CBM calculator
Enter your carton sizes and quantities to get the total volume in cubic metres, the container fit and the chargeable weight for air, courier and sea LCL.
Container fit
Chargeable weight
Container figures use typical usable volume (20ft 28 m³, 40ft 58 m³, 40ft HC 68 m³) and payload. The real fit depends on carton sizes, stacking, pallets and road weight limits, so ask your forwarder for a load plan before booking.
How to calculate CBM
Multiply the carton's length, width and height in metres. A 60 × 40 × 50 cm carton is 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.5 = 0.12 m³, so 100 cartons are 12 m³. Measure the outside of the carton, including any bulge, because that is what the forwarder measures.
Volumetric weight for air and courier
Airlines charge light, bulky cargo by volume. Air freight usually divides the volume in cm³ by 6,000, so 1 m³ counts as 167 kg. Express couriers usually divide by 5,000, so 1 m³ counts as 200 kg. You pay for whichever is higher: the actual weight or the volumetric weight.
Sea freight LCL: weight or measure
Shared-container (LCL) sea freight is charged per revenue ton, which is the higher of the volume in m³ and the gross weight in tonnes. 3 m³ weighing 800 kg is charged as 3 revenue tons; 2 m³ weighing 2,500 kg is charged as 2.5.
Common questions
How many CBM fit in a 20ft container?
A 20ft container has about 33 m³ of internal space, but in practice 25 to 28 m³ of cartons fit once you allow for gaps and stacking. A 40ft container takes about 55 to 58 m³ and a 40ft high-cube about 65 to 68 m³.
How many kg is 1 CBM?
A cubic metre has no fixed weight; it depends on the goods. For pricing, carriers use conversion factors: 167 kg per m³ for air freight, 200 kg per m³ for express couriers and 1,000 kg per m³ for sea LCL.
How do I calculate CBM from inches?
Multiply length × width × height in inches and divide by 61,024. For example, 24 × 16 × 20 inches = 7,680 in³, which is 0.126 m³. Choose inch / lb in the calculator and it converts for you.