At a Glance
- Articulated lorry, total
- 13.6 LDM / up to 33 pallets
- Articulated lorry payload
- approx. 24–26 t
- Box lorry (7.5 t)
- approx. 4–5 LDM
Loading capacity in road transport
A standard articulated lorry offers 13.6 LDM of loading area (approximately 82 m2), up to 33 Euro pallets and a payload of 24–26 t. Mega trailers reach 13.6 LDM with an internal height of 3.0 m (approximately 100 m3). Box lorries (7.5 t) have around 4–5 LDM of loading capacity. With general cargo the volumetric weight (L x W x H / 5,000) also counts.
How is loading capacity charged?
In part-load traffic (LTL) charging is by loading metres – the customer pays only for their share of the loading area. With full truck loads (FTL) the entire loading space is booked, regardless of how much of it is actually used. In general cargo traffic the combination of weight, LDM and volumetric weight applies.
Optimising loading capacity
Efficient palletising, stackable packaging and correct dimensions reduce the loading capacity you take up. Combining two consignments on a double-deck pallet, for instance, saves LDM and freight costs. Goods with a low weight but a large volume are often charged by volumetric weight or LDM.
