--- title: What is a loading aid? description: Loading aids optimize the transport, storage and handling of goods in logistics. They increase efficiency, safety and sustainability in the supply chain. --- This is a search field with an auto-suggest feature attached. - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 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Support Support - [Support Services](https://bitergo.com/en/support) - [AI Support-Assistant](https://bitergo.com/support-ai-assistant) - [Contact](https://bitergo.com/contact) ## Terms & explanations relating to logistics, supply chain management and e-commerce - [All](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/all-terms) - [A](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/a) - [B](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/b) - [C](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/c) - [D](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/d) - [E](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/e) - [F](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/f) - [G](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/g) - [H](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/h) - [I](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/i) - [J](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/j) - K - [L](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/l) - [M](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/m) - N - [O](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/o) - [P](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/p) - [Q](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/q) - [R](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/r) - [S](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/s) - 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They serve to increase the efficiency of goods movement, enhance safety, and minimize damage to goods during transport. Ergonomic aspects also play a role in the use of loading aids: the goal is to minimize the physical strain on logistics employees and prevent work-related injuries. In today's world, the topic of "sustainability" is becoming increasingly important: reusable loading aids help conserve resources and reduce waste. They lower costs in the long term and improve the environmental balance in logistics. The most common loading aids include: - **Pallets**: Pallets are standardized platforms used for storing and transporting goods, e.g., Euro pallet (1200 x 800 mm) or industrial pallet (1200 x 1000 mm). They allow for easy handling with forklifts or pallet jacks. - **Containers**: Containers are seaworthy enclosures used for the international transport of goods. They protect goods from weather conditions and provide security during transport. Examples: ISO containers (e.g., 20-foot containers), refrigerated containers for temperature-sensitive goods. - **Mesh boxes**: Mesh boxes are metallic or galvanized containers commonly used in the automotive and mechanical engineering industries. They are stackable and provide good visibility of the contents. They offer high stability and are reusable, making them sustainable. The most common form is the "European mesh box" (according to DIN 15155), which is integrated into the Euro pallet system. - **Crates**: Wooden, plastic, or metal crates are used to transport sensitive or bulky goods. They are often custom-made to protect specific products. Example: Fruit and vegetable crates in food transport. - **Collars**: Pallet collars are additions to pallets that enable the transportation and storage of high-volume goods. They are easy to assemble and provide additional storage space.  - **Collapsible containers**: These containers can be folded when empty, reducing storage and return transport space requirements. - **Bulk containers**: These containers are specifically designed for storing and transporting bulk materials such as granules or powders. - **Drums**: Drums are primarily used for liquids or hazardous substances. For example, steel drums are used for hazardous goods, while plastic drums are used for food products.  An important aspect of loading aids is their function as the basis for load units. A load unit is a group of goods that are consolidated and transported as a single entity. This grouping can be achieved using loading aids, ensuring easy handling and mobility throughout the logistics process. Additionally, the standardization of load units makes planning and execution of transport and storage processes more efficient. Loading aids and load units are closely connected, as loading aids provide the physical foundation for load units. They enable optimal space utilization in warehouses and transport vehicles and help to reduce time and costs in the loading and unloading process. In modern logistics, both loading aids and load units play a crucial role, especially in just-in-time deliveries, automated storage systems, and overall material flow control. ##### Bitergo GmbH Saarlandstr. 117 44139 Dortmund Germany +49 231 878008-0 [wecare@bitergo.com](mailto:wecare@bitergo.com) ##### Company - [About us](https://bitergo.com/profile) - [Information Security](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) - [People at Bitergo](https://bitergo.com/team) - [Career](https://bitergo.com/en/career) - [Contact](https://bitergo.com/contact) ##### Products - [Bitergo WMS](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-warehouse-management-system) - [Bitergo WMS Free](https://bitergo.com/bitergo-wms-free) - [Bitergo Warehouse Automation](https://bitergo.com/warehouse-automation-with-bitergo) ##### Resources - [Blog](https://bitergo.com/en/blog) - [WMS-Calculator](https://bitergo.com/cost-savings-calculator) - [References](https://bitergo.com/references) - [Media](https://bitergo.com/media) - [WMS Academy](https://bitergo.com/wms-academy) - [Glossary](https://bitergo.com/en/glossary)   ##### Support - [Support Services](https://bitergo.com/en/support) - [AI Support-Assistant](https://bitergo.com/support-ai-assistant) ##### [Prices](https://bitergo.com/prices)   [![ISO_27001_Horizontal](https://bitergo.com/hs-fs/hubfs/ISO_27001_Horizontal.png?width=200&height=75&name=ISO_27001_Horizontal.png)](https://bitergo.com/information-security-iso-27001) ISO 27001-certified Information Management System for **Bitergo WMS** and **Bitergo Warehouse Automation**   © Bitergo GmbH [Legal information](https://bitergo.com/imprint) | [Privacy](https://bitergo.com/privacy) | Cookie-Settings [LinkedIn icon](https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitergo-gmbh) ```json { "@context" : "https://schema.org", "@type" : "BlogPosting", "author" : { "@type" : "Person", "name" : "Bitergo", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/author/bitergo" }, "dateModified" : "2026-03-26T14:42:57.084Z", "datePublished" : "2025-01-24T12:04:12.000Z", "headline" : "What is a loading aid?", "mainEntityOfPage" : { "@id" : "https://bitergo.com/en/glossary/loading-aids", "@type" : "WebPage" }, "publisher" : { "@type" : "Organization", "logo" : { "@type" : "ImageObject", "url" : "https://bitergo.com/hubfs/bitergo-logo-1.svg" }, "name" : "Bitergo GmbH" } } ```