ULD Types Explained: LD3, LD2, LD3-45, PMC and PAG Pallets

A ULD (unit load device) is the container or pallet that air cargo and baggage are built onto before loading into an aircraft. The main ULD types are lower-deck containers such as the LD3 (AKE), LD3-45 (AKH) and LD2 (DPE), and flat pallets such as the PMC and PAG, which are netted and built to a contour. The type you can use depends on the aircraft, its deck, and the shape and weight of your cargo.

This guide sorts the common types, explains how to read a ULD code, and lists typical dimensions. Figures are approximate: exact internal dimensions, tare and allowable gross weight vary by manufacturer, certification and airline, so always confirm with the carrier or ground handler for your flight.

Containers vs pallets

ULDs come in two families. Containers are closed boxes with a door or curtain, usually aluminium or composite. They protect cartons and baggage, load fast, and need little skill to fill. Pallets are flat aluminium plates with edge rails. Cargo is stacked on them, covered and held with a certified net. Pallets take bigger and odd-shaped items, but the build has to be shaped by hand to fit the aircraft contour.

Most containers have a sloped side, the contour, so they fit the curve of a wide-body lower hold. Pallets have no walls, so their contour is set by the build itself and checked against a profile gauge before the ULD leaves the warehouse. We cover that process in building a ULD.

How to read a ULD code

Every ULD carries an IATA identification code such as AKE 12345 XX. The first three letters describe the unit, the digits are a serial number, and the last two characters are the owner (usually the airline code).

So AKE is a certified container on a K-size base with LD3 contour, PMC is a certified pallet on a 125 × 96 inch base, and PAG is the same type of pallet on the narrower 125 × 88 inch base. The older LD names (LD3, LD7 and so on) are still used in everyday speech.

Common lower-deck containers

Lower-deck containers go in the belly holds of passenger and freighter aircraft. Wide-body lower holds take units up to about 163 cm (64 in) high. Narrow-body aircraft such as the A320 family take the lower LD3-45.

The LD3 is the workhorse: two fit side by side across a wide-body lower hold, and it is the unit most forwarders mean when they say they booked a container on a passenger flight. For a deeper look at its shape and capacity, see LD3 container dimensions.

Pallets: PMC, PAG and larger

Pallets are used on both decks. On the lower deck they are built to about 160 cm high. On the main deck of a freighter they can be built much higher, to a contour set by the aircraft position.

Allowable weight on a pallet is set by the aircraft position as well as by the pallet itself. A PMC in a lower-deck position is normally limited to a much lower gross weight than the same pallet on a freighter main deck. Ask for the position limit, not just the pallet rating.

Which ULD type fits your shipment?

• Many small cartons, under about 1.5 t: an LD3 or LD2 container. Fast to build, the walls hold the cartons in.
• Narrow-body routes: LD3-45, or loose (bulk) loading where the aircraft has no ULD system. Check piece heights against the 114 cm unit.
• Long, wide or heavy pieces: a PMC or PAG pallet. A piece over about 150 cm in any footprint direction rarely fits a container.
• Over about 163 cm high: main deck only, so a freighter or combi. See air cargo size limits.
• Temperature-controlled goods: an active or passive thermal container (R-prefix codes), booked well in advance.

Worked example: LD3 or PMC?

Say a forwarder has a consolidation of 48 cartons, each 60 × 40 × 45 cm and 16 kg. Total volume is 48 × 0.108 = 5.18 m³ and total weight is 48 × 16 = 768 kg.

1. 1One LD3 offers about 4.3 m³ in theory, and less in practice because of the contour and gaps between cartons. 5.18 m³ will not fit, so it needs two LD3s.
2. 2Two LD3s give about 8.6 m³, so they would run around 60% full by volume. Weight is fine: 768 kg against roughly 2 × 1,500 kg of payload.
3. 3A PMC built to lower-deck height (about 160 cm) on a 318 × 244 cm base offers up to about 12 m³ as a rectangular block (3.18 × 2.44 × 1.6 m), and somewhat less once the top edges are contoured. The cartons would fill about half of it, leaving room for other shipments in the consol.
4. 4Decision: two LD3s if the cargo travels alone; a shared PMC if the forwarder has other freight on the same flight.

Trying both options in a 3D planner takes a minute. In EveryLoading, the Loading space tab has an Air ULD group with LD3, LD3-45 and LD2 presets, and you can enter a pallet base and build height as a custom size. Note that the presets are modelled as rectangular spaces, so leave a margin for the contour side. See choosing a vehicle.