API Documentation | FreightUtils.com

Overview

The FreightUtils API is a free, stateless REST API. Every calculator on this site has a corresponding API endpoint. No authentication is required. Responses are JSON. CORS is enabled for all origins.

Base URL: https://freightutils.com/api

GET/api/ldmLoading Metres Calculator

Calculate the loading metres (LDM) required for a consignment on a UK/EU road freight trailer.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Default
`length`	number	Yes*	Pallet length in millimetres	—
`width`	number	Yes*	Pallet width in millimetres	—
`pallet`	string	No*	Preset: `euro`, `uk`, `half`, `quarter`. Replaces length/width.	—
`qty`	integer	No	Number of pallets	1
`stackable`	boolean	No	Whether pallets can be stacked	false
`stack`	2 or 3	No	Max stack height (used when stackable=true)	2
`weight`	number	No	Weight per pallet in kg	null
`vehicle`	string	No	`artic`, `rigid10`, `rigid75`, `luton`, `custom`	artic
`vehicle_length`	number	No	Custom vehicle length in metres (required when vehicle=custom)	—

* Either pallet (preset ID) or both length and width must be provided.

Example Requests

12 Euro pallets on an artic:

GET /api/ldm?pallet=euro&qty=12&vehicle=artic

Custom dimensions, stackable, with weight check:

GET /api/ldm?length=1200&width=1000&qty=5&stackable=true&stack=2&weight=300&vehicle=rigid10

cURL example:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/ldm?pallet=euro&qty=12&vehicle=artic"

Response

{
  "ldm": 4.8,
  "vehicle": {
    "name": "13.6m Artic Trailer",
    "length_m": 13.6,
    "max_payload_kg": 24000
  },
  "utilisation_percent": 35.29,
  "pallet_spaces": {
    "used": 12,
    "available": 33
  },
  "total_weight_kg": null,
  "fits": true,
  "warnings": [],
  "meta": {
    "inputs": {
      "length_mm": 1200,
      "width_mm": 800,
      "qty": 12,
      "stackable": false,
      "stack_factor": 2,
      "weight_per_pallet_kg": null,
      "vehicle": "artic"
    }
  }
}

GET/api/cbmCubic Metres Calculator

Calculate the cubic metre (CBM) volume of a shipment. Returns total CBM plus equivalents in cubic feet, litres, and cubic inches.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Default
`l`	number	Yes	Length of one piece in centimetres	—
`w`	number	Yes	Width of one piece in centimetres	—
`h`	number	Yes	Height of one piece in centimetres	—
`pcs`	integer	No	Number of identical pieces	1

Example Request

5 boxes, 120×80×100 cm each:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/cbm?l=120&w=80&h=100&pcs=5"

{
  "cbm_per_piece": 0.096,
  "total_cbm": 0.48,
  "total_volume_m3": 0.48,
  "cubic_feet": 16.951,
  "litres": 480,
  "cubic_inches": 29291.4,
  "pieces": 5,
  "meta": {
    "inputs": {
      "length_cm": 120,
      "width_cm": 80,
      "height_cm": 100,
      "pieces": 5
    }
  }
}

GET/api/adrADR 2025 Dangerous Goods Lookup

Look up ADR 2025 dangerous goods by UN number, search by substance name, or filter by hazard class. The dataset contains 2,336 entries from the ADR 2025 Dangerous Goods List (Table A). Responses are cached for 1 hour (s-maxage=3600).

Query Modes

Parameter	Type	Description	Max results
`un`	string	Exact UN number lookup. Accepts `1203`, `UN1203`, or `01203`.	1
`search`	string	Case-insensitive partial match on the proper shipping name. Min 2 characters.	20
`class`	string	Filter by ADR hazard class (e.g. `3`, `6.1`, `1.1`).	50

Provide exactly one parameter per request. Omitting all parameters returns a 400 with usage hints.

