × 1.0 m) 0.5 LDM. Pallets stacked on top of each other share one position.
A standard trailer is 13.6 m long: 33 EUR or 26 UK pallets on the floor. More than that needs another truck.
Assumptions
- Loading width 2.4 m (the LDM convention) and trailer length 13.6 m.
- Pallets are loaded in full rows and not turned.
- Stack only as high as the goods and the packaging allow; many carriers do not take stacked pallets.
Questions
How is a part load priced?
Usually per loading metre. Very heavy freight is priced on its weight instead, and the carrier charges whichever comes out higher; the conversion between loading metres and kilograms is in the carrier’s terms.
How many EUR pallets fit on a truck?
A standard 13.6 m trailer takes 33 EUR pallets on the floor (11 rows of 3), or 66 if they can be double-stacked.
How many loading metres is a full truck?
13.6 LDM: the whole length of a standard semi-trailer.
Updated 20 Oct 2026
