Record the finished load rather than only the deck
Container floor planning needs the completed load’s relevant footprint. A nominal pallet deck can be smaller than cartons, wrap, corner boards, straps, handles or a protective cap. Measure the load in its normal shipping condition and identify the features that define its maximum envelope. Keep the empty deck dimensions alongside it because purchasing and case-layer planning can still need that separate record. The floor tool cannot infer cargo overhang from the selected pallet standard.
Use a consistent orientation and explain whether each projection is at the base, middle or top. A two-dimensional rectangular footprint can represent the largest envelope as a conservative screen, but it does not describe the vertical position of a protrusion or how it moves through a door. If those details matter to handling, preserve photographs or a separate drawing with the measurements. The finished rectangle is an input abstraction, not a scan of the actual shape.
Calculate the envelope from measured opposing projections
Take a 1200 × 800 mm reference deck. Suppose the completed cargo projects 20 mm beyond the deck at each end along the first side and 15 mm at each side along the second. The resulting rectangular envelope is 1200 + 20 + 20 = 1240 mm by 800 + 15 + 15 = 830 mm. If the two opposing projections differ, add the actual values rather than doubling an average. These figures are assumed measurements for the example, not permission to use overhang.
A strap buckle protruding another 10 mm on one side could make the relevant second envelope 840 mm if it extends beyond the measured 830 mm cargo boundary. Determine whether the strap feature is already included before adding it. Do not add the same projection twice under the names wrap allowance and loaded width. The record should show which physical feature controls each maximum and what was actually measured.
| Record | Length × width | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Empty reference deck | 1200 × 800 mm | Pallet only |
| Cargo and wrap envelope | 1240 × 830 mm | Opposing measured projections |
| Envelope with extra protruding buckle | 1240 × 840 mm | Only if the buckle lies beyond the previous boundary |
| Unknown cap projection | Not yet established | Measure before using a complete fit record |
Compare fit with the same floor region
For a hypothetical 4900 × 1700 mm region and zero spacing, the 1200 × 800 mm deck grid gives floor(4900 / 1200) × floor(1700 / 800) = 4 × 2 = 8. Using the 1240 × 830 mm completed envelope gives 3 × 2 = 6 in that uniform orientation. The larger envelope crosses the length threshold for the fourth position. The smaller deck result is not a shipment capacity for the wrapped loads.
Turning every completed envelope gives floor(4900 / 830) × floor(1700 / 1240) = 5 × 1 = 5. The better of these two uniform grids is six. A mixed candidate search can produce another result, but the actual rectangle and spacing must remain explicit. Best found means the largest valid candidate found by the finite search, not proof that no arrangement can improve it. Do not describe the hypothetical region as a carrier specification.
Separate envelope size from spacing requirements
Enter the measured footprint and any additional required gap as separate inputs. A 30 mm increase in load width is not equivalent to a 30 mm gap between nominal deck rectangles. The larger envelope extends toward perimeter walls as well as neighboring loads, while a gap is separation between modeled rectangles. Wall clearance removes another region from the usable floor. Specify each physical requirement once, with its own source or explanation.
The model’s equal perimeter clearance does not represent every nonuniform access channel or door-only reserve. If your requirement cannot be represented by one rectangle and the supported spacing controls, explain the approximation or obtain a more detailed layout. Geometric residuals do not establish enough room to drive, turn or secure the last pallet. The loading sequence and handling equipment must be reviewed separately.
Write a finished-footprint record
Identify the pallet and cargo group, empty deck, measurement orientation, loaded length and width, controlling protrusions, shipping condition and observation date. Record the actual gap and wall-clearance requirements separately. Preserve uncertain features as unresolved rather than assuming zero projection. For the example compare 1200 × 800 with 1240 × 830 in the same 4900 × 1700 region.
Use the completed footprint in the floor planning interface
Open the full calculator and use its container floor planner for the finished load. Enter the actual equipment floor dimensions and the measured pallet footprint, then confirm the restored fields before reviewing the drawing. The configuration calculator can reproduce the hypothetical rectangle comparison. A preset is a starting value and should be edited when it differs from the measured envelope.
If the shipment contains different envelopes, list each group and count. The floor engine takes one identical rectangle size per run, so a mixed-size shipment cannot be represented faithfully by an average width. Explicit nonoverlapping zones can provide a reviewable candidate. Keep actual heights and masses with that proposal as separate records; a correct wrapped footprint establishes neither payload nor entry-height suitability.
Reference and example scope
EPAL 1 product page supports the empty reference footprint used to demonstrate the difference from a wrapped shipping load. The examples use explicitly stated measurements or assumptions; they are not instrument standards, tolerance rules or approval of your load.