CargoBlock Pro™ packs your cargo into the fewest possible containers, compares full-container (FCL) and consolidated (LCL) shipping costs, and produces a packing list you can edit and export. The numbered tabs at the top of every screen are clickable — you can jump back to any completed step at any time.
1. Choose your shipping method
Before uploading, pick FCL (full containers only), LCL (one consolidated shared load), or Combination (the tool compares both and marks the cheaper option when cost calculation is on). You can switch this at any time from the results screen.
2. Choose your cargo type(s)
Tick every cargo type in this shipment — boxes, stone blocks, pallets, pipes, drums, coils, logs, bags, or bundles. Selecting more than one means units without their own type column cycle through your selection so the loading diagram shows a realistic mix. If your file has a cargo-type column, that always takes priority over the global selection. You can adjust this after packing using the same checkboxes on the results toolbar.
3. Set your dimension unit and default stackability
Choose the unit your file uses — centimetres, metres, inches, or feet — and the app converts everything to centimetres automatically. For stackability: By cargo type uses the per-shape defaults set in Container Types, or use Yes / No to override all units at once.
4. Decide whether to calculate cost
Turn cost calculation off if you only need a layout — no FCL/LCL comparison, no dunnage cost. You can flip this at any time via the 💰 Cost button on the results toolbar.
5. Upload your file
Drop in one or more CSV or Excel files. Columns can be in any order — you'll map them on the next screen. Useful optional columns: Client/Consignee (for LCL's per-client breakdown), Cargo Type/Shape (per-unit visual override), Hazardous (Y/N) — any flagged unit is automatically kept physically separate from general cargo (never side-by-side, never stacked, never palletised together) — and Net Weight if you want tare-exclusive weight shown separately on the packing list. After loading, a confirm bar shows the row count; you can add another file, continue, or clear and start over. Selecting two files at once offers the choice to stack their rows or merge by a shared reference column.
6. Map your columns
Match each file column to the field it represents. Required fields are marked; the app guesses from common header names. For Mass, choose the unit in your file — Metric Tons, Kilograms, or Pounds — and the app converts to kilograms throughout. Net Weight is converted the same way if mapped.
7. Review your data and set orientations
Check parsed rows before packing. Units exceeding every configured container's limits are flagged as oversized or overweight and go to special handling. Each unit has an Orientation dropdown — set before running the packer to control exactly how each item is loaded:
- ↕ Auto-orient — the app tries both upright orientations and picks whichever packs best.
- → Upright — as loaded — locks the unit in its original L × W × H orientation.
- ↺ Upright — rotated 90° — swaps length and width while keeping the unit standing upright.
- ↻ Lay flat (L×H) / Lay flat rotated (H×L) — tilts the unit onto its side so the original length×height face becomes the footprint. Available only for flat-capable items (those where the original height fits within the container's maximum width).
- ↕ Stand on end (W×H) / Stand on end rotated (H×W) — stands the unit vertically on its width×height face, making the original length the new height. Also flat-capable only.
Orientation badges appear on each unit in the results table showing which mode was applied. You can change any unit's orientation from Step 3 or directly on the results screen — the packer re-runs automatically on every change.
Hazardous and Out of Gauge (OOG) are both simple Yes/No toggles right in the Step 3 table — no mapped column needed. Hazardous keeps a unit physically separate from general cargo and unlocks an IMDG Class field. OOG marks a unit as allowed to overhang a Flat Rack's edges instead of being rejected as oversized — see Container Types & Settings below for how to enable Flat Rack overhang, and note OOG only takes effect once at least one Flat Rack type is configured.
8. Container Types & Settings
Open from the toolbar to configure everything the packer works against:
Container types — choose from the built-in library (standard, high cube, flat rack, open top, reefer) or add custom dimensions. Set each type's Rel. Cost so the tool can right-size each finished container to the cheapest type that actually fits its contents. The optional Tare weight field enables VGM (Verified Gross Mass) calculation as required by SOLAS — leave blank if not needed. Tick Flat rack — Allows OOG overhang on any type that's a genuine flat rack: units flagged Out of Gauge in Step 3 are then allowed to overhang that type's edges (length, width and/or height) instead of being rejected as oversized, and are centered on it automatically.
LCL shipping — set the rate per revenue ton (W/M — the greater of volume or weight) and the minimum chargeable tons.
Stacking & Stackability Index — enable stacking to let the packer place stackable units on top of others to reduce container count. Each cargo type has an index from 0 (never stack) to 5 (ideal for stacking); a unit stacks only once its type clears the minimum index you set.
Palletization — group eligible units onto pallets before packing containers. Each finished pallet loads as a single unit and can be moved or removed like any other. Pick a pallet type from the library or set custom dimensions, and choose which cargo types are eligible.
Void Filling & Securing (Dunnage) — get suggested quantities of airbags, foam, strapping and bracing per container based on actual leftover space. Rates and unit costs are editable. Quantities always show when dunnage is on; cost figures show only when cost calculation is also on.
