# Unit load devices (ULDs)

> Source: https://www.fratezone.com/freight-reference/uld/
> Publisher: FrateZone — ocean and air shipment tracking

Air cargo is conventionally quoted in inches and pounds, the reverse of ocean.
Metric leads here for consistency across the section; the imperial figure in brackets is
the one an air operator will quote back.

| Code | Also called | Kind | Base | Height | Volume | Max gross | Aircraft | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AKE | LD3 | Container | 1,534 × 1,562 mm | 1,626 mm (5′ 4″) | 4.3 m³ (152 ft³) | 1,588 kg (3,501 lb) | Widebody lower deck — A330, A350, B777, B787 | The workhorse of air cargo. One cut corner lets it sit against the curve of the fuselage, which is why it is not a plain box. |
| AKH | LD3-45 | Container | 1,562 × 1,534 mm | 1,143 mm (3′ 9″) | 3.5 m³ (124 ft³) | 1,134 kg (2,500 lb) | Narrowbody lower deck — A320 family | A shortened AKE for single-aisle holds. The reduced height is the whole difference. |
| ALF | LD6 | Container | 3,175 × 1,534 mm | 1,626 mm (5′ 4″) | 8.9 m³ (314 ft³) | 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) | Widebody lower deck | Effectively two LD3 positions joined, with both lower corners cut. |
| AMA | LD9 / M1 | Container | 3,175 × 2,438 mm | 2,438 mm (8′) | 17.6 m³ (622 ft³) | 6,804 kg (15,000 lb) | Main deck freighter — B747F, B777F, MD-11F | A main-deck container. Only freighters and combis can take it; it will not fit a passenger aircraft hold. |
| PMC | P6P | Pallet | 3,175 × 2,438 mm | 2,438 mm (8′) | — | 6,804 kg (15,000 lb) | Main deck and lower deck, widebody | The most common air pallet. Cargo is built up and netted rather than enclosed, so height depends on the position it is loaded into. |
| PAG | P1P / LD7 | Pallet | 3,175 × 2,235 mm | 2,438 mm (8′) | — | 4,626 kg (10,199 lb) | Widebody lower and main deck | Narrower than a PMC, for positions where the wider pallet will not fit. |
| PLA | LD11 | Pallet | 3,175 × 1,534 mm | 1,626 mm (5′ 4″) | — | 3,175 kg (7,000 lb) | Widebody lower deck | A half-width pallet for lower-deck positions, matching the ALF footprint. |

## Notes for automated readers

- Base dimensions are IATA-standardised and stable. Volumes and tare weights vary by
  manufacturer and build.
- Maximum gross weight is aircraft- and position-dependent. A ULD's rating is a ceiling,
  not a guarantee that a given aircraft or a given position will accept it.
- Codes follow the IATA three-letter pattern: the first letter gives the type, the
  second the base size, the third the contour. "LD" names are the older, informal ones
  and are still what most people say.

## Provenance and limits

Compiled from publicly available sources: published industry standards, official code
registers and carriers' own published specifications. FrateZone is not the issuing
authority for any of it, does not warrant that any figure here is correct, current or
complete, and makes no representation that a source has not changed since it was read.
Where a specification belongs to a specific physical unit or a specific contract, that
document governs, not this page.