An air-cargo Unit Load Device is an aircraft container or a pallet-and-net combination. It is not simply a rectangular box with a volume allowance. Shape, aircraft position, restraint, serviceability and mass limits affect acceptance. A load that fits a software envelope is not automatically approved for an aircraft.
Start with the ULD code, not the cubic capacity
LD names and IATA type codes help identify equipment families, but they do not supply every manufacturer’s internal dimensions or aircraft-specific contour. Confirm the actual type, operator, aircraft and position, door or access opening, usable floor and approved build-up height. External dimensions and nominal volume must not be substituted for a complete usable interior.
How the CBM3 guides are organized
- LD3 / AKE: a contoured container reference, not its enclosing rectangular box.
- LD7 88-inch pallet and PMC / P6P: distinguish outside base size from usable loading area, net allowance and aircraft-dependent height.
- SWISS LD11 and ANA AKH: operator-specific references with their own qualifications.
- DPE / LD2 and DQF / LD8: approximate/manual planning is separate from operator-approved dimensions. Enter and acknowledge the required data; do not treat them as Best Fit defaults or certified models.
A published guide is not proof that its profile is enabled for automatic selection. The software also keeps operator-hold entries unavailable pending evidence; this article does not enable them. Read the individual current warnings instead of inferring availability from the directory.
Original example: volume and mass are separate checks
Ten packed cartons at 60 × 40 × 40 cm have input volume 0.960 m³. At 12 kg gross per carton, cargo mass is 120 kg. If, only for an arithmetic illustration, verified ULD tare is 73 kg and additional restraint is zero, their combined mass is 193 kg. This does not demonstrate that the cartons fit a contour, that zero restraint allowance is suitable or that 193 kg is acceptable at a given aircraft position.
The applicable gross limit can depend on aircraft and position. Check the actual allowed combination of ULD, pallet/net, cargo and other materials. Do not copy a maximum gross weight into a cargo-only field without accounting for tare and restraint exactly once. An airline’s published nominal volume is not a rectangular packing capacity.
Build an auditable preliminary plan
- Obtain the actual equipment and operator data, including missing access and contour evidence.
- Use the 3D load planner only within the selected profile’s documented scope. For a manual approximate profile, retain the warning and acknowledgement.
- Enter packed carton dimensions, quantity and gross mass per item. Keep upright and stacking restrictions; do not allow tipping merely to improve the result.
- Review placed and unplaced items, cargo mass and any unverified limits. A smaller bounding box is not a substitute for a curved or sloping contour.
- Have the operator check contour clearance, serviceability, build-up, restraint, floor/linear loads, center of gravity and aircraft weight-and-balance requirements.
Does chargeable weight prove the cargo fits?
No. The chargeable-weight tool estimates a billing basis using entered assumptions. It does not perform aircraft acceptance. Similarly, a static center-of-gravity estimate is not the aircraft’s weight-and-balance release.
Primary references: IATA ULD overview, IATA loading limitations and Qantas equipment qualifications. Individual CBM3 guides retain operator sources. Reviewed 30 October 2026. No new certification, profile enablement or optimum packing claim is made.