Load planning software compared
The most capable load planning software, compared on the evidence
We audited 9 load planning tools against 149 planning requirements. Cargo-Planner meets 109 - 19 more than the next best, Cube-IQ and CubeMaster at 90. The gap is widest where loads get hard: user-built rules (9 of 10; next best 5) and equipment geometry (11 of 12; next best 9).
Cargo-Planner published this comparison and is one of the 9. So every verdict quotes the vendor's own public documentation, our product was scored last by a separate auditor, and the full method is public.
The result
Cargo-Planner ranks first of 9
Each product is scored on how many of the 149 requirements its planning engine meets, as shown by the vendor's public documentation, under the same rules for every product.
| Rank | Product | Requirements met | Out of 149 |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Cargo-Planner Publisher Cargo-Planner | 109 +19 over next | |
| #2 | Cube-IQ MagicLogic Optimization | 90 | |
| #2 | CubeMaster Logen Solutions | 90 | |
| #4 | packVol packVol | 88 | |
| #5 | MaxLoad Pro TOPS Software | 86 | |
| #6 | Goodloading Trans.eu | 53 | |
| #7 | EasyCargo EasyCargo | 36 | |
| #8 | LoadOptimizer.ai LoadOptimizer.ai | 29 | |
| #9 | SeaRates Load Calculator SeaRates | 26 | |
Where the lead comes from
Built for loads that aren't standard
The 149 requirements fall into 13 areas, from the shape of the equipment to what the finished plan reports. Cargo-Planner's lead is widest in the areas where a shipper's demands get specific: user-built rules (9 of 10; next best 5) and equipment geometry (11 of 12; next best 9). Those are where a tool built around presets runs out first.
| Cluster | Rows | Cargo-Planner | Cube-IQ | CubeMaster | packVol | MaxLoad Pro | Goodloading | EasyCargo | LoadOptimizer.ai | SeaRates Load Calculator |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equipment geometry Cargo-Planner leads | 12 | 92% | 75% | 58% | 50% | 67% | 50% | 25% | 8% | 8% |
| Fleet and equipment selection | 11 | 82% | 100% | 82% | 73% | 27% | 45% | 9% | 36% | 36% |
| Cargo items and shapes | 9 | 44% | 56% | 22% | 11% | 56% | 22% | 11% | 11% | 22% |
| Orientation | 10 | 60% | 10% | 80% | 70% | 80% | 40% | 30% | 40% | 40% |
| Stacking and load-bearing | 17 | 76% | 53% | 76% | 76% | 59% | 41% | 6% | 6% | 24% |
| Rules between items | 13 | 85% | 85% | 69% | 54% | 46% | 23% | 38% | 31% | 8% |
| Positioning | 9 | 89% | 78% | 56% | 89% | 44% | 11% | 11% | 33% | 0% |
| Weight, balance and axle loads (enforced) | 14 | 43% | 50% | 7% | 36% | 29% | 29% | 36% | 7% | 7% |
| Sequencing, priority and multi-drop | 10 | 70% | 30% | 60% | 70% | 80% | 40% | 40% | 30% | 10% |
| Pallet building, cartonisation and multi-stage loading | 14 | 71% | 86% | 79% | 86% | 79% | 43% | 14% | 21% | 36% |
| Objectives and search control | 6 | 67% | 67% | 100% | 67% | 67% | 50% | 33% | 0% | 0% |
| Expressiveness (user-built rules) Cargo-Planner leads | 10 | 90% | 50% | 20% | 30% | 30% | 10% | 10% | 0% | 0% |
| Plan output | 14 | 79% | 43% | 79% | 50% | 86% | 50% | 50% | 29% | 21% |
Have a load other tools can't plan?
Bring it to a trial. If it has rules no preset covers, that is the kind of problem Cargo-Planner was built for.
Head to head
Cargo-Planner against each alternative
Comparing Cargo-Planner with a tool you already use, or are considering? Each page sets the two side by side, row by row, with the source behind every verdict.
