Loading metres
LDM = length (m) × width (m) ÷ 2.4 m
2.4 m is the minimum inside width of a European truck or trailer deck. A euro pallet (1.2 × 0.8 m) takes 1.2 × 0.8 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 LDM.
Load Meter Guide.
Road freight is often priced per loading metre (LDM): one metre of trailer length over the full width of the deck.
The formula
Stackable cargo
LDM = length × width ÷ (2.4 m × stacking factor)
Two pallets on top of each other: stacking factor 2. Leave at least 5 cm between the top of the stack and the roof (10 cm with a double-deck beam), or the forklift cannot load it.
Volume of one LDM
1 m × 2.4 m × 2.4 m = 5.76 m³
For a box with 2.4 m inside height. A full 13.6 m semi-trailer is 13.6 LDM.
Source: Wikipedia (German), Lademeter: formula, stacking factor and roof clearance, 5.76 m³ per LDM, 34 pallets on a 13.6 m trailer.
- The LDM figure does not replace a load plan: load securing rules and dangerous goods can lower what really fits.
- Pallets that do not fill the width (for example a single 1.2 × 1.2 m pallet) are still often charged for the full row. Ask your carrier how they round.
- Carriers also convert LDM to chargeable weight with their own ratio (often quoted per LDM in kg). There is no single industry figure, so we do not list one.
Common pallets in loading metres
Calculated with the formula above, not stacked. Sizes from our Pallet Sizes page.
| Pallet | Size, m | LDM | Per 13.6 m |
|---|---|---|---|
| EPAL 1 (Euro) | 1.2 × 0.8 | 0.40 | 34 |
| EPAL 2 | 1.2 × 1 | 0.50 | 27 |
| EPAL 3 | 1.2 × 1 | 0.50 | 27 |
| EPAL 6 (half) | 0.8 × 0.6 | 0.20 | 68 |
| GMA (US) | 1.219 × 1.016 | 0.52 | 26 |
| Square 1.2 m | 1.2 × 1.2 | 0.60 | 22 |
“Per 13.6 m” is the LDM arithmetic only. A real pattern can hold fewer when the footprint does not divide the deck width.
Loading metre calculator
Loading metres4.00 LDM
Share of a 13.6 m trailer29%