Truck Packer Documentation

What is Truck Packer?

Stop guessing whether your gear will fit. Truck Packer is a 3D load planning tool that takes the guesswork out of packing trucks, trailers, and shipping containers. Tell it what cases you have and what vehicle they need to fit in, and Truck Packer helps you find the best arrangement — visually, in 3D, with an algorithm that can do it automatically.

Built for touring production teams — audio, video, lighting, and staging crews — Truck Packer is trusted by AV rental houses, warehouse managers, logistics professionals, and anyone who needs to maximize every cubic inch of trailer space.

How It Works

Truck Packer's workflow is designed to get you from inventory to load plan in minutes:

• Build your case inventory — add cases manually or import them from a CSV/XLSX spreadsheet
• Create a pack — set your truck or trailer dimensions, pull a container in from the library, or use the 53' semi-trailer default. Business accounts can put a whole fleet of containers in one pack.
• Add and arrange cases — drag them into position manually, or let AutoPack find the optimal layout
• Share with your crew — generate a Crew View link with top-down diagrams and a loading checklist
• Export — download a PDF load plan or print case labels for your physical cases

Navigating the App

Truck Packer has five main sections, accessible from the left sidebar:

• Packs — Your load plans; the main workspace where you create and manage truck layouts
• Cases — Your case inventory database with dimensions, weights, and categories
• Containers — Your container inventory: the trucks, trailers, shipping containers, ULDs and pallets you pack into. Import ready-made ones from the Container Library or save your own presets.
• Product Updates — Changelog with the latest features and improvements
• Roadmap — Upcoming features and what's being built next

Switch between your personal account and any organizations you belong to at the top of the sidebar. Access settings with Cmd+, or via File → Settings from inside the editor.

Packs: Creating and Managing Load Plans

Packs are your load plans. The Packs page displays them as thumbnail cards in a grid.

Creating a New Pack

Click + New → Pack to jump straight into the 3D editor. You can also create folders to organize packs by tour, client, or project.

Managing Packs

Right-click (or use the ⋮ menu) on any pack to open, duplicate, rename, move to a folder, copy a shareable link, or delete it.

The 3D Editor: Building Your Load Plan

The 3D editor is where the work happens. When you open a pack, you get a full 3D view of your truck container with every case positioned inside it.

Setting Up Your Container

Set dimensions in the Container panel (bottom-right): length × width × height in your preferred units (inches, feet, mm, cm, or meters). Default is 636 × 102 × 98 inches (standard 53' semi-trailer).

You do not have to type dimensions in. Open the Containers tab of the library browser and drag a container into the packing space, or use File → New Container → Container Preset. Presets come from your organization's container inventory; new organizations start with a full set (US and EU road, air ULDs, rail and RoRo), and you can import more from the Container Library. Save any container you have set up as a preset from its inspector.

Adding Cases to Your Pack

• Library browser (right panel) — Cases and containers in one browser, with search and a type filter. Browse by category or manufacturer, click a case to add it, or use "Add all from [Category]" to bulk-add. Drag any case or container out of the library and drop it straight into the packing space. A Manufacturer Library section at the bottom of the panel opens the same free case and container catalogues published on this site, so you can pull a library case into the pack without leaving it. File → Import → Manufacturer Library opens the same browser.
• Shift+A — Opens the Add menu, where you pick a case or a container. A blank case drops in ready to customize in the Case Inspector.
• Drag and drop — Drop a .csv, .xlsx, or .xls file onto the editor to import cases.
• Text entities — File → New Text (or the text tool in the toolbar) drops an editable text label into the scene. Use these to label aisles, doors, driver cab, or load-in zones directly on the 3D plan. Texts respect the movement gizmo just like cases.

Moving and Arranging Cases

Collision Detection

Truck Packer flags any case that overlaps another case or pokes outside the container by drawing diagonal hazard stripes across it in the 3D scene. The stripes overlay the case's existing color, so it stays identifiable — they just make conflicts impossible to miss while you arrange a load, and let you catch overlaps before load-in instead of on the dock.

Collision detection is on by default. Toggle it any time at Settings → Account → Preferences → Collision Detection. The preference follows your account, and the same highlighting carries through to your Crew and export views so the loading crew can see the problem cases too.

Truck Ruler

A tape measure runs the length of the truck in the 3D scene, zeroed at the front wall so distances count up in the same direction as the loading checklist. Imperial packs get 1 ft minor and 5 ft major ticks; metric packs get 0.25 m minor and 1 m major ticks. Use it to read off how far back a case lands without dragging out a measuring tool.

The ruler is on by default. Toggle it with the Truck Ruler button in the toolbar; the preference is saved per device. It also appears in Crew View, with its own toggle in the View controls, where it shows in top and free views and hides in side view. In a pack with several containers the ruler draws on each one and takes that container's color.

