Custom rules

Custom rules allow you to create specific loading behaviours for cargo that are not accessible through other settings or data-parameters.

Each rule consists of three parts:

1. Selector: What items the rule should apply to. You can create filters with specific properties of items like Items with a length greater than 100cm or Items with a Group/Shipment of “Group A”. You can combine multiple filters, selecting a smaller and smaller section of the total items with each filter. If left empty this rule will apply to all items.

2. Condition: How these items should behave. Some conditions also includes a second selector input. A list of each condition is shown below

3. Containers: In what hold-type this rule applies. If left empty, the rule applies to all container types.

Examples

A custom rule stating that any item with the group “Refrigerate” needs to be loaded into one of the reefer container-types

A rule that limits stacking to only be allowed on cargo of the exact same dimensions

Conditions

Cannot be loaded in

Selected items cannot be loaded in specified container types,

Cannot be loaded with

Selected items cannot be loaded in the same container as specified items. Useful for segregating incompatible cargo, such as hazardous materials that cannot be stored alongside food products, or items with conflicting handling requirements.

Cannot exceed quantity

A max cap for the specified items in specified container types,

Max cargo types

A max cap for number of different cargo types that can be loaded into specified containers,

Cannot support

Selected items cannot support specified item types. Useful when you need fine-grained control over stacking combinations — for example, preventing cargo from different shipments from supporting each other, restricting stacking to items within a certain weight ratio, or requiring identical dimensions before allowing stacking.

Can only support

Selected items can only support specified item types. The inverse of Cannot support — useful when a base item is only structurally suitable for specific cargo on top, such as a pallet designed for a particular product.

Can only be side-by-side with

Selected items can only share a lengthwise section of the container with specified item types. The container is divided into slices along its length, and this rule restricts which other items are allowed to occupy the same slice. Useful for keeping incompatible cargo separated laterally — for example, ensuring hazardous goods are never placed alongside fragile items, even if they are not stacked on top of each other.

Cannot contain

Selected items cannot contain specified item types. Useful for cargo with inner spaces like Hollow Cylinders,

Order by

Controls the loading sequence of selected items based on a specified property. For example, ordering by weight will cause heavier items to be loaded before lighter ones. Note: this controls loading order, not physical position within the container.

Must be on top of

Selected items must be on top of specified item types,

Max height

The top of the selected items cannot exceed specified height,

Max stacking height

The bottom of the selected items cannot exceed the specified height. This is distinct from Max height, which limits the top face — Max stacking height limits how high the item needs to be lifted during loading. Useful for heavy cargo that cannot be raised above a certain level, regardless of the item’s own dimensions.

Must be loaded in

Selected items must be loaded in specified container types,

Must be loaded before

Selected items must be loaded before specified item types. Since items loaded first end up deeper in the container, this also controls unloading order — items that should be unloaded last should be loaded first.

Must be loaded first

Selected items must be loaded first,

Must be loaded along centerline

Selected items must be placed along the lateral centerline of the container (the center of the width). Typically used for heavy cargo on trailers where left/right weight distribution is critical, such as preventing axle overload on one side.

Must be loaded into secondary equipment (palletize)

Selected items will be loaded into secondary equipment — such as pallets, cartons, or inner containers — before being placed in the main container. Useful for grouping loose items that need to be palletized or boxed as part of the load plan.

Must load with pattern

Selected items must be loaded using the specified pattern. Patterns control the layout and orientation of large groups of cargo within the container.

Available patterns:

• No pattern — each item is placed individually without any pattern building
• One block — all cargo is rotated in the same direction
• Two block — two groups of cargo where the rotation differs between each block
• Four block — four adjacent groups of cargo, each with a different rotation
• Heightwise two block — creates two stacked two-block structures, using height rotations
• Restricted heightwise two block — like heightwise two block, but with strict limitations that keep the majority of cargo oriented longship

Note: higher block values include the simpler variants — a two block layout can produce a one block result.

Cannot load with pattern

Selected items cannot be loaded using the specified pattern. See Must load with pattern for a description of available patterns.

Minimize mixing

Items with different values for the specified property should not be mixed in the same container. A threshold condition controls when mixing is acceptable as a trade-off.

Three threshold conditions are available:

• Limit container count — only allow mixing if it would reduce the total number of containers below the specified limit. Also acts as a hard cap on the maximum number of containers.
• Limit total cost — only allow mixing if the total cost exceeds the specified limit. Also acts as a hard cap on total cost.
• Increase cost of mixed containers — allow mixing to reduce container count, but apply a cost penalty to mixed containers to discourage it.

Must be loaded in a single container

Selected items with the same value for the specified property must be loaded in a single container. For example, all items from the same shipment ID will be kept together. Useful when splitting a group across containers is not acceptable for operational or customer reasons.

Must keep distance

Selected items must maintain a minimum distance from specified item types. For example, cargo from shipment A must stay at least 2m away from cargo from shipment B.

Must touch side

Selected items must be placed flush against specified container sides. Useful for cargo that needs to be loaded against a wall for stability, or that must be accessible from a specific side during unloading.

Must be loaded in zone

Selected items must be loaded within a specified zone. A zone is defined by one or more container sides (Front, Rear, Side 1, Side 2, Floor, Roof) and a depth — the zone extends inward from each selected side by that length. When multiple sides are selected, the zone is their intersection, forming a corner or edge region. Note: if the selected sides produce an empty zone, affected items will be left unloaded.

Keep equal ratio

Selected items with the same value for the specified property must be loaded in an equal ratio in each container. For example, if shipment A and shipment B each have 10 items and there are 2 containers, each container will receive 5 items from each shipment.

Group by

Selected items are loaded closely together if they have the same value for the specified property. Includes options for reachability to ensure the loading and unloading of each group can be handled without moving another cargo group.

Property: The column in 1.Data that determines what group a cargo belongs to. If we select the column Group/Shipment this rule functions the same as Settings -> Group shipments together

Strict loading: When strict loading, the system must finish loading the current group before starting the next group. Generally, this will reduce the spread of Groups between multiple containers, and use more space while doing so.

Reach length: How far can the loader physically reach for a cargo, over another group. When loading with a forklift this might be a greater distance than when loading by hand.

Reach to back of cargo: Does the loader require to reach the back of the cargo in order to load and unload the cargo. For lighter cargo we recommend this setting to be disabled.

When loading from left to right, we can see that when Reach to back of cargo is active we need a larger length to place the cargo in the same position

Access width: How wide does a corridor need to be in order for the loader to walk/drive into it without any reaching necessary?

A large value for access width indicates that we are loading with a forklift (which is wider), and can’t drive into a narrow corridor

Cannot be loaded in zone

Selected items cannot be loaded within a specified zone. See Must be loaded in zone for a description of how zones are defined.

Always stackable

Selected items (or pallets) are always stackable, regardless of weights and stackability properties. Useful for controlling the stackability when preloading pallets,

Allowed overhang

Selected items can have this amount of overhang. Overrides the overhang in settings for these items. If multiple overlapping overhang rules apply, the smallest will be used,

Allowed Out of Gauge

Out of Gauge (OOG) refers to cargo that extends beyond the physical boundaries of the container. This rule overrides the default OOG limits for selected items, setting both the permitted overhang and the maximum allowed. Useful for oversized cargo that is known to require extra clearance on specific edges.

Set as fillers

Selected items will only be loaded where there is space left after all other cargo has been placed. Useful for low-priority items that should fill gaps without influencing the main load plan.

This list is frequently being updated