CBM Calculator

To go from cm to CBM, multiply length × width × height in centimeters, multiply by the number of boxes, then divide by 1,000,000. A box measuring 120 × 100 × 80 cm is 960,000 cm³, or 0.96 CBM, and ten of them come to 9.6 CBM. If you skip the division by 1,000,000, the volume comes out a million times too high.

Converting CBM to kg depends on the mode, because each one turns volume into weight differently. In LCL sea freight, 1 CBM is usually treated as 1,000 kg. In air freight, the IATA general rule of dividing cm³ by 6,000 makes 1 CBM equal to 166.67 kg, which forwarders often round to 167 kg. Express services that divide by 5,000 count 1 CBM as 200 kg. These are billing equivalents, not the actual weight of your goods.

This calculator uses a nominal capacity of 33.2 CBM for a 20ft container, 67.7 CBM for a 40ft, 76.3 CBM for a 40ft high cube and 86.1 CBM for a 45ft high cube. You can't load that full volume in practice, because boxes leave gaps. The calculator marks a load as tight from 65% of nominal capacity and as unlikely to fit above 85%. For one container, that works out to 21.58 and 28.22 CBM in a 20ft, 44.0 and 57.5 CBM in a 40ft, and 49.6 and 64.9 CBM in a 40ft high cube. To see whether your boxes really fit, run them through the 3D container loading calculator.

CBM is the volume of your cargo in cubic meters, and it stays the same whatever the mode of transport. Volumetric weight, called dimensional weight in the US, is that volume converted into kilograms with the carrier's formula: cm³ ÷ 6,000 for air, cm³ ÷ 5,000 for express services that use that divisor, and 1,000 kg per CBM for LCL sea freight. A 9.6 CBM shipment has a volumetric weight of 1,600 kg by air, 1,920 kg by express and 9,600 kg by sea.

It's the divisor in the air freight formula: length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000 = volumetric weight in kg. IATA describes it as the general rule for volume calculations, and it works out to 166.67 kg per CBM. Some airlines use 5,000 instead, and the divisor can also be adjusted for demand, aircraft type or industry agreements, so confirm it with your freight forwarder.

LCL is usually charged on weight or measurement (W/M): the freight forwarder compares the volume in cubic meters with the weight in metric tons (1,000 kg) and bills whichever is greater. This billing unit is often called a revenue ton or freight ton. A 9.6 CBM shipment weighing 1,200 kg is billed on 9.6 CBM, because the volume is the larger figure. Some tariffs use a different measurement unit, such as 40 cubic feet in the US, so check yours. FCL works differently: you pay per container, not per cubic meter.

Air and express freight are charged on the chargeable weight, which is the actual weight or the volumetric weight, whichever is greater. Airlines have to manage both the weight and the space on each aircraft, so light, bulky cargo pays for the room it takes up. For actual weight, use the gross weight including packaging and pallets. This calculator shows volumetric weight for each mode but doesn't make the comparison for you; the chargeable weight calculator does, rounding up to the next 0.5 kg.

Measure the packaging. Take the outside dimensions of each box at its longest, widest and tallest points, including anything that sticks out. For palletized cargo, measure the pallet footprint and the total height of the stack with the pallet included. Weight follows the same rule: enter the gross weight with packaging, not the net weight of the goods shown on the packing list.

Work out the CBM for each box size separately (length × width × height × quantity), then add the results together. In this calculator, give each box size its own row, up to 20 rows. Totals, volumetric weights and the container count update as you type.

Multiply cubic meters by 35.3147. For example, 9.6 CBM is 339.02 cubic feet. The calculator shows cubic feet next to cubic meters for every shipment, and you can also enter dimensions in inches and weights in pounds.

No. The container check here compares your total volume with each container's nominal capacity, and each item's dimensions with the internal dimensions in any orientation. It doesn't check the door opening, the payload limit or stacking rules. The 3D container loading calculator checks whether items fit through the door and drops anything that would exceed the payload.