Why a truck load planner?
A container planner treats the box as a closed envelope and optimizes volume utilization. Last-mile and regional road freight add two concerns the container world tends to ignore: vehicles come in a wide range of sizes (not just 20' and 40'), and a badly loaded truck wastes dispatch slots, fuel, and sometimes a whole return leg. If you're quoting a customer a multi-drop delivery, you need to know whether the cargo actually fits in the 4-wheeler you're planning to send — before the driver opens the back and discovers you've booked the wrong truck class.
Stow8 lets you drop your packing list, pick a truck size (or try several), and get a 3D plan in a few seconds. The same interface that plans 40' high cubes for ocean freight also plans an L300 run for a same-day delivery. The engine is identical under the hood — what changes is the vehicle you pack into. Freight forwarders planning an international shipment plus a domestic delivery leg get both from one cargo list.
SEA regional truck fleet
Stow8 ships with five truck classes seeded from the Southeast Asian regional fleet. Dimensions are the midpoint of the typical range each class covers — verify against your specific fleet spec before dispatch, especially on older vehicles or chassis variants.
| Class | L × W × H (m) | Payload | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| L300 Van | 2.3 × 1.45 × 1.25 | ~1.1 T | Last-mile, cartons, loose cargo |
| 4-Wheeler | 3.25 × 1.7 × 1.65 | ~2.5 T | SME deliveries, mixed loads |
| 6-Wheeler | 5.0 × 2.1 × 2.0 | ~6.5 T | Warehouse transfers, palletized freight |
| 6-Wheeler Foldside | 6.5 × 2.3 × 2.2 | ~10 T | High-volume distribution, side-loadable cargo |
| 10-Wheeler | 8.25 × 2.4 × 2.4 | ~17.5 T | Full truckload (FTL), bulk freight |
You can also pick multiple truck classes and let Stow8 recommend the best fit. If your cargo list fills a 4-wheeler plus a second 6-wheeler, the optimization result tells you that in plain text — “1× 4-Wheeler + 1× 6-Wheeler” — with the full 3D layout for each vehicle.
Volume and payload only — axle loads are your call
Stow8 optimizes two things: how the cargo fits geometrically inside the vehicle, and whether the total weight stays within payload. It does not validate axle weight distribution. A load can be total-GVWR-legal and still be axle-illegal — this happens regularly with front-heavy machinery on 6-wheelers, for example. Axle limits are governed by chassis rating and regional bridge-law tables; those vary enough across SG, MY, ID, PH, TH and VN that a generic calculator doing them automatically would do them wrong somewhere.
The truck mode in Stow8 surfaces a loud “verify axle loads per vehicle manual” disclaimer in both the UI and the exported PDF. Treat the Stow8 plan as a volume-and-payload pre-check that speeds up your booking workflow, not as a final load compliance document. Your driver or fleet manager still owns the axle check before the truck leaves.
How Stow8 helps
- 3D visualization — Rotate, zoom, inspect every piece before the driver arrives. Catches footprint issues spreadsheets hide.
- Multi-truck recommendation — Give it a cargo list and three truck classes, it picks the best-fit combination.
- Packing buffer — Symmetric breathing room (mm or %) around every item for lashing, tarping, or clearance between pieces. The 3D viewer renders the true cargo inside the buffered footprint so the air-gap is visible.
- Stackability rules — Per-item: stackable, max stack weight, upright-only, orientation lock. Real cargo has constraints.
- PDF export — One-page loading diagram with dimensions, 3D view, item list, and the axle disclaimer. Hand it to your driver.
- Excel import — Paste your packing list from a spreadsheet. One click.
Common truck load use cases
- Same-day last-mile — L300 / 4W runs for e-commerce fulfilment, spare parts, small-office deliveries
- Warehouse-to-warehouse transfers — 6W / 6WF for palletized stock between depots
- Import leg after port collection — 10W for containers broken down at the yard, delivered in multiple drops
- Construction site deliveries — Plant, tools, fittings per stage of a build project
- Wholesale distribution — Mixed FMCG pallets across multi-stop routes
- Relocation and project cargo — Office moves, event equipment, trade-show hauls
- Cross-dock operations — Unitizing small packages onto fewer trucks before line-haul
Frequently asked questions
Which truck sizes does the Stow8 truck planner support?
Five SEA regional classes out of the box: L300, 4-Wheeler, 6-Wheeler, 6-Wheeler Foldside, and 10-Wheeler. Dimensions are midpoint values — verify against your fleet spec before dispatch.
Does the truck planner validate axle weight limits?
No. Volume and payload optimization only. Axle weight distribution depends on the specific chassis rating and regional bridge-law tables, which vary too much across SEA for a generic calculator to handle correctly. Verify against the vehicle manual before dispatch.
Can I plan a truck load and a container shipment on the same cargo list?
Yes. Stow8 plans are mode-agnostic — the same cargo list can be re-optimized against Container, Truck, or Pallet mode. The mode selector sits above the vehicle list in the planner UI.
How does the packing buffer work?
Adds symmetric breathing room around every item (mm or % of each axis) before the 3D solver runs. The viewer renders the true cargo size inside the buffered footprint so you see the air-gap as intended — useful for tarping, shrink-wrap, or lashing clearance.
Do I need to pay?
No. 15 optimizations per 30 days are free. No credit card required. Upgrade when you need more — $18/mo Starter for 100 optimizations, $38/mo Pro for unlimited.
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