LDM (loading metres) - what it is and how to calculate it
LDM (loading metre) is the basic billing unit in road transport of partial loads (LTL/FTL). It describes how many metres of trailer floor length your load occupies - across the full width of the vehicle. Freight forwarders price partial freight precisely in LDM.
Definition: what is 1 LDM?
How to calculate LDM - the formula
For a load that cannot be stacked and next to which no other goods can be placed:
Example: 5 industrial pallets (1.2 × 1.0 m) placed across the trailer in a single row: LDM = (1.0 × 1.2 × 5) ÷ 2.4 = 2.5 LDM.
Table: LDM for typical pallets
| Load unit | Dimensions | LDM |
|---|---|---|
| Euro pallet (across) | 1200 × 800 mm | 0.4 |
| Industrial pallet | 1200 × 1000 mm | 0.5 |
| Half-pallet | 800 × 600 mm | 0.2 |
| Full trailer | 13.6 m | 13.6 |
Hence the popular conversions: 33 euro pallets ≈ 13.6 LDM (3 pallets per 1.2 m of length → 0.4 LDM each) and 26 industrial pallets ≈ 13 LDM.
What to watch out for when calculating LDM
- A non-stackable load "kills" the entire height - even low goods take up a full LDM if nothing can be placed on top of them.
- Protruding elements (long items, machinery) are counted by their outermost dimensions, not by the base.
- Weight limit: 1 LDM is usually assumed to be max. ~1750 kg - heavier cargo is billed by weight, not by space occupied.
- The forwarder may add LDM for unusable space that your load blocks (e.g. when no pallets can be placed next to it).
Related guides
- Euro pallet dimensions - table and types
- How to optimally load a trailer and container
- Shipping container dimensions 20'/40'/HC
Where to check LDM without doing the sums
The formula is enough while the pallets fit neatly. Once the last row is left incomplete or some pallets have to be turned, a hand calculation starts drifting away from what will really take up space in the trailer. That is why loading metres are now shown in the program itself - on the pallet and trailer results bars, worked out from the area the layout actually occupies.
The figure refreshes after every change to the layout, including pallets moved by hand, and the tooltip carries the full formula together with the 2.4 m divisor. Containers deliberately do not get one: sea freight is billed in cubic metres, so that tab shows volume instead. The tool itself is described on the LDM calculator page.
Don't calculate LDM by hand
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