Cube-IQ vs Cargo-Planner 90 vs 109 of 149 33 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that Cube-IQ does not
document
CubeMaster vs Cargo-Planner 90 vs 109 of 149 31 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that CubeMaster does not
document
packVol vs Cargo-Planner 88 vs 109 of 149 34 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that packVol does not
document
MaxLoad Pro vs Cargo-Planner 86 vs 109 of 149 40 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that MaxLoad Pro does not
document
Goodloading vs Cargo-Planner 53 vs 109 of 149 63 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that Goodloading does not
document
EasyCargo vs Cargo-Planner 36 vs 109 of 149 78 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that EasyCargo does not
document
LoadOptimizer.ai vs Cargo-Planner 29 vs 109 of 149 81 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that LoadOptimizer.ai does not
document
SeaRates Load Calculator vs Cargo-Planner 26 vs 109 of 149 83 requirements Cargo-Planner meets that SeaRates Load Calculator does not
document
Every requirement
The full matrix
Select any cell for the quote and source behind it. ● documented · ◐ documented but not counted, for a stated reason · ○ marketing claim only · ✕ the vendor documents a limit · blank: not found in public documentation. † marks the six rows proposed by the audit coordinator.
Equipment geometry 12 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 11/12 | Cube-IQ 9/12 | CubeMaster 7/12 | packVol 6/12 | MaxLoad Pro 8/12 | Goodloading 6/12 | EasyCargo 3/12 | LoadOptimizer.ai 1/12 | SeaRates Load Calculator 1/12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can define a loading space by its internal length, width and height, and the planner keeps all cargo inside it. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can mark a fixed part of the loading space (such as a reefer unit, wheel arch or corner casting) as unusable, and the planner keeps cargo out of it. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can block any number of box-shaped regions, each at a freely chosen position and size, inside the loading space. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| For a plan, the user can keep a set gap below the ceiling (or cap the load height below the internal height) without redefining the equipment. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can model a loading space whose floor or ceiling height changes along its length (drop-deck, step-deck, gooseneck, split-level), and the planner respects the steps. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The user can model a loading space whose cross-section is not rectangular, such as a ULD with a cut-back side or a rail wagon with a curved roof, and the planner keeps cargo inside that contour. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can model a loading space whose cross-section is not rectangular and whose floor or ceiling height also changes along its length, both in the same unit, and the planner respects both. † | ● | ||||||||
| The planner treats a sloped contour face as a slope, so cargo can be placed right up to the sloped wall rather than stopping at a rectangular step. | ● | ✕ | ◐ | ||||||
| The user can model one unit made of several separately packed sub-spaces, such as holds, sections, bays, a second deck, shelves or the two parts of a road train, each with its own dimensions. | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | |
| The user can set a door opening smaller than the internal cross-section, and the planner does not load items that cannot pass through it. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | |||||
| The user can set which face of the space is the loading face (rear, side or top), and the planner builds the load, and any unloading order, from that face. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| On open-top, flat-rack or flatbed equipment, the planner can let cargo rise above the walls or extend beyond the deck edges, up to set limits. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ◐ |
Fleet and equipment selection 11 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 9/11 | Cube-IQ 11/11 | CubeMaster 9/11 | packVol 8/11 | MaxLoad Pro 3/11 | Goodloading 5/11 | EasyCargo 1/11 | LoadOptimizer.ai 4/11 | SeaRates Load Calculator 4/11 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| When the cargo does not fit one unit, the planner places the rest in further units of an offered type and reports how many are needed. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| From several offered equipment types, the planner decides which types to use and how many of each, in one run. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | |
| The user can cap how many units of each type are available, and the planner never uses more, leaving any remainder unloaded. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| The user can rank equipment so that a preferred type (or a given set of units) is filled first, and other types are used only when needed. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| Given several candidate equipment types, the planner picks the smallest type that holds a load: the whole shipment, or the last, partly filled unit. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||
| Each equipment type can be given a cost, and the planner chooses the combination of units with the lowest total cost. | ● | ● | ○ | ● | ◐ | ||||
| The user can cap the fill of a unit at a set percentage of its volume or weight. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can set a minimum fill for a unit, below which the unit is not used and its cargo is moved or left unloaded. | ● | ● | |||||||
| The user can restrict a specific item (or group) to certain equipment types, or exclude it from others, including which pallet type it is built on. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ||
