ULD types
The 9 unit load devices most air freight is built onto — geometry, capacity and which deck they load on.
Lower-deck units
Load in the belly hold of a passenger or combination aircraft. Contoured to the fuselage, so the usable volume is well below the box the base dimensions describe.
| Code | Also known as | Base (cm) | Height | Usable m³ | Payload kg | Tare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKE contoured | LD3 | 156 × 153 | 163 | 4.3 | 1,506 | 82 |
| DPE contoured | LD2 | 156 × 119 | 163 | 3.4 | 1,150 | 75 |
| ALF contoured | LD6 | 318 × 153 | 163 | 8.9 | 2,995 | 180 |
| DQF contoured | LD8 | 318 × 153 | 163 | 6.9 | 2,289 | 160 |
| ALP | LD11 | 318 × 153 | 163 | 7 | 3,006 | 170 |
- AKE
- — The workhorse lower-deck unit on widebodies. Two sit side by side across the hold. Base footprint 3.9 m³; usable volume is 4.3 m³, which is larger because the unit widens above its base to follow the fuselage.
- DPE
- — Narrower sibling of the LD3, sized for the 767 lower deck. Base footprint 3.0 m³; usable volume is 3.4 m³, which is larger because the unit widens above its base to follow the fuselage.
- ALF
- — Spans the full lower-deck width — effectively two LD3 positions in one unit. Base footprint 7.9 m³; usable volume is 8.9 m³, which is larger because the unit widens above its base to follow the fuselage.
- DQF
- — Contoured on both ends, so less usable volume than an ALF of the same footprint. Base footprint 7.9 m³; usable volume is 6.9 m³, which is larger because the unit widens above its base to follow the fuselage.
- ALP
- — Box-shaped, so easier to plan than a contoured unit of the same footprint. Base footprint 7.9 m³, of which 7 m³ is buildable after the taper.
Lower and main deck
Pallets that load either below or on the main deck depending on the aircraft and the build height.
| Code | Also known as | Base (cm) | Height | Usable m³ | Payload kg | Tare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AAP | LD9 | 318 × 224 | 163 | 10.8 | 4,376 | 250 |
| P1P | PAG | 318 × 224 | 160 | 10.4 | 4,521 | 105 |
| P6P | PMC | 318 × 244 | 160 | 11.5 | 6,684 | 120 |
- AAP
- — Built on a 125 × 88 in pallet base. Common on freighters and large widebody lower decks. Base footprint 11.6 m³, of which 10.8 m³ is buildable after the taper.
- P1P
- — Netted and strapped pallet. Height is a build choice — 160 cm for a lower deck, taller on a main deck. Base footprint 11.4 m³, of which 10.4 m³ is buildable after the taper.
- P6P
- — The standard main-deck pallet, and the unit most general cargo is built onto. Base footprint 12.4 m³, of which 11.5 m³ is buildable after the taper.
Main-deck units
Freighter only. Too tall for a belly hold, and they need a nose or side cargo door.
| Code | Also known as | Base (cm) | Height | Usable m³ | Payload kg | Tare |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AMA | M1 | 318 × 244 | 244 | 17.6 | 6,404 | 400 |
- AMA
- — Full-height main-deck box on a 125 × 96 in base. Freighter only. Base footprint 18.9 m³, of which 17.6 m³ is buildable after the taper.
Why there is no aircraft compatibility matrix
Which unit loads on which aircraft — in which position, at what maximum gross weight — comes from the operator's weight-and-balance manual, and it varies by airline, by aircraft variant and by position in the hold. A matrix assembled from general knowledge would read as authoritative and be wrong precisely in the cases that cost money: the ones where someone builds a pallet that will not load.
The deck column above is the part that is universal. A main-deck unit needs a freighter with a nose or side cargo door; a lower-deck unit does not. For anything more specific, ask the carrier for the aircraft and position they are planning.
Check a shipment against a unit
The fit calculator takes your piece list and reports whether it clears the unit on payload, usable volume and height — and which of the three binds first.
Open the ULD fit calculator