JT, c'mon now...'we' always refers to me, myself, and I...
Hyfly, I would suggest you download the Airbus document "Getting to grips with Weight and Balance" and passing that direct information around.
aside from that, this may help clarify...
Area Load:
The contour area is the external contour of the contact points on the floor.
Running Load:
The length to take into account is the length of the contact points on the floor. (specifically, length in flight direction)
