Various design loads used in the strength evaluation of ship structures have been introduced currently by classification societies. As most of these design loads have been determined as the standard loads for the sake of convenience, the relationships between the design loads and the sea states actually encountered by ships seem to be weak. Accordingly, it may be difficult to refer and utilize them as the fundamental design concepts for ship designers or the operational guidelines for ship operators. To overcome these difficulties, the authors have developed practical estimation methods of the design loads having transparent and consistent backgrounds to the actual loads acting on primary structural members of tankers. In this paper, the design sea states that closely resemble the actual sea states which are considered as the most severe for hull structures are firstly proposed. Secondly, the practical estimation methods of the design sea states are proposed by parametric studies using the results of series calculation of representative tankers. Thirdly, the practical estimation methods of design regular waves resulting in the same level of stresses with that induced in irregular waves under the design sea states are proposed. Finally, the practical estimation methods of the design loads such as ship motions, accelerations, hull girder bending moments and hydrodynamic pressures that are induced under design regular waves are proposed.