Custom Containers
When your shipment uses a vessel that does not match any of LOP's built-in container types — a non-standard truck configuration, a specialized intermodal unit, a warehouse pallet position, or any other fixed-volume space — you can define a custom container with your exact internal dimensions.
Custom containers are saved to your organization's container library and are available in every plan, exactly like standard ISO types.
When to Use a Custom Container
Common use cases:
- Non-standard truck beds — flat-bed trailers, curtainsider trucks with modified deck heights, refrigerated trailers with insulation reducing usable width
- Warehouse pallet positions — if you need to plan the stacking arrangement inside a defined floor area with a height limit
- Specialized intermodal equipment — tank containers, open-top containers, flat-rack containers
- Production or assembly line carts — planning component kits for manufacturing cells
- Sea containers with non-ISO dimensions — older or regional container types not covered by the standard library
Creating a Custom Container
To create a custom container, go to Settings → Container Library → Add Custom Container, or click the + Custom option inside the container picker when adding a container to a plan.
Required Fields
Every custom container must have these four fields:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | A clear label for this container, e.g. "Refrigerated 13.6m Trailer" or "Warehouse Bay A3" |
| Inner Length | Usable length in millimeters (along the loading direction, front-to-back) |
| Inner Width | Usable width in millimeters (left-to-right) |
| Inner Height | Usable height in millimeters (floor-to-ceiling) |
| Max Payload | Maximum cargo weight in kilograms |
Always enter internal (usable) dimensions — the space available for cargo, not the external footprint of the vessel. For refrigerated containers, subtract the insulation panel thickness from all three dimensions. For containers with floor runners or load rails, subtract the runner height from the usable inner height.
Optional Fields
These fields are not required to run the optimizer, but they enable more accurate constraint checking and compliance reporting:
| Field | Description | Used For |
|---|---|---|
| Door Width | Opening width of the loading door in mm | Detecting items that cannot enter through the door |
| Door Height | Opening height of the loading door in mm | Detecting items that cannot enter through the door |
| Tare Weight | Empty weight of the container in kg | Calculating gross vehicle weight for road compliance |
| Max Gross Weight | Maximum combined weight (tare + cargo) in kg | Gross weight compliance checks |
| Max Floor Load | Maximum distributed floor load in kg/m² | Detecting items with a footprint that would puncture or damage the floor |
If you enter both Max Payload and Max Floor Load, LOP enforces both limits. A heavy item with a small footprint might stay within the payload limit but exceed the floor load rating — this matters for sensitive flooring on refrigerated trailers and wooden-floored platforms.
Editing and Deleting Custom Containers
Custom containers can be edited at any time from Settings → Container Library. Changes to a custom container definition do not retroactively update plans that were already created using that container — those plans retain a snapshot of the container dimensions at the time the plan was built.
To delete a custom container, open the library, select the container, and click Delete. Containers currently in use by active plans cannot be deleted until removed from those plans.
Sharing Across Your Organization
Custom containers are shared at the organization level. Any team member with access to your LOP workspace can see and use custom container definitions in their plans. Only users with the Manager or Admin role can create, edit, or delete custom containers.
Accuracy Matters
A custom container definition is only as accurate as the dimensions you enter. Errors in the container specification lead to plans that look valid in LOP but fail during actual loading. Before creating a custom container, measure the physical vessel directly or obtain certified internal dimension drawings from the manufacturer.
For frequently used custom vessels, consider adding a note in the container name — for example: "13.6m Curtainsider (verified 2025-03)" — so your team knows the definition has been checked against the real equipment.
Next Steps
- Standard Containers — full specifications for built-in ISO, truck, and air types
- Container Preferences — control which container types appear in the picker
- Multi-Container Plans — use multiple containers in a single plan