Tools
Load planner: containers & trucks
Enter your boxes or pallets and get a deterministic load plan: piece-by-piece placement, volume and weight utilization, centre of gravity per the CTU Code, VGM (SOLAS) and an orientative country weight-limit check. Everything is computed in your browser.
Inputs
Orden PJC/780/2025 (BOE) + Directiva 96/53/CE: Spain’s national limit was raised to 44 t for articulated vehicles with 5 or more axles from 23 October 2025 (Orden PJC/780/2025). International EU traffic stays capped at 40 t (Directive 96/53/EC). Intermodal exception up to 46 t.
Cargo
cm · kg
Volume
40.99%
Weight
33.15%
Pieces
32
VGM
13,380 kg
Centre of gravity (CTU Code)
Longitudinal eccentricity
-4.61%
Lateral eccentricity
-2.65%
CoG height
25.69%
Within the CTU Code 60/40 rule (±5% of the length).
Voids to block
No noticeable void: the load fills the space.
Voids let cargo move. Block them with chocks, timber bracing or dunnage bags, and brace against the walls or the front (CTU Code). This tool does not size lashings: for that, the securing calculator.
Road transportability
The gross weight (VGM) is compatible with the selected country limit.
The container max gross is NOT the legal road weight: subtract tractor + chassis (≈13.5 t nominal) from the national limit.
Orden PJC/780/2025 (BOE) + Directiva 96/53/CE ↗Unplaced pieces
Everything placed.
Chargeable weight of this cargo
Air (1:6000)
9,480 kg
Sea LCL (W/M)
31.296 t
Loading metres
9.2 ldm
VGM computed via SOLAS Method 2 (sum of declared weights + tare). It does not replace certified weighing where required.
Legal sources verified on · Official source: IMO/ILO/UNECE CTU Code + Dir. 96/53/CE + Orden PJC/780/2025 + FHWA + GB 1589 ↗
How the planner works
Loading boxes into a container (3D container loading) is NP-hard: no fast method can guarantee the optimum. This tool uses an extreme-point heuristic with all six orientations of each box, requiring every piece to rest on at least 75% of its base and respecting stacking constraints and the payload limit.
The CTU Code (IMO/ILO/UNECE) recommends keeping the centre of gravity within ±5% of mid-length (the 60/40 rule) and as low as possible. The tool computes it and warns you when the plan violates it.
The VGM (verified gross mass, SOLAS VI/2) is computed via Method 2: the sum of declared weights plus the container tare. Declaring it before shipment is mandatory.
For trailers, the axle split is estimated with a moment balance (kingpin and axle group) using declared nominal geometry. Country limits (ES, EU, US, China) are curated data with source and review date: Spain allows 44 t for national transport since October 2025, but international traffic remains at 40 t.
Frequently asked questions
- Is the resulting plan optimal?
- No, and no tool can guarantee that in reasonable time: the problem is NP-hard. It is a deterministic, reproducible plan with good utilization, meant for planning and quoting, not to replace the loader’s judgement.
- Why can’t I load the container up to its max gross weight?
- Because the container’s structural limit (e.g. 32,500 kg) is not the legal road limit: you must subtract the tractor and chassis tare and respect the national limit (40–44 t in Europe). A maxed-out 40-footer can be illegal to move.
- Does Spain’s 44-tonne limit apply when driving to France?
- No. Order PJC/780/2025 only applies to Spanish national transport. International transport is governed by Directive 96/53/EC: 40 t (44 t intermodal).
- Is my data stored anywhere?
- No. The whole computation, including the load plan and the checks, runs in your browser. No cargo data is sent or stored.