1. A method for determining the load of at least one of a bucket and holding region of a machine for surface modification, the method comprising: in a measurement step, determining at least one measured value; and in an evaluation step, determining a load value from the at least one measured value, wherein, in the measurement step, a surface of material inside at least one of the bucket and the holding region is determined by means of a noncontact distance-measuring device and, in the evaluation step, a load volume is determined from the surface of material inside at least one of the bucket and the holding region and the position and shape of at least one of the bucket and of the holding region.