FreightUtils MCP Server

uld_lookup

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up air-cargo ULD specifications by IATA code: dimensions, tare and gross weight, volume, deck position and compatible aircraft for 16 container and pallet types.

Instructions

Look up air-cargo ULD (Unit Load Device) specifications — 16 types spanning lower-deck containers (AKE/LD3 and family), main-deck pallets (PMC, PAG and family) and temperature-controlled units. Each record carries external/internal/door dimensions (cm), tare and max gross weight (kg), usable volume (m³), deck position and compatible aircraft.

Provide type as an IATA code ("AKE", "PMC"), slug ("ake-ld3") or the record's own name when one record carries it ("LD3" → AKE); omit it to list all 16; category (container | pallet | special) and deck (lower | main) filter the list.

Behavior: read-only; an unknown type errors with the closest codes; a single record carries its provenance (sources, audited_at, decision_rationale). A list (no single record asked for) returns summary rows with total, truncated, next_offset and detail_hint; full: true returns full records five per page, with offset / limit to page. Rate-limited: a limit error carries reset_at, the UTC time the allowance resets.

Returns: the ULD record (or the list) under result, plus confidence, _source and citation (the FreightUtils v1 response envelope). Field names as this package serves them (snake_case); the hosted /api/mcp endpoint serves the same fields in camelCase (e.g. total_cbm → totalCbm).

Limitations: specs are compiled from manufacturer and carrier-published sources with ≥7 cited sources per record. Provenance is PENDING, not verified — read the envelope's provenance_status rather than this sentence. Second-agent coverage is now COMPLETE — every cited record-URL pairing has been opened and verdicted by a second agent, and 145 of 148 citations carry a timestamped read (the 3 without one were never opened, and say so). COVERAGE IS NOT AGREEMENT, which is why provenance is still pending: reading every page is what made the disagreements visible, not what resolved them. The second agent also WITHDRAWS stamps — pages a first pass had confirmed turned out not to list the code, or to disagree once somebody read the words around them — so treat an unstamped citation as evidence that was tried and failed, not evidence not yet gathered. CORROBORATION IS COUNTED BY PUBLISHER, NOT BY URL: the 148 citations resolve to 125 distinct sources, because several records cite one publisher at several of its own addresses (one carrier's pallet table appears in three of its documents) and several forwarders republish a single upstream template. Two citations of the same source cannot corroborate each other, so a long source list is not the same as a well-corroborated record. Treat tare_weight with particular caution: it is confirmed by no non-tertiary source on 13 of the 16 records. PGA's 565 kg is now read-confirmed by one carrier (Cathay, basis stated on the page as including nets) while two other carrier pages publish 535 kg and 505-545 kg on that same basis, so it is the top of a contested band rather than an agreed figure. Confidence is medium and a PROVENANCE_PENDING advisory rides every response. Pallet records (PMC, PAG, PGA, PLA, PAJ, PMCQ7) have NO internal dimensions — a pallet has no walls or roof; read max_build_up_height_cm for the aircraft contour ceiling and do not multiply dimensions to get a volume. Airline-specific ULD variants still differ; confirm operationally critical dimensions with the carrier.

Related: chargeable_weight_calculator (what the cargo inside is billed at), container_lookup (the sea-freight equivalent), airline_lookup (whose aircraft it flies on).

Input Schema

Name	Required	Description
`deck`	No	Filter by deck position.
`full`	No	Lists only: true returns full records (provenance, sources, rationale) instead of summary rows, five per page by default. A single-record call always returns the full record.
`type`	No	IATA ULD code or slug. Examples: "AKE", "PMC", "ake-ld3". Omit to list all 16.
`limit`	No	Lists only: rows per page (default: every summary row; 5 with full: true).
`offset`	No	Lists only: rows to skip (default 0). The response gives total and next_offset.
`category`	No	Filter by ULD category.

Output Schema

Name	Required	Description	Default
`ok`	Yes
`result`	Yes
`_source`	Yes
`citation`	Yes
`validity`	No
`warnings`	No
`confidence`	Yes
`blocking_errors`	No
`envelope_version`	Yes
`normalized_input`	No

Schema Changelog

Changes observed during successful MCP inspections.

