CBM Calculator – Cubic Meters for Shipping

Calculate the cubic volume of cartons, pallets or crates in cubic meters (CBM), cubic feet and litres. Add as many lines as you need to total a mixed shipment.

Total CBM
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Cubic feet
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Litres
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Share of container capacity (by volume)

ContainerInternal capacityYour cargo fills

Volume only. In practice you can rarely load more than about 85–90% of a container’s internal volume because of carton sizes, pallets and stowage gaps. Use the container load planner for a carton-by-carton fit.

What is CBM?

CBM stands for cubic metre (m³), the standard unit of volume in international shipping. Freight forwarders use it to quote less-than-container-load (LCL) sea freight, plan container bookings and check warehouse space. One CBM is a cube 1 m × 1 m × 1 m, which equals 1,000 litres or 35.31 cubic feet.

How to calculate CBM

CBM per item = length (m) × width (m) × height (m) Total CBM = CBM per item × number of items

If you measure in centimetres, divide the product by 1,000,000: L × W × H (cm) ÷ 1,000,000. For millimetres divide by 1,000,000,000. For inches, cubic inches ÷ 61,023.7 gives cubic metres, and cubic inches ÷ 1,728 gives cubic feet.

Worked example

You are shipping 100 cartons, each 60 × 40 × 40 cm.

  • One carton: 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.40 = 0.096 m³
  • 100 cartons: 0.096 × 100 = 9.6 CBM (about 339 ft³)

At 9.6 CBM the shipment fills roughly 29% of a 20-foot container’s internal volume. That is usually too small to justify a full container, so LCL is likely cheaper. As a rule of thumb, many shippers start comparing full-container (FCL) prices at around 13–15 CBM.

CBM and freight costs

LCL sea freight is charged per revenue ton, which is the greater of the volume in CBM and the weight in metric tonnes (1 CBM = 1,000 kg). Air and express freight use a volumetric weight instead. Our chargeable weight calculator works out both.

Measuring tips

  • Measure the outer dimensions of the packed carton, not the product inside.
  • For pallets, measure the whole loaded pallet including the pallet base and any overhang.
  • Forwarders usually round each dimension up, so a little rounding up on your side avoids surprises on the invoice.

Frequently asked questions

How many cubic feet are in one CBM?

One cubic metre equals 35.3147 cubic feet. To convert CBM to cubic feet multiply by 35.3147; to convert cubic feet to CBM divide by 35.3147.

How do I calculate CBM from centimetres?

Multiply length, width and height in centimetres and divide by 1,000,000. For example, 120 x 80 x 150 cm = 1,440,000 cm³ = 1.44 CBM.

How many CBM fit in a 20ft or 40ft container?

A standard 20ft container has about 33 m³ of internal volume, a 40ft about 67.7 m³ and a 40ft high cube about 76 m³. Realistic loadable volume is lower, typically around 25–28, 55–58 and 65–68 CBM respectively, depending on the cargo.

Is CBM the same as volumetric weight?

No. CBM is pure volume. Volumetric (dimensional) weight converts volume into a notional weight using a divisor, for example 6,000 cm³ per kg for air freight, so carriers can charge bulky cargo fairly.

What is the minimum charge for LCL shipping?

Most forwarders charge a minimum of 1 CBM (or 1 revenue ton) per LCL shipment, plus fixed origin and destination fees, so very small shipments are often cheaper by air or courier.