CBM Calculator

Enter your carton sizes and quantities. Get the shipment volume in CBM and cubic feet, how it fits in 20ft, 40ft and 40ft high cube containers, and the volumetric weight.

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Total volume

6.293 CBM

100 cartons, 2,200 lb (997.9 kg), fits one 20ft standard

100 cartons take up 6.293 m³ (222.2 cu ft) and weigh 2,200 lb (997.9 kg). They fit in one 20ft standard container, using 22% of its usable space and 4% of its payload.

Cubic feet: 222.22 cu ft
Cartons: 100
Actual weight: 2,200 lb (997.9 kg)
LCL revenue tons: 6.29
Air chargeable: 1,048.8 kg; Set by size (volumetric)
Express chargeable: 1,258.5 kg; Set by size (volumetric)

Units

in and lbcm and kg

Carton 1

Length

Width

Height

Weight each

Cartons

Container and volumetric settings

Usable container space

Cartons never fill a box completely

Air divisor

IATA: 6000

Express divisor

Most couriers: 5000

Container fit

20ft standard
33.2 m³ inside, 28,000 kg payload
Fits: 22% of usable space
About 448 cartons fit in one
4% of payload
40ft standard
67.7 m³ inside, 26,700 kg payload
Fits: 11% of usable space
About 914 cartons fit in one
4% of payload
40ft high cube
76.3 m³ inside, 26,500 kg payload
Fits: 10% of usable space
About 1,030 cartons fit in one
4% of payload

Typical internal sizes and payloads. Carton counts are by volume and payload only; how the cartons stack decides the real number. Real containers vary by carrier and age, so check the spec for your booking.

Show the working

Carton 1:20 × 16 × 12 in × 16.387 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.0629 m³ × 100 = 6.293 m³
Cubic feet:6.293 × 35.315 = 222.22
Air volumetric:6,292,633 cm³ ÷ 6,000 = 1,048.8 kg
Chargeable:max(actual 997.9 kg, volumetric 1,048.8 kg) = 1,048.8 kg

CBM Formula

CBM (cubic metres) = length x width x height in metres, times the number of cartons. With sizes in centimetres:

CBM = L (cm) x W (cm) x H (cm) / 1,000,000 x cartons

With sizes in inches, multiply cubic inches by 16.387 to get cubic centimetres first, or divide by 61,024 to get CBM directly.

Worked example: 100 cartons

Carton 50 x 40 x 30 cm, 10 kg, 100 cartons
CBM per carton = 50 x 40 x 30 / 1,000,000 = 0.06
Shipment = 0.06 x 100 = 6 CBM = 211.89 cu ft
20ft usable = 33.2 x 85% = 28.22 CBM, so 6 / 28.22 = 21% full
Air volumetric = 6,000,000 cm³ / 6000 = 1,000 kg; actual 1,000 kg

6 CBM fits in one 20ft container with room to spare, and the air chargeable weight is 1,000 kg.

Container Sizes and Capacity

Typical shipping container capacity
Container	Inside (L x W x H)	Volume	Usable at 85%	Typical payload
20ft standard	5.9 x 2.35 x 2.39 m	33.2 m³	28.2 m³	28,000 kg
40ft standard	12.03 x 2.35 x 2.39 m	67.7 m³	57.5 m³	26,700 kg
40ft high cube	12.03 x 2.35 x 2.69 m	76.3 m³	64.9 m³	26,500 kg

These are typical figures. Inside sizes, door openings and maximum payload differ between carriers and container builds, and road weight limits at either end can be lower than the container payload. Check the spec on your booking.

Volumetric and Chargeable Weight

Volumetric weight rules
Mode	Rule	Chargeable
Air freight	L x W x H (cm) / 6000	Greater of actual and volumetric kg
Express courier	L x W x H (cm) / 5000	Greater of actual and volumetric kg
Sea LCL	1 CBM = 1 revenue ton = 1,000 kg	Greater of CBM and tonnes (W/M)

Pallet loads? Work out the cases per pallet with the pallet calculator, and the US LTL class with the freight class calculator. Then spread the freight bill across your invoice lines with the landed cost calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you calculate CBM?

Multiply length x width x height in metres. A 50 x 40 x 30 cm carton is 0.5 x 0.4 x 0.3 = 0.06 CBM. Multiply by the number of cartons for the shipment: 100 of them are 6 CBM. In centimetres, divide L x W x H by 1,000,000.

How many CBM fit in a 20ft container?

A 20ft standard container holds about 33 CBM inside, but cartons rarely fill more than 85 to 90% of it, so plan on 25 to 28 CBM. A 40ft holds about 67 CBM (55 to 58 usable) and a 40ft high cube about 76 CBM (65 to 68 usable).

What is volumetric weight?

Carriers charge light, bulky freight by its size. For air freight the volumetric weight is L x W x H in cm divided by 6000; most express couriers divide by 5000. You pay on the chargeable weight, the greater of the actual and volumetric weight.

What is a revenue ton in LCL shipping?

Less than container load (LCL) sea freight is priced per revenue ton (W/M): the greater of the volume in CBM and the weight in tonnes. 6 CBM weighing 1,000 kg is 6 revenue tons; 2 CBM weighing 3,000 kg is 3.

How do I convert CBM to cubic feet?

Multiply by 35.315. 1 CBM is 35.315 cubic feet, so 6 CBM is 211.89 cubic feet. To go the other way, divide cubic feet by 35.315.

Why is usable container space set to 85%?

Cartons never fill a container perfectly: box sizes do not divide the walls exactly, pallets leave gaps, and loaders need door clearance. 85% is a common planning figure. Raise it for uniform cartons hand-stacked floor to ceiling, lower it for palletised or mixed freight.