What are Linear Feet in Freight?
In the context of freight and logistics, linear feet refers to the total length occupied by goods when measured end-to-end. It's a common metric used by shipping companies and warehouses to determine space requirements and, consequently, shipping costs.
Unlike square footage (which measures area) or cubic feet (which measures volume), linear feet focuses purely on length. For example, if you have 5 pallets, each measuring 4 feet in length, stacked one after another on a truck trailer, they would occupy 20 linear feet of space.
Why is this Calculator Useful?
- Accurate Shipping Quotes: Many carriers charge based on the linear feet your shipment occupies on a pallet or in a trailer.
- Warehouse Space Planning: Understand how much shelf or floor space your inventory will take up.
- Load Optimization: Plan how to best arrange items to maximize space utilization.
- Cost Estimation: Get a preliminary idea of shipping costs before contacting carriers.
How to Use the Calculator:
- Enter the length of a single item (e.g., a piece of lumber, a pallet) in feet.
- Enter the total number of such items you need to ship or store.
- Click "Calculate Total Linear Feet".
Example:
Let's say you are shipping 15 standard pallets, and each pallet is 4 feet long. Inputting '4' for the item length and '15' for the quantity will tell you the total linear feet your shipment will occupy.
function calculateLinearFeet() {
var itemLength = parseFloat(document.getElementById("itemLength").value);
var itemQuantity = parseFloat(document.getElementById("itemQuantity").value);
var resultElement = document.getElementById("result");
if (isNaN(itemLength) || isNaN(itemQuantity) || itemLength <= 0 || itemQuantity <= 0) {
resultElement.innerHTML = "Please enter valid positive numbers for item length and quantity.";
return;
}
var totalLinearFeet = itemLength * itemQuantity;
resultElement.innerHTML = "Total Linear Feet Required:
" + totalLinearFeet.toFixed(2) + " feet";
}
.calculator-wrapper {
font-family: sans-serif;
display: flex;
flex-wrap: wrap;
gap: 30px;
max-width: 900px;
margin: 20px auto;
padding: 20px;
border: 1px solid #ddd;
border-radius: 8px;
background-color: #f9f9f9;
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transition: background-color 0.3s ease;
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.calculator-form button:hover {
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margin-top: 25px;
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text-align: center;
color: #333;
}
.result-display strong {
color: #28a745;
}
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flex: 2;
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}
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}
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}
.calculator-explanation ul {
padding-left: 20px;
}