Camera Controls

• Orbit: Click and drag empty space
• Pan: Alt/Option + drag, or a two-finger drag on a touchscreen
• Zoom: Scroll wheel (sensitivity in Settings → Preferences)
• Preset views: 5 buttons in the bottom toolbar. Top, side, front, and perspective frame whatever you have selected, or every container in the pack when nothing is selected.

Multi-Truck Packing (Business Tier)

A pack can hold more than one container, so a whole fleet lives in a single plan instead of one pack per truck. Drop in as many containers as the job needs, pack each one, and share the plan as a single link.

Adding Containers

Use Shift+A → Container, File → New Container, or drag a container out of the Containers tab in the library browser. File → New Container → Container Preset drops in a saved container at its full dimensions. Space containers apart along the length of the scene so they do not overlap.

Assigning Cases to a Container

A case has to be assigned to a container before it counts as loaded. Select the case and set Packed in in the inspector, or drop the case inside a container in the 3D scene. Cases that are not assigned to a container do not appear in that container's Crew View or PDF export — they show in the weight readout as cargo still waiting to be loaded.

Loading Dock

The Loading Dock inspector lists every entity in the pack and which container each one is packed into, so you can audit and reassign the whole fleet from one list instead of clicking through the 3D scene. Entities in a container you have not selected are hidden, and containers can be made transparent, so a busy fleet stays readable.

Per-Truck Output

Crew View and PDF export are generated per container. The container picker sits in the Crew View header, so the crew can switch trucks without leaving the view, and the header shows weight capacity used for the container currently selected. A pack with no container at all still gets a crew view case checklist.

Fleet Weight Readout

The weight readout lists every container in the pack. Click a row to select that container, hover to highlight it in the scene, and read off the weight of the cases that are not loaded into anything yet.

AutoPack: Automatic Load Optimization

AutoPack is Truck Packer's automatic packing algorithm. It analyzes your cases and container dimensions to find optimal arrangements — saving hours of trial and error.

1. Set your container dimensions
2. Select the cases you want packed
3. Click the orange AutoPack button
4. If the pack holds more than one container, choose which one to pack into
5. The algorithm generates multiple solutions (e.g., "Solution 1 of 5")
6. Browse solutions with the < > arrows
7. Pick the one that works best for load-in order and weight distribution

AutoPack only packs the entities you have selected, so you can fill one truck at a time and leave the rest of the fleet alone. It also respects Packing Groups — if you group cases together (Cmd+G), it keeps them together as a unit.

Case Inspector: Case Properties and Details

Select a case to view and edit properties in the inspector (View → Case Inspector):

• Name — Displayed as a label in the 3D view
• Description — Optional notes
• Size — L × W × H (editable)
• Weight — In your preferred unit (lbs or kg)
• Category — Color-coded grouping
• Flippable — Whether AutoPack can rotate the case on its side

Duplicate with count: The Duplicate button has a number field. Enter a quantity to create multiple copies at once.

Packing Groups

Group related cases with Cmd+G and name the group. AutoPack treats the group as one block.

Exporting and Sharing Load Plans

• File → Export PDF — Load plan document with truck dimensions, case layout, and loading checklist, generated per container. Truck images always print in light mode, regardless of your app theme. Business accounts can customize the branding on the exported PDF.
• File → Screenshot — Captures the current 3D viewport
• Crew View — Interactive shareable link (see below)

Crew View: Shareable Load Plans for Your Team

Crew View is a read-only, shareable version of your pack. No account needed — just share the link. Click the Crew View button in the top-right of the editor.

Crew View includes:

• Top-down and side-view diagrams with labeled case positions
• Container picker in the header — switch between the trucks in a multi-truck pack without leaving the view
• Truck ruler — a tape measure along the truck for reading case positions in top view (toggle in the View controls)
• Case checklist — numbered loading sequence with checkboxes
• Weight tracker — weight vs. capacity for the container you are currently viewing
• Company info block and notes section
• Share button — generates a public link

Crew View shows the cases assigned to the selected container, so make sure each case has a Packed in container before you send the link. A pack with no container still gets a case checklist.

The checklist is sortable. Each case has a visibility toggle and delete option.

Printable Case Labels

Truck Packer can generate printable PDF labels for your physical cases. One-time setup:

1. Go to truckpacker.com/tools/case-labels
2. Drag the "Extract Cases" bookmarklet to your browser bookmarks bar

Generating labels: Open any Crew View link → Click "Extract Cases" in your bookmarks bar → Paste into the label generator page and generate/print PDF labels. You can also paste case data manually (plain text, numbered lists, or JSON).

Cases Inventory: Managing Your Equipment Database

The Cases page (/cases) is your database of all cases and equipment — every case you add lives here and can be reused across packs.

Properties: Name, Manufacturer, L×W×H, Volume (auto, always in ft³ or m³), Weight, Category, Flippable. The table is sortable, searchable, and filterable (50 rows per page default).

