Air Freight: Unit Load Device

A unit load device, or ULD, is a pallet or container used to load luggage, freight, and mail on wide-body aircraft and specific narrow-body aircraft. It allows a large quantity of cargo to be bundled into a single unit. Since this leads to fewer units to load, it saves ground crews time and effort and helps prevent delayed flights. Each ULD has its own packing list (or manifest) so that its contents can be tracked.

Volume indicated is internal volume.

Container type	Volume	Linear dimensions (base width / overall width × depth × height)	Remarks
LD1[1]	4.90 m3 (173 cu ft)	156 / 234 × 153 × 163 cm (61.5 / 92 × 60.4 × 64 in)	contoured, half width
LD2[2]	3.40 m3 (120 cu ft)	119 / 156 × 153 × 163 cm (47 / 61.5 × 60.4 × 64 in)	contoured, half width
LD3	4.50 m3 (159 cu ft)	156 / 201 × 153 × 163 cm (61.5 / 79 × 60.4 × 64 in)	contoured, half width, dimension according to IATA
LD6	8.95 m3 (316 cu ft)	318 / 407 × 153 × 163 cm (125 / 160 × 60.4 × 64 in)	contoured, full width, equivalent to 2 LD3s
LD8	6.88 m3 (243 cu ft)	244 / 318 × 153 × 163 cm (96 / 125 × 60.4 × 64 in)	contoured, full width, equivalent to 2 LD2s; DQF-prefix
LD11	7.16 m3 (253 cu ft)	318 × 153 × 163 cm (125 × 60.4 × 64 in)	same as LD-6 but without contours; rectangular
Pallet type	Volume	Linear dimensions	Remarks
LD8	6.88 m3 (243 cu ft)	153 × 244 cm (60 × 96 in)	same floor dimensions as container variant; FQA-prefix
LD11	7.16 m3 (253 cu ft)	153 × 318 cm (60.4 × 125 in)	same floor dimensions as container variant; FLA- and PLA-prefixes
LD7 (2 pallet variants)	10.8 m3 (381 cu ft) 11.52 m3 (407 cu ft)	224 × 318 cm (88 × 125 in) 244 × 318 cm (96 × 125 in)	PAG- and P1P-prefixes PMC- and P6P-prefixes

Pallet volumes shown are built 64 in tall for lower deck loading. Height limit for main deck depends on aircraft type.

ULD capacity

Aircraft loads can consist of containers, pallets, or a mix of ULD types, depending on requirements. The table below indicates the maximum capacity of an aircraft for all-container and all-pallet configurations. In some aircraft the two types must be mixed as some compartments take only specific ULDs.

Container capacity of an aircraft is measured in positions. Each half-width container (LD1/LD2/LD3) in the aircraft it was designed for occupies one position. Typically, each row in a cargo compartment consists of two positions. Therefore, a full-width container (LD6/LD8/LD11) will take two positions. An LD6 or an LD11 can occupy the space of two LD3s. An LD8 takes the space of two LD2s.

Aircraft pallet capacity is measured by how many PMC-type LD7s (96" × 125") can be stored. These pallets occupy approximately three LD3 positions (it occupies two positions of one row and half of the two positions of the following row) or four LD2 positions. PMCs can only be loaded in cargo compartments with large doors designed to accept them (small door compartments are container only).

A = Airbus; B = Boeing; L = Lockheed; MD = McDonnell-Douglas; F = freighter; ER = extended range; LR = long range

Aircraft	Max Container Cap.	Max Pallet Cap.	Remarks
B727-100F	none	8 pallets*[3]	*88" × 125" pallets only; the 727 is a narrow-body
B727-200F	none	12 pallets*	*88" × 125" pallets only; the 727 is a narrow-body
B727-200C (combi)	none	11 pallets*	*88" × 125" pallets only; the 727 is a narrow-body
B747-100/200/300	30 LD1s[4]	5 pallets + 14 LD1s
B747-400	32 LD1s[1]	5 pallets + 14 LD1s
B747-400ER	26 LD1s[1]	4 pallets + 14 LD1s
B747-400F/ERF	32 LD1s (lower deck) + 30 pallets (main deck)[1]		freighter aircraft, capacity includes all decks
B767-200	22 LD2s[2]	3 pallets + 10 LD2s[2]
B767-300	30 LD2s[2]	4 pallets + 14 LD2s[2]
B767-300ER	30 LD2s[2]	4 pallets + 14 LD2s[2]
B767-300F	24 pallets* (main deck) + 30 LD2s (lower deck)[2]		*accepts 88" × 125" pallets only; freighter aircraft
B767-400ER	38 LD2s[2]	5 pallets + 18 LD2s
B777-200/200ER/200LR	32 LD3s[5]	10 pallets
B777F	30 LD3s + 27 pallets	37 pallets	freighter aircraft, capacity includes all decks
B777-300/300ER	44 LD3s[5]	14 pallets
B787-8/-3	28 LD3s	9 pallets
B787-9	36 LD3s	11 pallets
A300B2/B4	20 LD3s	?
A300-600	22 LD3s	4 pallets + 10 LD3s
A300-600F	41 LD3s	25 pallets	freighter aircraft, capacity includes all decks A300-600F deck layout
A310	14 LD3s	3 pallets
A320PF	10 pallets* (main deck) + 7 LD3-45W (lower deck)	10 AAZ (main deck) + 7 LD3-45W (lower deck)	*accepts 88" × 125" pallets only; freighter aircraft equipped with fwd cargo 86×121" door
A321PF	13 pallets* (main deck) + 10 LD3-45W (lower deck)	13 AAZ (main deck) + 10 LD3-45W (lower deck)	*accepts 88" × 125" pallets only; freighter aircraft equipped with fwd cargo 86×121" door
A330-200	23 pallets or 26 LD3s	8 pallets + 2 LD3s
A330-200F	9 AMA containers + 4 pallets (main deck) + 26 LD3 (lower deck)	22 pallets (main deck) + 8 pallets + 2 LD3 (lower deck)	freighter aircraft, capacity includes all decks A330-200F deck layout
A330-300	32 LD3s	11 pallets
A340-200	26 LD3s	9 pallets
A340-300	32 LD3s	11 pallets
A340-500	30 LD3s	10 pallets
A340-600	42 LD3s	14 pallets
A380-800	38 LD3s	13 pallets
A380-800F	59–71 LD3s	66 pallets	freighter aircraft, capacity includes all decks A380-800F deck layout
MD-11F	32 LD3s[6]	26 pallets
L-1011	16 LD3s	none	all series except 500 (250/200/150/100/50/1 series)
L-1011-500	19 LD3s	4 pallets*	*if equipped with fwd cargo 104" door
Il-86	16 LD3s	?
Il-96	18 LD3s	?

Maximum capacity shown does not reflect weight restrictions.
Actual number of ULDs loaded may be lower if aircraft is at its weight limit.
All information above are sourced from Wikipedia. For additional information, please click HERE.