Example Requests

Exact UN number lookup:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/adr?un=1203"

{
  "count": 1,
  "results": [
    {
      "un_number": "1203",
      "proper_shipping_name": "MOTOR SPIRIT or GASOLINE or PETROL",
      "class": "3",
      "classification_code": "F1",
      "packing_group": "II",
      "labels": ["3"],
      "special_provisions": ["243", "534", "664"],
      "limited_quantity": "1 L",
      "excepted_quantity": "E2",
      "transport_category": 2,
      "tunnel_restriction_code": "D/E",
      "transport_prohibited": false,
      "hazard_identification_number": "33"
    }
  ]
}

Search by substance name:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/adr?search=acetone"

{ "count": 3, "results": [ ... ] }

Filter by hazard class:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/adr?class=3"

{ "count": 50, "results": [ ... ] }

GET/api/chargeable-weightAir Freight Chargeable Weight

Calculate air freight chargeable weight — whichever is higher between actual gross weight and volumetric (dimensional) weight. Supports custom volumetric factors for all carriers.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Default
`l`	number	Yes	Length of one piece in centimetres	—
`w`	number	Yes	Width of one piece in centimetres	—
`h`	number	Yes	Height of one piece in centimetres	—
`gw`	number	Yes	Total gross weight of all pieces in kg	—
`pcs`	integer	No	Number of identical pieces	1
`factor`	integer	No	Volumetric divisor: `6000` (IATA standard), `5000` (express carriers)	6000

Example Request

2 pieces, 120×80×100 cm, 500 kg total, IATA factor:

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/chargeable-weight?l=120&w=80&h=100&gw=500&pcs=2&factor=6000"

{
  "chargeable_weight_kg": 640,
  "basis": "volumetric",
  "gross_weight_kg": 500,
  "volumetric_weight_kg": 640,
  "volumetric_weight_per_piece_kg": 320,
  "cbm": 1.92,
  "ratio": 3.84,
  "factor": 6000,
  "pieces": 2,
  "meta": {
    "inputs": {
      "length_cm": 120,
      "width_cm": 80,
      "height_cm": 100,
      "gross_weight_kg": 500,
      "pieces": 2,
      "factor": 6000
    }
  }
}

GET/api/palletPallet Box Fitting Calculator

Calculate how many boxes fit on a pallet using a layer-based algorithm. Returns boxes per layer, number of layers, total boxes, orientation used, and volume/weight analysis. Optional weight constraint caps the result at the pallet's maximum payload.

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description	Default
`pl`	number	Yes	Pallet length in centimetres	—
`pw`	number	Yes	Pallet width in centimetres	—
`pmh`	number	Yes	Maximum total stack height in centimetres (floor to top of cargo)	—
`bl`	number	Yes	Box length in centimetres	—
`bw`	number	Yes	Box width in centimetres	—
`bh`	number	Yes	Box height in centimetres	—
`ph`	number	No	Pallet board/deck height in cm — deducted from usable height	15
`bwt`	number	No	Weight per box in kg — enables weight constraint calculation	—
`mpw`	number	No	Maximum pallet payload weight in kg — caps result if weight exceeded	—
`rotate`	boolean	No	Allow 90° rotation of boxes for best fit. Pass `false` to disable.	true

Example Request

curl "https://freightutils.com/api/pallet?pl=120&pw=80&pmh=220&bl=40&bw=30&bh=25&bwt=5&mpw=1500"

{
  "boxes_per_layer": 8,
  "layers": 8,
  "total_boxes": 64,
  "orientation": "original",
  "boxes_per_row": 3,
  "boxes_per_col": 2,
  "usable_height_cm": 205,
  "utilisation_percent": 62.5,
  "total_box_volume_cbm": 0.192,
  "pallet_volume_cbm": 1.968,
  "wasted_space_cbm": 1.776,
  "weight_limited": false,
  "total_weight_kg": 320,
  "remaining_weight_capacity_kg": 1180,
  "meta": {
    "inputs": {
      "pallet_length_cm": 120, "pallet_width_cm": 80,
      "pallet_max_height_cm": 220, "pallet_height_cm": 15,
      "box_length_cm": 40, "box_width_cm": 30, "box_height_cm": 25,
      "box_weight_kg": 5, "max_payload_weight_kg": 1500,
      "allow_rotation": true
    }
  }
}

HTTP Status Codes

Code	Meaning
200	Success — calculation result returned as JSON
400	Bad Request — missing or invalid parameters. Check the `details` array in the response.
405	Method Not Allowed — only GET requests are supported
500	Internal Server Error — unexpected error, please report via GitHub

Rate Limiting

The API is currently free and unmetered. As a courtesy, please keep requests under 1,000/hour per IP. Rate limit headers are included in every response:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Window: 3600