| The user can assign a specific item (or group) to one particular unit of the plan. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ||
| The planner can determine the dimensions of a new container, carton or pallet load within user-set minimum and maximum ranges. | ✕ | ● | ● |
Cargo items and shapes 9 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 4/9 | Cube-IQ 5/9 | CubeMaster 2/9 | packVol 1/9 | MaxLoad Pro 5/9 | Goodloading 2/9 | EasyCargo 1/9 | LoadOptimizer.ai 1/9 | SeaRates Load Calculator 2/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can enter several box-shaped item types in one plan, each with length, width, height, weight and quantity. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can enter cylindrical items (drums, rolls, pipes) by diameter, and the planner packs them as cylinders rather than as bounding boxes. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ✕ | ● | ||
| The planner can nest cylinders in offset rows (hexagonal or pyramid packing), so that each sits in the gap between two cylinders below or beside it. | ● | ○ | ✕ | ○ | ○ | ||||
| Two items of a non-rectangular shape can interlock: the planner uses the shape of both the item being placed and the item it is placed against (for example L-shapes nested into each other, or tapered items flipped against each other). † | ◐ | ● | ● | ✕ | |||||
| Other cargo can be placed into the free space inside or under an item (a cavity, a frame, the space under an overhang or an L-shape's seat), with the placed cargo treated as its bounding box. † | ● | ● | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ | ||||
| The user can enter items of arbitrary 3D shape (for example from a CAD or mesh model), and the planner packs the actual shape. | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ | ||||||
| The user can plan bulk or shapeless cargo given by volume and weight rather than by dimensions. | ○ | ○ | |||||||
| The planner can compress a soft item (pillows, duvets) by up to a set percentage in a dimension so that it fits. | ● | ✕ | ○ | ||||||
| An order quantity can be given in inner units, and the planner breaks it down into the item's available pack levels or bundles (each, case, layer, pallet, bundle). | ● | ● | ● |
Orientation 10 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 6/10 | Cube-IQ 1/10 | CubeMaster 8/10 | packVol 7/10 | MaxLoad Pro 8/10 | Goodloading 4/10 | EasyCargo 3/10 | LoadOptimizer.ai 4/10 | SeaRates Load Calculator 4/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can keep an item upright (a set face down), so that it is never tipped onto a side or an end. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can stop an item turning about the vertical axis, so that it keeps a set direction relative to the equipment's length (for example forklift entry from the door). | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| When the user allows it, the planner can place an item on any of its six faces. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can let an item lie on its side while forbidding it to stand on its end (that is, choose which of its dimensions may be vertical). | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| The user can allow any subset of an item's six orientations. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can mark a preferred orientation that the planner uses where possible, while other orientations stay allowed. | ◐ | ● | |||||||
| The user can allow an orientation only when the item is not on the floor (or only when it is). | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can set stacking limits (stack count or load-bearing weight) that differ with the item's orientation. | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| The planner can place items at angles other than multiples of 90 degrees (for example leaning against a wall). | ✕ | ✕ | |||||||
| The user can choose whether a cylindrical item stands upright or lies down. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ○ | ● |
Stacking and load-bearing 17 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 13/17 | Cube-IQ 9/17 | CubeMaster 13/17 | packVol 13/17 | MaxLoad Pro 10/17 | Goodloading 7/17 | EasyCargo 1/17 | LoadOptimizer.ai 1/17 | SeaRates Load Calculator 4/17 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can make an item non-stackable, so that nothing is placed on top of it. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can require an item to stand on the floor of the space. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||
| The user can require an item to be placed on top of other items, never on the floor. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The user can limit how many units of the same item may be stacked on each other. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | |
| The user can limit the tier an item may occupy, or the total number of tiers in a stack, whatever items are below it (for example never above the second tier). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ✕ | ◐ | ||
| The user can limit the height above the floor at which a specific item may be placed or to which it may be stacked. | ● | ◐ | ● | ○ | ● | ||||
| The user can set the maximum weight an item may carry on top of it. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | |
| The load-bearing limit is evaluated as pressure (weight per area of the supporting face) rather than as a total weight per item. † | ● | ||||||||
| The load-bearing limit also applies within a stack of identical units. | ✕ | ● | ✕ | ||||||
| The planner never places an item on top of a lighter, different item. | ● | ○ | ● | ◐ | ● | ○ | |||
