Unit load device
A unit load device, or ULD, (ULD) is a pallet or a container. It is 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. As with other cargo transport, 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.
Types
There are two kinds of unit load devices: pallets and boxes. The boxes are similar to shipping containers: they are mostly made with metal (usually aluminum) and have standard attachment points that let them be moved easily. The pallets are usually metal with sides that attach to a cargo net. Below is a table of sizes of ULDs. The volume listed is the internal volume, the size of the inside of the container.
| Container type | Volume | 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 |
| LD3-45 | 3.60 m3 (127 cu ft) | 156 / 244 × 153 × 114.3 cm (61.5 / 96 × 60.4 × 45 in) |
double contoured, full width, dimension according to IATA; for loading on Airbus A320 family |
| 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 |
Unit Load Device Media
Unit load device sizes, model available in sketchup's 3D Warehouse
Cross-section of an Airbus A300 showing LD3 containers
LD3 containers being loaded onto a Boeing 777-300ER.
An ATR 72 with its cargo door open
Dimension names of ULD (LD3/AKE shown)
A string of LD3 containers with AKE prefix
An LD3-45 container with AKH prefix. An AKE prefix ULD is visible to the right.
References
Other websites
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