Calculate loading meters
Calculate the loading meters of your shipment or check how many pallet spaces you have left in a truck. Use our easy online tool — no spreadsheets needed.
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Loading meter calculator
Fill in the pallet dimensions and number of pallets to instantly calculate loading meters and remaining space.
Dimensions of the most used pallets: mini pallets (80×60), euro pallets (80×120) and block pallets (100×120). Cargors is ideal for shipping on pallets.
What is a loading meter?
A loading meter (ldm) is a unit used in road freight to indicate how much of a truck's loading floor a shipment occupies. One loading meter equals one linear metre along the length of the truck's cargo area — at the standard width of 2.4 metres.
In practice: a shipment that occupies 1 loading meter takes up a floor area of 1 m × 2.4 m = 2.4 m². Loading meters are used by carriers to calculate freight rates, especially for groupage and LTL (less-than-truckload) shipments.
1 ldm
= 1 m × 2.4 m
What does a loading meter mean?
The term loading meter refers to the floor space in a standard curtainsider trailer, which is 2.4 metres wide. One loading meter = 2.4 m² of floor space. You can use this to compare different pallet sizes and see how efficiently they use the available space.
For example: a euro pallet (80 × 120 cm) takes up 0.4 loading meters. A block pallet (100 × 120 cm) takes up 0.5 loading meters. Knowing this helps you plan loads, consolidate shipments, and avoid paying for unused floor space.
Average truck length in Europe
In European road transport, the standard semi-trailer (curtainsider or reefer) has a usable cargo length of approximately 13.5 metres — sometimes up to 13.6 metres. This is the legal maximum under EU regulations for standard loads.
Sprinter van
~4–5 ldm
Short-distance, urban delivery
Box truck 7.5t
~6–7 ldm
Regional deliveries
Curtainsider trailer
~33–34 ldm
13.5 × 2.4 m cargo floor
Mega trailer
~33–34 ldm
Extra height, same floor length
The standard semi-trailer at 13.6 ldm can hold 33 euro pallets (each 0.4 ldm) or 26 block pallets (each 0.5 ldm) in a single-row configuration.
How many pallets fit in a truck?
The number of pallets that fit in a full semi-trailer depends on the pallet type and whether double-stacking is possible:
Euro pallet (EPAL)
80 × 120 cm
Block pallet
100 × 120 cm
Mini pallet
80 × 60 cm
These figures are for single-layer loading. When double-stacking is allowed (depends on carrier and goods type), you can roughly double the number of pallets per truck.
Ready to ship your pallets?
Once you know your loading meters, instantly compare carrier rates and book with Cargors — in minutes.