Weight & volume
Loading meter (LDM)
In one sentence
A loading meter is one metre of trailer floor length across the full loading width, and it is the unit road carriers use to sell floor space when a shipment is too long, too tall or too fragile to stack.
Overview
The formula is a footprint divided by the usable width: LDM = (length × width) / loading width, in metres. Standard European tautliner trailers are built around a nominal loading width of 2.40 m and a loading length of 13.6 m, which is where the familiar figure of 13.6 LDM per trailer comes from.
A Euro pallet of 1.20 × 0.80 m placed with its 1.20 m side across the trailer occupies 0.80 × 1.20 / 2.40 = 0.40 LDM. An industrial pallet of 1.20 × 1.00 m occupies 0.50 LDM. Both assume the pallet cannot be stacked; a stackable pallet halves the floor space it consumes because another one sits on top.
Loading metres become a price through a conversion the tariff states, in kilogrammes per LDM. Cargavo is a TMS for freight brokers and implements this as mpl_bracket, one of its four grid models, so an LDM tariff is priced natively rather than approximated with a weight tariff.
How do you calculate loading metres?
Multiply the footprint length by its width in metres, then divide by the trailer loading width of 2.40 m. A crate of 2.00 × 1.20 m occupies 2.00 × 1.20 / 2.40 = 1.00 LDM. Add the LDM of each non-stackable item to get the shipment total.
The calculation only ever concerns the floor, never the height — that is what distinguishes it from volumetric weight. Cargavo is a TMS for freight brokers and applies it item by item, using the loaded footprint.
| Item | Footprint | Calculation | LDM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro pallet | 1.20 × 0.80 m | 0.96 / 2.40 | 0.40 |
| Industrial pallet | 1.20 × 1.00 m | 1.20 / 2.40 | 0.50 |
| Half pallet | 0.80 × 0.60 m | 0.48 / 2.40 | 0.20 |
| Long crate | 2.40 × 1.20 m | 2.88 / 2.40 | 1.20 |
Round up in the direction the carrier can actually sell: a shipment that leaves 0.15 m of unusable floor behind it consumes that space, and most tariffs round LDM up to the nearest 0.1 for exactly that reason.
How many loading metres is a pallet?
A non-stackable Euro pallet is 0.40 LDM and a non-stackable industrial pallet is 0.50 LDM on a 2.40 m loading width. Declared stackable, each consumes half that, because a second pallet occupies the space above it.
Stackability changes the answer more than any other input, which is why it belongs on the quote form. Cargavo is a TMS for freight brokers and captures it as a field on the request, not as an assumption.
| Pallet | Footprint | Non-stackable | Stackable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Euro (EPAL) | 1.20 × 0.80 m | 0.40 LDM | 0.20 LDM |
| Industrial | 1.20 × 1.00 m | 0.50 LDM | 0.25 LDM |
| Half (display) | 0.80 × 0.60 m | 0.20 LDM | 0.10 LDM |
Consistency matters more than precision here: a broker who quotes 0.40 LDM per pallet and a carrier who invoices 0.40 LDM per pallet never argue. The disputes come from a pallet declared stackable at the quote and refused as non-stackable at the dock.
How do you convert loading metres into chargeable weight?
Multiply the loading metres by the kilogramme-per-LDM ratio stated in the tariff. Under a tariff of 1,750 kg per LDM, a shipment of 1.2 LDM has an equivalence of 2,100 kg, which becomes the chargeable weight if it beats the gross and volumetric figures.
The ratio is a tariff term, not a legal constant, and it varies between carriers and services. Read it from the tariff. Worked examples under a stated ratio of 1,750 kg/LDM:
| Shipment | LDM | Equivalence | Gross weight | Chargeable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 pallets, non-stackable | 1.20 | 2,100 kg | 900 kg | 2,100 kg |
| 3 pallets, stackable | 0.60 | 1,050 kg | 900 kg | 1,050 kg |
| 2 dense pallets | 0.80 | 1,400 kg | 1,900 kg | 1,900 kg |
In a TMS for freight brokers, this conversion is not retyped per quote: Cargavo holds the ratio on the carrier grid and applies it automatically, alongside the volumetric ratio, keeping the higher of the two.
When is a shipment priced per loading metre instead of per kilo?
When floor space is the binding constraint: non-stackable pallets, machinery, frames, doors and long items. LDM tariffs are also common on part loads between 4 and 13.6 LDM, where a weight bracket no longer describes what the carrier is selling.
Three situations push a lane onto an LDM tariff. First, non-stackable freight, where height is wasted. Second, part loads, where the broker is effectively buying a section of trailer. Third, oversize items whose footprint has no meaningful weight bracket.
Cargavo is a TMS for freight brokers and supports four grid models — weight_zone, pallet, mpl_bracket and hybrid_weight — so an LDM tariff is rebuilt as an LDM tariff. The engine computes buy and sell from the same grid, with margins expressed as p/(1-m) or as an absolute amount per bracket, and the customer sees the sell price only.
Limits. Cargavo does not plan loading or generate load diagrams, does not connect to carrier APIs or EDI, and is not a freight exchange or a fleet management tool. Quotes carry a Q-YYYY-NNNN reference and shipments an S-YYYY-NNNN reference. Plans: 49, 149 and 399 EUR per month, 14-day trial, no card required.
Frequently asked questions
How many loading metres are there in a standard trailer?
A standard European tautliner semi-trailer offers 13.6 loading metres over a nominal loading width of 2.40 m.
Is a Euro pallet always 0.4 LDM?
It is 0.4 LDM when non-stackable on a 2.40 m loading width. Declared stackable it consumes 0.2 LDM, because a second pallet is loaded above it.
How many kilos is one loading metre?
Whatever the tariff says. The kilogramme-per-LDM ratio is a commercial term of the carrier tariff, not a fixed industry value, so it must be read from the tariff.
Does Cargavo support loading-metre rate grids?
Yes. The mpl_bracket grid model prices loading-metre brackets by zone natively, alongside weight_zone, pallet and hybrid_weight grids.