Changed3 schema fields changedv2.22.3Oct 14, 2026

addedInput schema / properties / full

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Lists only: true returns full records (provenance, sources, rationale) instead of summary rows, five per page by default. A single-record call always returns the full record.",
+  "type": "boolean"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / limit

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Lists only: rows per page (default: every summary row; 5 with full: true).",
+  "maximum": 100,
+  "minimum": 1,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

addedInput schema / properties / offset

Added value: +{
+  "description": "Lists only: rows to skip (default 0). The response gives total and next_offset.",
+  "maximum": 9007199254740991,
+  "minimum": 0,
+  "type": "integer"
+}

Changed5 schema fields changedv2.17.2Aug 21, 2026
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / authority_current_edition
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / checked_at
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / _source / properties / dataset_edition
```
Added value: +{
+  "type": "string"
+}
```
- removedOutput schema / properties / envelope_version / const
```
Removed value: -"1"
```
- addedOutput schema / properties / envelope_version / enum
```
Added value: +[
+  "1",
+  "1.1"
+]
```

Changed1 schema field changedv2.11.1Jul 12, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / type / description

Previous value: -"IATA ULD code or slug. Examples: \"AKE\", \"PMC\", \"ake-ld3\". Omit to list all 15."New value: +"IATA ULD code or slug. Examples: \"AKE\", \"PMC\", \"ake-ld3\". Omit to list all 16."

Changed4 schema fields changedv2.11.0Jul 10, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / category / description

Previous value: -"Filter by category"New value: +"Filter by ULD category."

changedInput schema / properties / deck / description

Previous value: -"Filter by deck position"New value: +"Filter by deck position."

changedInput schema / properties / type / description

Previous value: -"ULD code (e.g., \"AKE\", \"PMC\") or slug (e.g., \"ake-ld3\"). Omit to list all."New value: +"IATA ULD code or slug. Examples: \"AKE\", \"PMC\", \"ake-ld3\". Omit to list all 15."

changedOutput schema / (root)

Previous value: -nullNew value: +{
+  "$schema": "http://json-schema.org/draft-07/schema#",
+  "additionalProperties": false,
+  "properties": {
+    "_source": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "checked": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "name": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "provenance_status": {
+          "enum": [
+            "verified",
+            "pending-verification",
+            "computed",
+            "live"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "source_url": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "name",
+        "checked",
+        "provenance_status"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "blocking_errors": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "code": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "message": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "recovery": {
+            "additionalProperties": false,
+            "properties": {
+              "action": {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              "params": {
+                "additionalProperties": {},
+                "type": "object"
+              },
+              "tool": {
+                "type": "string"
+              }
+            },
+            "required": [
+              "action"
+            ],
+            "type": "object"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "code",
+          "message",
+          "recovery"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    },
+    "citation": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "qualifier": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "text": {
+          "type": "string"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "text"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "confidence": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "basis": {
+          "enum": [
+            "deterministic",
+            "provenance",
+            "match_quality",
+            "freshness"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "level": {
+          "enum": [
+            "high",
+            "medium",
+            "low"
+          ],
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "score": {
+          "maximum": 1,
+          "minimum": 0,
+          "type": "number"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "level",
+        "basis"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "envelope_version": {
+      "const": "1",
+      "type": "string"
+    },
+    "normalized_input": {
+      "additionalProperties": {},
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "ok": {
+      "type": "boolean"
+    },
+    "result": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "additionalProperties": true,
+          "properties": {
+            "count": {
+              "type": [
+                "number",
+                "null"
+              ]
+            },
+            "meta": {
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "additionalProperties": {},
+                  "type": "object"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "null"
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "result": {
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "additionalProperties": {},
+                  "type": "object"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "null"
+                }
+              ]
+            },
+            "results": {
+              "anyOf": [
+                {
+                  "items": {},
+                  "type": "array"
+                },
+                {
+                  "type": "null"
+                }
+              ]
+            }
+          },
+          "type": "object"
+        },
+        {
+          "additionalProperties": {},
+          "type": "object"
+        }
+      ]
+    },
+    "validity": {
+      "additionalProperties": false,
+      "properties": {
+        "as_of": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "effective_from": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "effective_to": {
+          "type": [
+            "string",
+            "null"
+          ]
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "as_of"
+      ],
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "warnings": {
+      "items": {
+        "additionalProperties": false,
+        "properties": {
+          "code": {
+            "type": "string"
+          },
+          "details": {
+            "additionalProperties": {},
+            "type": "object"
+          },
+          "message": {
+            "type": "string"
+          }
+        },
+        "required": [
+          "code",
+          "message"
+        ],
+        "type": "object"
+      },
+      "type": "array"
+    }
+  },
+  "required": [
+    "envelope_version",
+    "ok",
+    "result",
+    "confidence",
+    "_source",
+    "citation"
+  ],
+  "type": "object"
+}

