Quick Start Guide

This guide walks you through everything you need to get productive with LOP. From creating your account to exporting a finished load plan, you'll be running real optimizations within minutes.

What You Can Do With LOP

LOP is designed to solve a specific, time-consuming problem: figuring out how to pack cargo into containers or trucks efficiently, safely, and in a way that's easy to communicate to the people doing the actual loading.

With LOP, you can:

• Create load plans for ISO shipping containers (20', 40', 40' High Cube, 45' High Cube), trucks, and custom-dimensioned vessels
• Add items manually, import from Excel/CSV, or connect to your ERP system (SAP, Oracle WMS)
• Run the optimizer in seconds to get a fully 3D-visualized, constraint-validated packing arrangement
• Check weight balance and center-of-gravity compliance before the cargo leaves your warehouse
• Export reports as professional PDF documents, CSV packing lists, or Excel workbooks
• Reuse configurations with templates and a shared item library across your organization
• Plan multi-container shipments and let LOP distribute items across several containers automatically

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

• A modern web browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge — latest versions recommended)
• A LOP account — sign up at app.lop.tools (opens in a new tab) if you don't have one yet
• Your item data ready: dimensions (length, width, height in cm or mm), weights, and quantities

The Core Workflow

Every load plan in LOP follows the same five-step workflow. Once you understand these steps, everything else in the platform will make sense.

Step 1 — Create a Plan

Go to Load Plans in the left sidebar and click + New Plan. Give the plan a name (e.g., "Order #4821 — Shanghai to Rotterdam") and choose a container type. LOP creates the plan immediately and opens the editor.

Step 2 — Add Your Items

Use the Items Panel on the left side of the editor to add everything that needs to be loaded. Enter each item's name, dimensions, weight, and quantity. You can also import a bulk list from Excel or CSV if you have many items.

Items appear in the Unplaced list until the optimizer runs.

Step 3 — Run the Optimizer

Click one of the three planning buttons in the top toolbar:

The 3D viewport updates in real time as the optimizer works. For most everyday shipments, Smart Plan gives excellent results.

Step 4 — Review the Results

The 3D viewport shows each item in its packed position. Use the camera controls to inspect the plan from any angle. The score panel at the bottom shows:

• Overall score — composite quality rating (0–100)
• Utilization — how much of the container volume is used
• Weight balance — how evenly the cargo weight is distributed
• Stability — how well each item is supported from below
• Handling efficiency — loading order and accessibility
• Damage risk — fragile item protection and crush safety

If you want an explanation of the plan in plain language, click Analyze Plan in the right panel to get AI-generated insights and suggestions.

Step 5 — Export

When you're satisfied with the plan, use the toolbar to export:

• PDF — a formatted load plan report with 3D views, item tables, and loading sequence
• Excel — multi-sheet workbook with summary, packing list, compliance notes, and loading order
• CSV — flat packing list for import into other systems

Next Steps

• Creating an Account — set up your organization and invite team members
• Your First Load Plan — detailed walkthrough with tips for each step
• Items — everything about adding items, constraints, and bulk import
• Load Planning — deep dive into the optimizer, constraints, and the 3D editor