| The user can give items a numeric strength or fragility index, and the planner never places an item on one with a weaker index. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can state, for a specific pair of items, whether one may be stacked on the other. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can forbid an item from being stacked on an item with a smaller (or a different) footprint, or require stacks to form aligned columns. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| The user can require a minimum share of an item's base to be supported (or limit how far it overhangs the item below), and the planner refuses unsupported placements. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can set how large a height difference between neighbouring supporting surfaces an item may bridge. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | |||||
| Stacking uses the item's actual top shape: nestable items add only a set height per extra unit, and items with a smaller or open top carry load only on the real top surface. | ● | ◐ | |||||||
| The user can require that only complete stacks or complete layers of an item are loaded, with remainders handled separately. | ◐ | ● | ● | ● |
Rules between items 13 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 11/13 | Cube-IQ 11/13 | CubeMaster 9/13 | packVol 7/13 | MaxLoad Pro 6/13 | Goodloading 3/13 | EasyCargo 5/13 | LoadOptimizer.ai 4/13 | SeaRates Load Calculator 1/13 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The planner can keep all units of the same item together in one block. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| The user can assign items to groups (such as orders or customers), and the planner keeps each group's items together in the unit. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| The user can require all items of a group to go in the same unit when the shipment needs several units. | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| When not everything fits, a group of items (for example one order or shipment) is loaded completely or not at all. † | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||||
| The user can have each group loaded in its own section of the unit, with no other group's items in it. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ● | ● | |
| The user can forbid items of one group (order, stop, customer) from being stacked on items of another group. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| The user can prevent specific items or groups from sharing a unit. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | |||
| The user can keep specific items (or classes) apart within the same unit: at least a set distance apart, or never anywhere above one another. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| The user can give items dangerous-goods classes, and the planner applies segregation between classes without the user defining each pair. | ✕ | ○ | ○ | ||||||
| The user can cap, per unit, the total of a per-item quantity other than weight and volume, such as declared value, dangerous-goods points or piece count. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can cap how many distinct items (or orders) a unit may contain. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can require items to be loaded in a fixed ratio in every unit (for example one table to four chairs). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The user can require an item to be loaded into each unit only in multiples of a set number. | ● |
Positioning 9 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 8/9 | Cube-IQ 7/9 | CubeMaster 5/9 | packVol 8/9 | MaxLoad Pro 4/9 | Goodloading 1/9 | EasyCargo 1/9 | LoadOptimizer.ai 3/9 | SeaRates Load Calculator 0/9 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can fix part of a plan (placed items, pre-loaded pallets or whole units) and have the planner complete or re-plan the rest around it. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||
| The user can give an item's exact position as input data, without manual placement in an editor, and the planner loads the rest around it. | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ||||||
| The user can confine an item to a defined region of the unit, such as the front, the rear, one side or a zone. | ● | ● | ○ | ● | ✕ | ◐ | |||
| The user can keep items out of a defined region of the unit (for example the first metre at the door, or a central aisle). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||
| The user can choose the direction in which the planner fills the unit (for example front to back, bottom to top or side to side). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The user can make the planner cover the floor before stacking, for a whole plan or for specific items. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||
| The user can make the planner respect handling-equipment limits: how deep a loading block may reach, or room to turn an item with a forklift. | ● | ● | ● | ● | |||||
| The user can require clearance around items: a gap between all units, or extra space around a specific item. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The planner makes sure every item is backed in the loading direction (and, if the user asks, sideways) by a wall or another item, so it cannot shift. | ● | ● |
Weight, balance and axle loads (enforced) 14 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 6/14 | Cube-IQ 7/14 | CubeMaster 1/14 | packVol 5/14 | MaxLoad Pro 4/14 | Goodloading 4/14 | EasyCargo 5/14 | LoadOptimizer.ai 1/14 | SeaRates Load Calculator 1/14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The planner never exceeds the maximum payload of a unit, including a pallet's maximum load. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● |
| Each compartment, deck or part of a unit can have its own weight limit, which the planner respects. | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ◐ | ||