9. Running and optimising the packer
Click Run Packing Algorithm to pack with orientations exactly as you've set them in Step 3. The packer automatically tries multiple sort strategies — heaviest-first, longest-first, weight-constrained pairing, and more — keeping the best result. It is specifically designed to find near-limit weight pairings (e.g. two very heavy units that together come close to the container's weight limit), which is critical for dense cargo like stone blocks.
Click 🔄 Auto-Optimise Orientations to let the packer test every eligible orientation for every unit automatically. It starts from a baseline of all units upright, tries rotating each unit individually across two passes, and locks in whichever combination gives the fewest containers — falling back to the original orientation if rotation doesn't help. The Step 3 dropdowns update after optimising to show exactly what was chosen, so you can review and override anything before re-running.
10. Reading the results
Summary cards show container count (with total TEU), units packed, total mass and volume. When cost calculation is on, a comparison panel shows FCL-only, best-mix, and all-LCL costs side by side with the cheapest marked. Each container card shows its type, TEU, and VGM (if tare is configured), a to-scale loading diagram with a centre-of-gravity marker (green/amber/red by balance), a unit table, and a packing-strategy note (bay count, side-by-side pairs, weight and length usage percentages). Stacked units show a "Stacked on…" note in the table; built pallets show their contents in a tooltip; hazardous units show a red ⚠ HAZ badge. Orientation badges appear on any unit that was rotated or laid flat. If LCL is active, a separate consolidated-load card shows the per-client breakdown.
11. Editing the result
Every unit in every container card has two dropdowns — an Orientation dropdown (same choices as Step 3, re-packs on change) and a Move to… dropdown to relocate it to another container, a new container, or remove it from packing entirely. This works the same for single units, stacked items, and built pallets. Manual moves always place a unit on the floor at its destination — the packer never auto-re-stacks after a manual move, keeping the result predictable. You can also add an empty container with + Add Container, or click ↺ Re-optimise to re-run from scratch.
12. Switching units on screen
The 📏 cm / kg button on the results toolbar toggles all length, width, height and mass figures between centimetres/kilograms and metres/tonnes. Display only — does not affect packing.
13. Saving, loading & comparing scenarios
💾 Save Project downloads your cargo, settings, and current result (including manual moves) as one file. 📂 Load Project restores it — available from the upload screen or the results screen. 📌 Save as Scenario keeps a named snapshot for side-by-side comparison: pack once, change a setting, re-pack, save a second scenario — the stronger option (fewest containers, or lowest cost when enabled) is marked automatically. Up to three scenarios can be compared at once.
14. Freight Calculator
A standalone quoting tool, always accessible from the toolbar. LCL mode calculates chargeable weight on a weight-or-measure (W/M) basis. FCL mode applies a flat rate per container — the rate auto-fills from that container type's Rel. Cost, still editable for a one-off quote. Both modes support THC, documentation fees, fuel surcharge, and other costs to a full total. Useful for quick quotes without uploading a file.
15. Exporting
Export the finished packing list as Excel, CSV, OpenDocument, or PDF, or use Print for a hard copy. Every format includes the full per-container breakdown (TEU, VGM where applicable), Net Weight when mapped, the oversized and removed-unit sections, the palletization manifest and dunnage suggestions when those are on, the hazardous cargo manifest when present, and the LCL cost comparison and client breakdown when applicable.
16. Warehouse & floor tools
🏭 Floor Sheet — a simplified A4 PDF for forklift and floor crew: one numbered table per container listing every unit in load sequence (#1 goes furthest from the door), with dimensions, mass, and hazardous/handling/stacking notes.
📱 Step Guide — a full-screen, one-unit-at-a-time walkthrough built for a tablet on the warehouse floor. Pick a container, then step through Step 1 of N with a live diagram highlighting exactly where that unit goes, its dimensions, mass, and any hazardous/OOG/handling notes. The order follows what's physically buildable — back of the container first, and anything stacked on a unit comes right after it.
17. CO2 estimate & documentation bundle
🌍 CO2 Estimate — a quick calculator for a shipment's estimated carbon footprint. Pick a transport mode (ocean, road, or rail), enter a route distance, and it applies standard published emission factors (DEFRA/DESNZ 2025, aligned with GLEC Framework v3.2 / ISO 14083) to your packed weight. This is a directional estimate from published averages, not measured data from a specific carrier or vessel — it won't match a certified emissions declaration.
📚 Full Docs — bundles the paperwork a shipment actually needs into one PDF: a shipment summary, a per-container manifest with VGM (Verified Gross Mass) declaration, and a hazardous & handling summary — instead of exporting the manifest, VGM, and hazmat list separately.
18. Local API (Desktop only)
While CargoBlock Pro 3D Desktop is open, it runs a small local server your own scripts or systems can call — nothing leaves this computer, and it's not reachable from the internet. Find your API key and a ready-to-paste example under Help ▸ API Access in the menu bar. Submit a cargo list with POST /api/cargo (it runs through the exact same validation as a spreadsheet upload), trigger a repack with POST /api/pack, and pull back the computed load plan with GET /api/plan.