Adding cases: Manually (+ New case); from spreadsheet (Import .csv/.xlsx/.xls — Universal Manifest Importer on Business auto-maps columns); from the manufacturer libraries (Gator, Pelican, Christie Lites, EAW, Spectrum Sound, Fiasco, L-Acoustics, 5 Star Cases, Trial Starter Case List; use Template for pre-formatted import).

Tip: Dimensions support feet/inches (e.g. 10' 11") and math (e.g. 10 + 20). Use categories and colors to group by department.

Containers Inventory

The Containers page is the same idea for the cargo spaces you pack into. Add a container by hand (+ New Container), import a csv or xlsx sheet the same way you import cases, or open the Container Library and import ready-made trailers, box trucks, shipping containers, air ULDs, pallets, rail cars and rental trucks. Import all or remove all in one click; both are undoable. New organizations start with a full set of presets, and duplicating an organization copies its container library with it.

Both tables support search (containers also match on code), type and category filters, and column visibility. Every container on the public Container Library pages can be imported into your inventory in one click.

Settings and Preferences

Open with Cmd+, or File → Settings.

Preferences: Units (length, weight); Display (Hidden Case Opacity, Label Font Size, Case Up Markers, Zoom Sensitivity); Collision Detection (on/off); Appearance (Light/Dark).

Account: Name, profile picture, email; Reset password and Manage account buttons; delete account: contact help@backlinelogic.com.

Organization (Business): General, Billing, Members (invite, roles: Owner/Admin/Member).

Keyboard Shortcuts

Copy/paste works across packs, browser tabs, and different accounts.

Advanced Techniques and Pro Tips

Semi Wall Technique

Use Packing Groups to create wall-to-wall sections. Select cases → Cmd+G → name (e.g. "WALL 1"). Run AutoPack; it packs each group as a tight wall. Ideal for separating departments (audio front, lighting middle, staging back).

Hide Layers

Shift+drag to select the top layer → press 0 to hide. Adjust ghost opacity in Settings → Preferences → Hidden Case Opacity.

Wheel Wells and Obstructions

Create cases that match wheel well dimensions, place them in the trailer; AutoPack packs around them.

Splitting a Load

Business accounts should use multi-truck packing: drop a second container into the same pack and set each case's Packed in container. The old workaround — copying a load into a wider container and offsetting it to one side — is no longer needed. On Pro, where a pack holds one container, keep one pack per truck and use Cmd+C / Cmd+V to move cases between them; copy and paste works across packs, tabs, and accounts.

Re-Optimize Without Losing Layout

File → Duplicate Pack, run AutoPack on the copy, compare in separate tabs, keep the better one.

LiDAR scanning (Cargo Measure AR beta): Our experimental iOS companion app uses LiDAR to measure real-world cases in AR and sync them directly into your Truck Packer case library, pre-positioned in a pack. Currently in closed TestFlight — see the Cargo Measure AR integration page or email help@backlinelogic.com with the Apple ID you want invited. Fly racks: Set Flippable (Yes/No) and use free rotation (Alt + rotate) for non-standard positioning.

REST API (Business Tier)

TruckPacker offers a REST API for programmatic access to your organization's data. Use it to sync inventory from external systems, build load plans automatically, or integrate TruckPacker into your existing workflows.

The API covers cases, case categories, containers, packs, and entities (3D-positioned items within a pack). Authentication is via API key — generate yours by going to Settings → API Keys in the app. API access is available on the Business tier and during the free trial.

• Base URL: https://api.truckpacker.com/api/v1
• Auth: Authorization: Bearer tp_<YOUR_API_KEY>
• Rate limit: 200 req/min, 300 burst
• Dimensions in meters, weights in kilograms
• A single pack can hold multiple containers - load cargo into a specific truck by setting an entity's parentId to that container entity

For full endpoint reference, request/response schemas, and example workflows, see the API Documentation. You can also download the Postman collection or view the full API reference (Markdown).

Plans and Pricing

Pro Plan — $28/month (or $21/month billed annually). Unlimited packs, case and container library, AutoPack, PDF export, weight visualization, Crew Views, loadout checklist. One container per pack. Pause/resume anytime.

Business Plan — Contact for pricing. Everything in Pro plus: multi-truck packing (as many containers in a pack as the job needs), multi-user orgs, real-time collaboration, Universal Manifest Importer, custom PDF export branding, API access, SSO, priority support. AI agent coming soon.

Free Trial — 7 days, no credit card, with the full Business feature set (multi-truck packing, up to 5 seats, API access). Promo: TRUCKPACKER26 — 30% off first payment.

Resources and Support

• App: app.truckpacker.com
• API Documentation: truckpacker.com/docs/api
• Case Label Generator: truckpacker.com/tools/case-labels
• YouTube: youtube.com/@TruckPackerApp (tutorials, tips, demos)
• Support: help@backlinelogic.com
• Socials: Twitter · Instagram · Facebook · LinkedIn

For the full changelog and roadmap, see the Changelog and Roadmap pages.