| The user can set different maximum weights for lengthwise sections of the unit (for example front, middle and rear floor sections). | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||||
| The planner keeps the weight per unit of length below a set value everywhere along the unit. | ● | ● | |||||||
| The user can set a maximum load for each axle group, and the planner does not produce a plan that exceeds it. | ● | ● | ○ | ◐ | ○ | ◐ | ○ | ||
| The axle model accepts three or more axle groups on one vehicle, each with its own position and limit. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||
| The axle calculation includes the empty vehicle's own weight on each axle. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| The axle calculation includes the towing unit: the load on a semi-trailer's kingpin (or on a drawbar) is passed to the tractor's axles. | ✕ | ● | ◐ | ||||||
| The planner can take axle and gross limits from a chosen jurisdiction or region (including axle-spacing rules and trip permits) rather than from values typed per vehicle. | ◐ | ◐ | ○ | ||||||
| The user can set a permitted range for the lengthwise position of the load's centre of gravity, and the planner keeps within it. | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ◐ | ||||
| The user can set a permitted range for the sideways position of the load's centre of gravity (left/right balance), and the planner keeps within it. | ● | ● | ○ | ● | ✕ | ◐ | |||
| The user can cap the height of the load's centre of gravity. | ✕ | ✕ | |||||||
| The planner can improve weight distribution as a goal rather than a limit: moving the load's centre of gravity toward the centre, or evening out axle loads. | ○ | ○ | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ○ | ||
| The user can give an item an off-centre centre of gravity, and the weight calculations use it. | ● | ◐ |
Sequencing, priority and multi-drop 10 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 7/10 | Cube-IQ 3/10 | CubeMaster 6/10 | packVol 7/10 | MaxLoad Pro 8/10 | Goodloading 4/10 | EasyCargo 4/10 | LoadOptimizer.ai 3/10 | SeaRates Load Calculator 1/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can set an order among items or groups, and the planner places earlier ones deeper in the unit (further from the door). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| When not everything fits, the user can decide by priority which items are loaded and which are left out. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |
| The user can mark items as optional (fill items), so that they are loaded only into space left after all required items. | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ||||
| The user can assign items to delivery stops, and the planner places each stop's items nearer the door than the items for later stops. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ |
| The planner guarantees that no item for a later stop is in front of or on top of an item for an earlier stop, so each stop unloads without moving other goods. | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||
| The user can set how far one stop's goods may overlap the next stop's along the unit's length. | ◐ | ● | ● | ||||||
| The user can give items a pickup stop as well as a drop-off stop, and the planner keeps the load accessible at every stop. | ● | ||||||||
| Stop-order rules still apply when the shipment spans several units. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ● | |||
| When not everything fits, each stop's (or sequence's) items are loaded completely or not at all. | ● | ✕ | ● | ||||||
| The planner can assign items to units or shipping dates by due or storage date, within set limits. | ● | ✕ | ○ |
Pallet building, cartonisation and multi-stage loading 14 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 10/14 | Cube-IQ 12/14 | CubeMaster 11/14 | packVol 12/14 | MaxLoad Pro 11/14 | Goodloading 6/14 | EasyCargo 2/14 | LoadOptimizer.ai 3/14 | SeaRates Load Calculator 5/14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can build a load on a pallet, with the deck height counted and a maximum total height that includes the deck. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ● |
| For a single item type, the planner generates the layer pattern and number of layers for a pallet (Hi/Ti). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The user can steer the pallet pattern: choose a pattern style (block, pinwheel, interlocked), supply a saved pattern, fix the number of cases per pallet, or rotate alternate layers. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ||
| The planner builds pallets that carry several different item types. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ● | ○ |
| The user can allow cargo to overhang the pallet edge by up to a set distance. | ✕ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ✕ | ||
| The user can control where the load sits on the pallet deck: centred, or within a set distance inside the edge. | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The planner inserts slip sheets or interlayers of a set thickness every N layers. | ● | ||||||||
| The user can prevent items of different groups (customers, orders, stops) from sharing a pallet. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ◐ | |||
| In one run, the planner builds pallets from cases and then loads those pallets into vehicles or containers. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ✕ | ◐ | ● | |
| A built pallet or packed carton can be carried into a later vehicle plan as an item with its actual size and weight, without re-entering them. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ||
| The planner chains three or more packing levels (for example items into cartons, cartons onto pallets, pallets into trucks). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||