Changed2 schema fields changedv2.5.0Jun 22, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / type / description

Previous value: -"ULD code (e.g., \"AKE\", \"PMC\"). Omit to list all."New value: +"ULD code (e.g., \"AKE\", \"PMC\") or slug (e.g., \"ake-ld3\"). Omit to list all."

addedInput schema / properties / type / minLength
```
Added value: +2
```

Addedv2.1.1May 17, 2026

TDQS

A4.5/5.0

Behavior5/5

Does the description disclose side effects, auth requirements, rate limits, or destructive behavior?

Well past what the annotations cover (readOnly/idempotent/openWorld=false): it discloses error behavior (unknown type errors with closest codes), rate-limit semantics with reset_at, pagination mechanics (full/limit/offset, five per page), envelope shape, a PROVENANCE_PENDING advisory, and contested-data warnings (PGA tare band, tare confirmed by no non-tertiary source on 13 of 16 records). This is unusually rich behavioral context for a read tool.

Agents need to know what a tool does to the world before calling it. Descriptions should go beyond structured annotations to explain consequences.

Conciseness3/5

Is the description appropriately sized, front-loaded, and free of redundancy?

Purpose, behavior, returns and limitations are front-loaded and reasonably ordered, but the middle section on second-agent coverage, stamp withdrawal and publisher-level corroboration runs very long relative to what an agent needs to select and invoke the tool. The operational warnings earn their place; the verification narrative is over-expanded.

Shorter descriptions cost fewer tokens and are easier for agents to parse. Every sentence should earn its place.

Completeness5/5

Given the tool's complexity, does the description cover enough for an agent to succeed on first attempt?

With an output schema present the description needn't explain return values, yet it still notes the envelope, casing differences between local and hosted endpoints, and pallet records lacking internal dimensions with a pointer to max_build_up_height_cm. Nothing needed to call it correctly or interpret the data cautiously is missing.

Complex tools with many parameters or behaviors need more documentation. Simple tools need less. This dimension scales expectations accordingly.

Parameters4/5

Does the description clarify parameter syntax, constraints, interactions, or defaults beyond what the schema provides?

Schema coverage is 100%, so baseline is 3, but the description adds meaning beyond the schema by noting that type also accepts the record's own informal name ("LD3" → AKE), which the schema does not state. It otherwise restates the code/slug examples and omit-to-list behavior already documented in the schema.

Input schemas describe structure but not intent. Descriptions should explain non-obvious parameter relationships and valid value ranges.

Purpose5/5

Does the description clearly state what the tool does and how it differs from similar tools?

The opening states a specific verb and resource (look up air-cargo ULD specifications) and quantifies scope (16 types across lower-deck containers, main-deck pallets, temperature-controlled units). It explicitly separates itself from siblings like container_lookup (the sea-freight equivalent) and chargeable_weight_calculator, so an agent can route without opening schemas.

Agents choose between tools based on descriptions. A clear purpose with a specific verb and resource helps agents select the right tool.

Usage Guidelines4/5

Does the description explain when to use this tool, when not to, or what alternatives exist?

It gives concrete selection mechanics (pass a type code/slug to get one record, omit to list all 16, use category/deck to filter) and a Related list that frames alternatives by function. It stops short of stating explicit when-not-to-use conditions or task-level triggers for choosing this over, say, ldm_calculator or pallet_fitting_calculator.

Agents often have multiple tools that could apply. Explicit usage guidance like "use X instead of Y when Z" prevents misuse.

uld_lookup

Instructions

Input Schema

Output Schema

Schema Changelog

TDQS

Other Tools