Container Load Planner
Calculate how many unit loads actually fit in a container, checking both footprint orientations and the weight limit, not cube fit alone.
Container (interior)
Unit load
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Based on your results, these related decisions are available.
How this works
Checking a unit load's footprint against container dimensions in only one orientation undercounts capacity whenever rotating the load a quarter turn fits more units per layer. Both orientations are checked, and the final unit count is whichever binds first, the cube-fit count or the container's legal weight limit.
Key terms
- Footprint orientation: whether the unit load's length runs along the container's length or its width, whichever fits more per layer.
- Cube utilization: the volume actually occupied divided by total container volume.
Assumptions
- Rectangular, uniformly-stackable unit loads
- No overhang or dunnage allowance
Limitations
- Single uniform unit load, not a mixed-SKU load plan
Sources
Standard container loading (cube-and-weight) practice.
Worked example
Checking only one orientation of a 48x40-inch unit load in a 400x90-inch container gives 10 units per layer. Checking the rotated orientation gives 16, a 60% higher count a single-orientation check would miss entirely.
Common use cases
- Planning how many pallets or crates fit in an ocean or truck container
- Checking whether weight or cube is the real binding constraint on a shipment
- Comparing unit load sizes for container-fill efficiency