| The user controls how an item's quantity splits between full pallets, partial or mixed pallets and loose loading (or packed versus shipped in its own box), or the planner decides per unit. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ||
| Built pallets get their own orientation and stacking rules in the vehicle, independent of the items on them (including whether a pallet may carry another and how full its top must be). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ◐ | ● | |
| The planner sizes pallet height to the space available in the vehicle (for example shorter pallets for the top tier). | ● | ● | ● |
Objectives and search control 6 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 4/6 | Cube-IQ 4/6 | CubeMaster 6/6 | packVol 4/6 | MaxLoad Pro 4/6 | Goodloading 3/6 | EasyCargo 2/6 | LoadOptimizer.ai 0/6 | SeaRates Load Calculator 0/6 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The planner maximises the cargo loaded into a given set of units, leaving any excess unloaded. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ |
| The user can make the planner maximise loaded weight (or weight utilisation) instead of volume. | ● | ● | |||||||
| The planner can spread the load evenly over the units used, instead of filling each to the maximum in turn. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | ◐ | |||
| The planner works out how many units of an item (or complete sets) fit, or tops up leftover space with more of the items already planned, without a quantity being given. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ | |
| The user can trade calculation time for plan quality (for example a time limit, search depth, quality level or fast mode). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ○ | |
| The planner returns several alternative plans (for example one per strategy or per candidate equipment) for the user to compare. | ✕ | ● | ● |
Expressiveness (user-built rules) 10 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 9/10 | Cube-IQ 5/10 | CubeMaster 2/10 | packVol 3/10 | MaxLoad Pro 3/10 | Goodloading 1/10 | EasyCargo 1/10 | LoadOptimizer.ai 0/10 | SeaRates Load Calculator 0/10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The user can write a rule that selects items by a condition on an attribute (for example all items over 500 kg) and applies a constraint to them. | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||||
| The user can define their own item attributes and use them in planning rules. | ● | ✕ | ✕ | ||||||
| The user can define item classes and a matrix of which class may be stacked on which. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||
| The user can define item classes and a matrix of which classes may share a unit. | ● | ● | |||||||
| The user can cap, per unit (or per group within a unit), the sum of any per-item numeric value they choose. | ● | ||||||||
| Rule settings can differ from one equipment unit to another within one plan. | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| Several stacking criteria (for example footprint, weight order and a class matrix) can be active at the same time in one plan. | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ | |
| The user can combine several objectives in a priority order or with weights (for example fewest units, then axle balance, within a tolerance). | ● | ◐ | |||||||
| The user can add their own constraint or objective logic (script, plug-in or callback) that the planner evaluates. | ◐ | ||||||||
| For a given rule, the user can choose whether it is a hard limit or a preference the planner follows where it can. † | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ |
Plan output 14 rows
| Requirement | Cargo-Planner 11/14 | Cube-IQ 6/14 | CubeMaster 11/14 | packVol 7/14 | MaxLoad Pro 12/14 | Goodloading 7/14 | EasyCargo 7/14 | LoadOptimizer.ai 4/14 | SeaRates Load Calculator 3/14 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The plan gives the position and orientation of every loaded unit, individually or as blocks with counts along each axis. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The plan includes step-by-step loading instructions, with a diagram for each step. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The plan lists, for each unit (including each built pallet), which items it holds and how many, and its volume and weight utilisation. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| The plan reports the floor length used or left free (loading metres). | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The plan lists the items that could not be loaded, with quantities. | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● | |
| The plan states why each unplaced item was not loaded. | ● | ● | ◐ | ||||||
| The plan reports the load's centre of gravity as a position (lengthwise and sideways). | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ | ◐ | ○ | ||
| The plan reports the load on each axle group and whether it is within its limit. | ● | ○ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ○ | |
| The plan reports how weight is distributed along the unit's length (per section or per unit length). | ● | ○ | ● | ● | |||||
| The plan reports gross weight including the equipment's tare (for example for a verified gross mass declaration). | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | |||||
| The plan gives per-stop information: the contents for each stop and a view of the unit at each stop. | ● | ◐ | ● | ● | ● | ● | ◐ | ||
| The planner checks a plan, including one edited by hand, against the item rules and lists any violations. | ◐ | ● | ✕ | ○ | |||||
| The plan identifies empty voids above a set size (for example for dunnage or airbags). | ● | ● | ● | ||||||
| The plan reports the cost of the equipment used, and the cost allocated to each item. | ● | ● | ✕ | ◐ |
In short
Questions buyers ask
- What is the best load planning software?
