Free tool
CBM Calculator
Enter your carton size and count to get the total volume in cubic metres and cubic feet, the air freight volumetric weight, and how many cartons fit in a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft high cube container.
Your cartons
Optional. Leave at 0 to plan by space only.
Total volume
48.000 m³
1,695.1 ft³ · 500 cartons at 0.0960 m³ each
Air volumetric weight
8,000 kg
IATA 1:6000. Airlines charge the higher of this and actual weight
Actual weight
7,500 kg
All cartons together
| Container | Cartons each | Needed | Space used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20' standard | 225 | 3 | 65% |
| 40' standard | 500 | 1 | 71% |
| 40' high cube | 600 | 1 | 76% |
Counts stack identical cartons in neat rows using Maersk's published inside dimensions, so they always fit. Mixed or interlocked loading can sometimes fit a few more. Payload limits are the container's; road weight limits are often lower, so confirm heavy loads with your forwarder.
How it is worked out
CBM = Length × Width × Height, in metres
Cubic feet = CBM × 35.315
Air volumetric weight (kg) = L × W × H in cm ÷ 6,000
Cartons per container = the best of each way the carton can face, stacked in rows
Container sizes use Maersk’s published inside dimensions to the load line: 5.896 × 2.350 × 2.393 m for a 20ft, 12.032 × 2.350 × 2.393 m for a 40ft and 12.032 × 2.350 × 2.697 m for a 40ft high cube, with payloads of 28,200 kg, 28,800 kg and 28,620 kg. Shipping on pallets once it lands? Use the pallet calculator and the freight class calculator.
CBM and container FAQs
- What is CBM?
- CBM is a cubic metre, the unit sea and air freight are priced in. Multiply length × width × height in metres. A carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm is 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.096 m³, so 500 of them come to 48 m³.
- How do you calculate CBM from inches?
- Multiply length × width × height in inches and divide by 61,024, the number of cubic inches in a cubic metre. A 24 × 16 × 16 inch carton is 6,144 cubic inches, which is about 0.101 m³. Or switch the calculator to inches and it converts for you.
- How many CBM fit in a 20ft or 40ft container?
- By Maersk’s published inside dimensions, a 20ft standard holds about 33 m³, a 40ft standard about 67 m³ and a 40ft high cube about 76 m³. Real loads use less than that, because cartons rarely fill every gap. The table works out the actual count for your carton size.
- What is volumetric weight for air freight?
- Airlines charge on whichever is greater: the actual weight or the volumetric weight. The usual IATA formula is length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton has a volumetric weight of 16 kg, so if it weighs 10 kg you pay for 16.
- How is LCL sea freight charged?
- Less-than-container-load freight is usually charged per cubic metre or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. A shipment of 3 m³ weighing 1,800 kg is charged as 3 units by volume, while 2 m³ weighing 2,500 kg is charged as 2.5 by weight. Check your forwarder’s minimums, which often start at 1 m³.
- Is this CBM calculator free?
- Yes. It runs in your browser, needs no sign-up and does not store what you enter.
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