Fish Box Loading Calculator

Q: "Is this a fully optimal packing solver?"

"No. It is a field-oriented approximate optimizer. It searches rotation and simple mixed-strip layouts, but not special shapes, fixtures, or full 3D optimization."

Q: "Does it judge whether stacking is safe?"

"No. Box strength and operating conditions vary too much. Use the stack limit to manage that on the safe side."

Q: "How should I account for gaps or fixtures?"

"Use margin %. It lets you reserve space for tie-downs, hand clearance, ice, curved walls, and protrusions."

Q: "Can I turn the boxes on their side?"

"Yes, in advanced settings. It is off by default because it is easy to misuse. Always confirm stability and product impact on the actual box."

Q: "What goes into the share URL?"

"It stores the dimensions and options needed to reproduce the same result, such as cargo size, box size, margin, rotation, and stack limit."

Estimate approximately how many boxes fit from the box size and the available cargo-space dimensions.

Built for field use with floor rotation, stack limits, safety margin, a 2D layout preview, and shareable URLs.

Check at a glance how many boxes fit in a truck bed or fish hold Compares rotation and mixed-strip placements Applies stack limits and margin % together Take the result out with CSV, a print memo, and share URL

What This Tool Does

How To Use It

Enter cargo width W, depth D, height H, and the box width W, depth D, height H.
Set floor rotation, stack limit, and margin % as needed.
Review the maximum box count, boxes per layer, layers, leftover space, and chosen layout.
Use the share URL, CSV, or print memo when you need to take the result into the field.

Examples

Load fish boxes into a kei van-sized cargo area

Input

Cargo 1200 × 900 × 800 mm, box 600 × 400 × 300 mm, rotation on, stack limit 2, margin 3%

Output

3 boxes per layer × 2 layers = 6 boxes total, with leftover width, depth, and height shown together.

Pack foam boxes into a fish hold

Input

Hold 1600 × 1100 × 900 mm, box 520 × 360 × 300 mm, rotation on, stack limit automatic

Output

Shows boxes per layer, total boxes, chosen layout, and how the safety margin changes the result.

Terms

Margin %

A safety margin applied to the cargo dimensions to account for tie-downs, hand clearance, curved walls, and other uncertainty.

Stack limit

A manual cap on the number of layers so you can reflect box strength or site rules.

Mixed strip

An approximate search that fills one side in the normal orientation and inserts rotated boxes into the leftover strip.

Leftover space

A practical width/depth/height indicator, not an exact geometric map of the remaining empty shape.

Formulas

Effective cargo dimension = cargo dimension × (1 - margin % / 100)
Per-layer count without rotation = floor(W_eff / boxW) × floor(D_eff / boxD)
When rotation is allowed, the tool also compares all-rotated and mixed-strip placements.
Layers by height = floor(H_eff / boxH), then capped by the stack limit if one is set
Total boxes = per-layer count × layers

FAQ

Is this a fully optimal packing solver?

No. It is a field-oriented approximate optimizer. It searches rotation and simple mixed-strip layouts, but not special shapes, fixtures, or full 3D optimization.

Does it judge whether stacking is safe?

No. Box strength and operating conditions vary too much. Use the stack limit to manage that on the safe side.

How should I account for gaps or fixtures?

Use margin %. It lets you reserve space for tie-downs, hand clearance, ice, curved walls, and protrusions.

Can I turn the boxes on their side?

Yes, in advanced settings. It is off by default because it is easy to misuse. Always confirm stability and product impact on the actual box.

What goes into the share URL?

It stores the dimensions and options needed to reproduce the same result, such as cargo size, box size, margin, rotation, and stack limit.

Important Notes

This tool is an estimate. It does not model fixtures, curved surfaces, protrusions, anti-collapse material, or working clearance.
Leftover dimensions are indicators only and do not describe the exact empty shape.
Stack safety, load, slipping, and tipping risk depend on field conditions.
Make the final decision against the actual cargo space and boxes.