If you’ve ever stared at a trailer and wondered, “Will this even fit?” — welcome to the world of load Ah, got it — we’re focusing on “How to Calculate Load Metres (And Save Space, Time & Money)” as the full blog post. Let’s dive in. Here’s a draft you can post straight to the Transportify blog, written in your tone — helpful, clear, and a little bit cheeky:
How to Calculate Load Metres
(And Save Space, Time & Money)
If you’ve ever stared at a trailer and wondered, “Will this even fit?” — welcome to the world of load metres.
It’s one of those freight terms that sounds technical, but once you get it, it’s actually pretty straightforward — and very useful. Especially if you want to avoid underloading (wasted space) or overloading (extra costs, delays, drama).
Let’s break it down.
What Is a Load Metre?
A load metre is the amount of trailer space your goods take up, measured along the length of the trailer.
In other words:
1 load metre = 1 metre of trailer length fully used side to side.
If your goods are stackable, the same space can handle more — meaning fewer load metres used. If not, your shipment may take up more length than expected.
Why Does It Matter?
Because it affects everything:
- Pricing: Freight is often billed by space taken, not just weight.
- Planning: Helps you (and your freight partner) optimise trailer usage.
- Speed: Faster, more accurate quotes. No back-and-forth.
How to Calculate It
The basic formula looks like this:
Load Metres = (Pallet Length x Number of Pallets) / 2.4
Why 2.4? Because the average trailer width is 2.4 metres, and that’s how we determine if pallets can sit side by side.
But here’s the thing — it gets messy:
- Some pallets are euro-size, some aren’t.
- Some shipments are stackable, others aren’t.
- Do you have 13 mixed pallets or 8 uniform ones?
- Is there overhang? Special handling?
Math + freight = headache.
That’s Why We Built This
We saw too many customers getting stuck at this stage, so we built a free Load Metre Calculator to do the work for you.
- No signup.
- No download.
- Just input your pallets and dimensions — and get your load metres instantly.
Over 4,700 people have used it in the past six months. We even rank top 4 on Google for “Load Metre Calculator.” Not bad for a simple tool solving a very real problem.
🛠 Try It For Yourself
Save time. Avoid errors. Move faster.
🚛 Final Thought
The more you understand your space, the better your freight flows.
Calculating load metres is just one piece of the puzzle — but it’s one of those things that, once sorted, makes everything else easier.
And if you’re not sure where to start?
Start here: https://transportify.co.uk/load-metre-calculator
