FreightUtils MCP Server

vehicle_lookup

Read-onlyIdempotent

Look up road-freight vehicle and trailer specifications—internal dimensions, payload, weights and pallet capacity—and filter by EU/US region or vehicle category to check equipment fit.

Instructions

Look up road-freight vehicle and trailer specifications — 17 types: EU articulated trailers (standard/mega curtainsider, box, reefer, double-deck, flatbed, low-loader), US 53ft/48ft dry vans, rigid trucks (7.5-26 t) and vans (Luton, Transit, Sprinter). Each record carries internal dimensions, payload and gross weights, euro/UK pallet capacity, axle configuration and features.

Provide slug (e.g. "standard-curtainsider") for one record; omit it to list all 17; category (articulated | rigid | van) and region (EU | US) filter the list.

Behavior: read-only; an unknown slug errors with the valid list and the closest slugs; 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 vehicle 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: typical specs, provenance pending independent verification (the envelope's provenance_status says so) — real equipment varies by operator and build; legal payload is set by the vehicle's plated weights.

Related: ldm_calculator (whether a pallet load fits), pallet_fitting_calculator, consignment_calculator.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema

Name	Required	Description
`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.
`slug`	No	Vehicle slug. Examples: "standard-curtainsider", "mega-trailer". Omit to list all 17.
`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.
`region`	No	Filter by region.
`category`	No	Filter by vehicle category.

Output Schema

TableJSON 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"
+]
```

Changed4 schema fields changedv2.11.0Jul 10, 2026

changedInput schema / properties / category / description

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

changedInput schema / properties / region / description

Previous value: -"Filter by region"New value: +"Filter by region."

changedInput schema / properties / slug / description

Previous value: -"Vehicle slug (e.g., \"standard-curtainsider\"). Omit to list all."New value: +"Vehicle slug. Examples: \"standard-curtainsider\", \"mega-trailer\". Omit to list all 17."

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"
+}

Changed1 schema field changedv2.5.0Jun 22, 2026
- addedInput schema / properties / slug / minLength
```
Added value: +2
```
Addedv2.1.1May 17, 2026

TDQS

A4.6/5.0

Behavior5/5

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

Annotations already cover read-only/idempotent/non-destructive, but the description goes well beyond them: unknown-slug error behavior (returns valid list plus closest slugs), provenance on single records, list-row shape with total/truncated/next_offset/detail_hint, five-per-page pagination under full:true, and a rate-limit error carrying reset_at. That is unusually rich operational disclosure.

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

Conciseness4/5

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

Long but front-loaded and sectioned (capabilities, behavior, returns, limitations, related), with no filler sentences. It is on the verbose side for a lookup tool, and the camelCase/snake_case envelope note could be shorter, but each block carries usable information.

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 need not explain return values, yet it still covers error paths, pagination, rate limits, envelope field naming differences between the package and hosted endpoint, and an explicit limitations paragraph on provenance and plated weights. Nothing an agent needs to call it correctly 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 description coverage is 100%, so the baseline is 3, but the description adds cross-parameter meaning the schema documents only piecewise: that a single-record call always returns the full record regardless of full, and that the default page size shifts to five when full:true. It also explains the slug/list/filter interplay as a workflow.

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?

States a specific verb+resource ('look up road-freight vehicle and trailer specifications') and enumerates the 17 vehicle types covered, including EU articulated trailers, US dry vans, rigids and vans. This is clearly distinguishable from siblings such as container_lookup or uld_lookup, which cover different equipment domains.

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?

Gives explicit selection rules: supply a slug for one record, omit it to list all 17, and use category/region to filter the list. It also names three related tools (ldm_calculator, pallet_fitting_calculator, consignment_calculator) as downstream calculations, though it stops short of saying when NOT to use this tool.

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