What is ULD? What are the different types and benefits of ULDs in the aviation industry?

What is ULD?

ULD (Unit Load Devices) refers to the equipment used to load goods during the carrier’s transport of commodities. Containers and trays are common examples of these devices.

Standard ULDs are standard-sized boxes and trays designed for locking systems manufactured in the loading bays of wide-body commercial airplanes. These cars will be assigned a code made up of numbers and letters.

Moreover, non-standard ULDs are tray boxes that do not have a conventional dimensions and do not fit the aircraft’s cargo hold locking system. This type is frequently loaded on top of or inside conventional ULDs. Carriers must modify the locking positions on the cargo hold floor in order to load these ULDs into the cargo hold.

ULD Types

According to ATA Code, ULD is divided into 2 types which are a container and a pallet. The difference between a container and a pallet:

Both pallets and containers allow a large quantity of cargo to be bundled into a single unit, which can be used on wide-body aircraft and certain narrow-body aircraft.

Cargo on pallets are secured by a net, which is attached to the pallet’s rim. Containers, also known as cans and pods, are typically lightweight structures comprising a base, a frame with side and roof panels, and a fabric or solid door. There are many different types of containers. Some are collapsible, some are insulated, others are ventilated or refrigerated and so on.

1. Why use a container?

• Makes loading and unloading cargo easier
• Makes loading onto and unloading off an aircraft easier
• Gives better protection against all kinds of weather
• Gives better protection against damage to the cargo
• Gives better protection against damage to the aircraft by the cargo
• Prevents unauthorised access to the cargo

2. Why use a pallet?

• Cheaper to use than containers
• Accepts cargo that is difficult to fit into containers (e.g. oversized cargo)
• Accepts some ‘Special Load’ cargo that can only be loaded on open pallets
• They are stackable and therefore efficient and easy to store empty and return by plane

The benefits of ULDS?

The most important purpose of a ULD is to secure cargo during flight. The safety of the plane and its passengers comes first every time. But ULDs also:

• eliminate the need for manual loading and unloading
• protect cargo contents so that goods arrived undamaged
• maximise the use of the aircraft’s cargo space
• allow the fast, easy transfer of cargo between planes

The global introduction of standardized containers has improved cargo handling enormously, lowering operational costs. That, in turn, helps lower freight charges and boosts trade flows.

Some remarks for guidance for the appropriate use of forklifts to move empty and built-up ULD.

1. Container
   
   • Requires attention to prevent damage to containers. Is generally not at all suitable for containers larger than an AKE. Where a container is lifted by the roof, measures to prevent damage to the proof panel must be used.
   • The built-up is never forklifting allowed unless has a forkliftable base.

1. Pallet
   • Balancing unsecured empty pallets on fork tines is inherently unsafe, and can result in injury to personnel and damage to pallets.
   • Extracting empty pallets from a large stack by using a forklift can result in damage to edge rails, caused when pushing the fork tines between stacked pallets.
   • The built-up is never directly forklift a loaded pallet, as it will likely shear the rivets and possibly crack the base sheet.

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