Packaging & Logistics worked example
Truck Cube Utilization at 99% target trailer fill rate: a worked example
What does the result look like when target trailer fill rate reaches 99%? The full calculation is worked below with real intermediate numbers. Use it to cut partial loads, decide between LTL and full truckload, and improve cube per shipment.
The inputs for this scenario
- Loaded cargo cube on the trailer: 3,000 ft³ (unchanged)
- Usable trailer cube available: 3,816 ft³ (unchanged)
- Target trailer fill rate: 99 % (raised for this scenario; the documented default is 90)
Working through the calculation
- Applying the documented formula (Truck cube utilization = loaded cube ÷ trailer cube available) to the inputs above produces each figure below.
- At this operating point the engine returns 78.62 % utilized for truck cube utilization, the number this scenario is built around.
- At this operating point the engine returns 20.38 points for gap to target fill.
- At this operating point the engine returns 3,000 ft³ for loaded cube.
- At this operating point the engine returns 3,816 ft³ for trailer cube available.
How this compares with the baseline
- Against the tool's baseline example, where target trailer fill rate sits at 90% and the headline result is 78.62 % utilized, this scenario lands almost exactly on the baseline at 78.62 % utilized.
- A figure at this level is achievable when target trailer fill rate is genuinely sustained, not just peaked for a shift. Cube utilization ignores weight limits and axle distribution, so a load that cubes out at 79% may still be legally maxed on weight and impossible to fill further.
Results at a glance
- Truck cube utilization: 78.62 % utilized (headline result)
- Gap to target fill: 20.38 points
- Loaded cube: 3,000 ft³
- Trailer cube available: 3,816 ft³
Run it with your numbers
- Every input above is editable in the live Truck Cube Utilization calculator, which recalculates instantly and can be shared with the inputs intact.
Last reviewed 2026-05-12.