[ type ] [ base size ] [ contour / height ]
1st letter — type. A = certified aircraft container. P = certified pallet. D = non-certified container. F = non-certified pallet. R = refrigerated / temperature-controlled. M = non-certified container with forklift pockets.
2nd letter — base dimensions. K = 1534 × 1562 mm (LD3 footprint). L = 1534 × 3175 mm. M = 2438 × 3175 mm. A = 2235 × 3175 mm. Q = 1534 × 2438 mm variants. P = 1562 × 1534 mm.
3rd letter — contour and height. E, N = standard 1626 mm contoured. H = reduced height. F = full-width flat. Others denote specific side profiles.
Nomenclature
Net payload = MGW − Tare
Tare is the empty weight of the unit itself. MGW (maximum gross weight) is the certified all-up limit including the unit. What you can actually load is the difference — and it is always less than the headline number.
Watch for: pallet MGW differs between lower deck and main deck, and between aircraft types. A PMC rated 6800 kg on a freighter main deck may be limited to around 4626 kg in a widebody belly. Never quote a single universal figure.
Weights
A container's internal volume tells you nothing about whether a given piece can get into it. The door aperture is almost always the binding constraint for large single items, and it is routinely overlooked at quoting stage.
This tool tests the door separately and will tell you when a piece fits the volume but not the opening. If that happens, your options are: a different unit, a pallet build-up (no door at all), or dismantling the piece.
Practical
Lower-deck holds follow the curve of the fuselage, so most lower-deck containers have one or both lower outboard corners cut away. An LD3's floor is roughly 445 mm narrower than its widest point.
This tool therefore reports two envelopes. Usable box is the rectangular volume guaranteed clear of the taper — a FITS verdict is against this. Full envelope ignores the contour; a piece that only passes here is flagged CHECK WITH CARRIER, because whether it loads depends on where it sits in the unit.
Geometry
L × W × H (cm) ÷ 6000 = kg
Airlines charge on the greater of actual and volumetric weight. The IATA divisor is 6000, which corresponds to a break-even density of 166.7 kg/m³. Some carriers use 5000, equivalent to 200 kg/m³.
Below the break-even density your freight is charged on volume — the cheapest way to improve that number is usually better packing, not a better rate.
Pricing
Lower deck (belly): effectively 1626 mm for containers and pallet build-ups on widebodies; around 1143 mm on A320-family narrowbodies.
Main deck (freighter): commonly 2438 mm, up to 2997 mm on the tall contoured units. This is the only route for genuinely large single pieces, and it requires a freighter.
Capacity
ULD & Capacity