Part loads in Europe are priced by loading metres, not by pallets or cubic metres. Once you know how they are counted, you can check a quote in a minute.
What a loading metre is
A loading metre (LDM) is one metre of trailer floor, measured along the length, across the full width of the trailer. The reference width is about 2.4 metres. A standard semi-trailer is 13.6 metres long, so a full trailer is 13.6 loading metres.
The formula
Loading metres = length (m) × width (m) ÷ 2.4
Multiply by the number of floor positions your goods occupy. If the goods cannot be stacked, every piece needs its own position.
Worked examples
Euro pallets (120 × 80 cm). 1.2 × 0.8 ÷ 2.4 = 0.4 LDM each. Three pallets side by side use 1.2 metres of trailer length, which is the same 0.4 per pallet. Ten Euro pallets that cannot be stacked: 4.0 LDM.
Industrial pallets (120 × 100 cm). 1.2 × 1.0 ÷ 2.4 = 0.5 LDM each. Twenty-six of them fill 13.0 metres.
Stacked pallets. Ten Euro pallets stacked two high need five floor positions: 5 × 0.4 = 2.0 LDM. Stacking halves the space, which is why the stacking question is on every quote form.
Odd sizes. A crate of 2.2 × 1.6 m: 2.2 × 1.6 ÷ 2.4 = 1.47, rounded up to 1.5 LDM. In practice, check that the crate can actually be placed next to other goods. If nothing fits beside it, it blocks the full width.
Weight or space, whichever is higher
On a shared truck you pay for the higher of two values: the weight of your goods, or the space they block. Light, bulky goods are charged by loading metres. Heavy, compact goods are charged by weight. Every carrier has its own conversion between the two, so compare quotes on the final price, not on the factor.
A quick check before you ask for a price
- Count pallets by type and note whether each type can be stacked
- Add any items without pallets with their length and width
- Note the total weight
Or use our loading metre calculator: it does the maths, shows the share of a full trailer and tells you whether the load still fits on one truck.