- Measured by planning capability - how many kinds of cargo, equipment and loading rules the software can plan for - Cargo-Planner. In a 149-requirement audit of 9 load planning tools, it met 109, 19 more than the next best (Cube-IQ and CubeMaster, 90). Every verdict quotes the vendor's own public documentation, and the method is published in full.
- What is the best load planning software for complex or unusual loads?
- Cargo-Planner's lead is widest where loads stop being boxes in a box: user-built rules (9 of 10; next best 5) and equipment geometry (11 of 12; next best 9). Those are the requirements a shipper with specific demands - odd equipment, house rules, constraints no preset covers - runs into first.
- How does Cargo-Planner compare to Cube-IQ?
- Cargo-Planner meets 109 of the 149 requirements and Cube-IQ documents 90. Cargo-Planner meets 33 requirements Cube-IQ's public documentation does not show. Cube-IQ vs Cargo-Planner, row by row.
- How does Cargo-Planner compare to CubeMaster?
- Cargo-Planner meets 109 of the 149 requirements and CubeMaster documents 90. Cargo-Planner meets 31 requirements CubeMaster's public documentation does not show. CubeMaster vs Cargo-Planner, row by row.
- Cargo-Planner published this. Why trust it?
- Because the result does not depend on who ran it. The competitors were audited first, by auditors who never saw Cargo-Planner's material; the scoring rules were fixed before Cargo-Planner was scored; Cargo-Planner was scored last, by a separate auditor, to the same rules; and every verdict links to the vendor's own words. The methodology lists every brief and where bias could still have entered.
- What does the comparison not measure?
- Price, ease of use, speed and support. It measures what each product's planning engine can take into account and what its plan reports, as shown by public documentation read on 30 September 2026.
How we kept it fair
A comparison by one of the compared, built so that does not matter
- The eight competitors were audited first, and the 149 requirements written, by auditors who never saw Cargo-Planner's website or documentation.
- The scoring rules were fixed before Cargo-Planner was scored, last, by a separate auditor. What our software does but our documentation does not show does not count.
- Independent verifiers re-checked a random sample of every product's verdicts; in the v1.0 audit 95% stood unchanged, and every correction is recorded.
See what 109 of 149 looks like on your own cargo
Start a free trial with your own equipment and load list, or book a demo and we'll plan it with you.
Scope and corrections
Read the numbers for what they are
- It measures planning capability: what each product's engine is documented to take into account and produce. Not ease of use, speed, price or support.
- It reflects public documentation read on 30 September 2026. Documentation can lag software, for any product; the version and date are on every page, and older versions stay downloadable.
- Material behind a login, a trial or a video was not used, for any product. Where that matters for a product, its page says so.
Listed and think we got something wrong, or not listed and think you should be? Point us to the public documentation that shows it and we will re-check the row the same way it was first checked. Accepted corrections are published with the next version, in the changelog, with the date and who asked. Request a correction or an inclusion.