Free Logistics Tool

CBM Calculator for Shipping

Calculate cubic meters, shipment volume, volumetric weight, chargeable weight, and how many cartons fit in 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube containers.

Calculate CBM From Carton Dimensions

Enter packed carton dimensions, quantity, and actual weight. The calculator returns total CBM, cubic feet, volumetric weight using ÷5000 and ÷6000, chargeable weight, and estimated carton fit by container size.

Use packed carton dimensions, not product-only dimensions. Container-fit results are planning estimates because palletization, carton orientation, and loading rules can reduce usable capacity.

CBM per carton0.000 m³
Total shipment CBM0.000 m³
Volume per carton0.00 ft³
Total shipment volume0.00 ft³
Actual weight per carton0.00 kg
Total actual weight0.00 kg
Total actual weight in lb0.00 lb
Volumetric weight (÷5000)0.00 kg
Volumetric weight (÷6000)0.00 kg
Chargeable weight (÷5000)0.00 kg
Chargeable weight (÷6000)0.00 kg
Estimated CBM freight cost$0.00

Carriers usually charge against the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Use your carrier’s divisor for final quotes.

Container fit results

Each row is a space-only estimate. Real fit depends on carton orientation, palletization, weight limits, bracing, overhang rules, and loading sequence.

Container Estimated cartons Used CBM Unused CBM Utilization
20ft standard 0 0.000 m³ 33.1 m³ 0.0%
40ft standard 0 0.000 m³ 67.6 m³ 0.0%
40ft High Cube 0 0.000 m³ 76.0 m³ 0.0%
How to use

Plan Storage, LCL Freight, and Inventory Moves

1. Measure packed cartons

Use external carton dimensions after packaging, not product-only dimensions from a catalog listing.

2. Add carton quantity and weight

Enter the number of master cartons and actual packed weight per carton to compare total weight against volume weight.

3. Compare volumetric divisors

Review ÷5000 and ÷6000 outputs side by side so you can understand how different carrier rules change chargeable weight.

4. Check container fit

Use the 20ft, 40ft, and 40HC fit rows to estimate carton capacity, used CBM, unused CBM, and utilization percentage.

Formula

How to Calculate CBM

CBM means cubic meters. Convert packed carton dimensions to meters, multiply length × width × height, then multiply by carton quantity for total shipment CBM.

Input unitCBM per carton formulaTotal shipment formulaPlanning note
MillimetersL × W × H ÷ 1,000,000,000CBM per carton × cartonsUseful for detailed packaging specs.
CentimetersL × W × H ÷ 1,000,000CBM per carton × cartonsCommon for ecommerce carton measurements.
MetersL × W × HCBM per carton × cartonsUse when freight quotes already use metric dimensions.
InchesL × W × H × 0.0000163871CBM per carton × cartonsHelpful for suppliers sharing imperial carton specs.
FeetL × W × H ÷ 35.3147CBM per carton × cartonsConverts cubic feet directly into cubic meters.
CBM to ft³CBM × 35.3147Total CBM × 35.3147Useful when comparing metric and imperial freight documents.
ft³ to CBMft³ ÷ 35.3147Total ft³ ÷ 35.3147Use when shipment volume is already known in cubic feet.
CBM to kg

CBM to kg: Volumetric and Chargeable Weight

Volumetric weight converts shipment volume into a billing-weight estimate. A ÷5000 divisor equals 200 kg per CBM, while a ÷6000 divisor equals 166.67 kg per CBM.

Weight conceptFormulaWhat it means
Volumetric kg ÷5000CBM × 200Carrier divisor of 5000 after converting CBM to cubic centimeters.
Volumetric kg ÷6000CBM × 166.67Carrier divisor of 6000 after converting CBM to cubic centimeters.
Chargeable weight ÷5000max(actual weight, CBM × 200)Billing-weight estimate when the carrier uses divisor 5000.
Chargeable weight ÷6000max(actual weight, CBM × 166.67)Billing-weight estimate when the carrier uses divisor 6000.
Container fit

Container Fit: 20ft vs 40ft vs 40HC

Use the same container data below in the calculator results above. Gross internal CBM shows physical space, while practical planning capacity is lower because loading patterns rarely use the full cube.

Container Internal dimensions Gross internal CBM Typical planning capacity Formula for cartons Utilization formula
20ft standard 5.90m × 2.35m × 2.39m 33.1 CBM 25–28 CBM practical; ~29.8 CBM at 90% floor(gross internal CBM ÷ CBM per carton) (cartons fit × CBM per carton ÷ gross internal CBM) × 100
40ft standard 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m 67.6 CBM 54–58 CBM practical; ~60.8 CBM at 90% floor(gross internal CBM ÷ CBM per carton) (cartons fit × CBM per carton ÷ gross internal CBM) × 100
40ft High Cube 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.69m 76.0 CBM ~68.4 CBM at 90% floor(gross internal CBM ÷ CBM per carton) (cartons fit × CBM per carton ÷ gross internal CBM) × 100

Container fit is a space estimate, not a loading plan. Pallets, carton orientation, bracing, product fragility, and weight limits can reduce usable capacity.

Use cases

Where CBM Affects Ecommerce Logistics Cost

Inbound Freight Quotes

Estimate shipment volume before asking for LCL, air, or cross-border trucking quotes.

Warehouse Storage Planning

Translate inbound cartons into cubic volume so receiving and storage capacity are easier to forecast.

LCL Consolidation

Compare shipment batches and container usage before deciding whether to consolidate inventory.

Fulfillment Network Planning

Use shipment volume to plan receiving, storage, and replenishment across a distributed fulfillment network.

Packaging Optimization

Test how small carton-size changes affect total CBM, chargeable weight, and container utilization.

Related solutions

Turn CBM Into Fulfillment, Storage, and Shipping Decisions

CBM is a practical starting point for freight, receiving, storage, and fulfillment planning. Connect volume math with a distributed APAC logistics network.

Container-fit planning note

Container fit is a space estimate, not a loading plan. Pallets, carton orientation, bracing, product fragility, overhang rules, loading sequence, and weight limits can reduce usable capacity.

FAQ

CBM Calculator Questions

Calculate CBM by converting length, width, and height to meters, then multiplying them: length × width × height. For multiple cartons, multiply the CBM per carton by the number of cartons. If dimensions are in centimeters, use length × width × height ÷ 1,000,000.
1 CBM is one cubic meter of volume. A simple way to picture it is a cube that is 1 meter long, 1 meter wide, and 1 meter high. In imperial units, 1 CBM equals about 35.3147 cubic feet.
A standard 40ft container is commonly around 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.39m inside, which is about 67.6 CBM of gross internal space. Practical usable capacity is usually lower, often around 54–58 CBM, because cartons, pallets, and loading patterns rarely use 100% of the internal volume. For carton fit, divide the container’s internal CBM by the CBM per carton and then check utilization.
For volumetric weight, convert CBM to cubic centimeters and divide by the carrier’s divisor. Since 1 CBM is 1,000,000 cm³, CBM × 200 gives kg at divisor 5000, while CBM × 166.67 gives kg at divisor 6000. Chargeable weight is usually the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight.
Convert cubic feet to CBM by dividing cubic feet by 35.3147. For example, 70.63 ft³ ÷ 35.3147 = 2 CBM. If you start with dimensions in feet, multiply length × width × height, then divide the cubic feet result by 35.3147.
Most shipping searches for “CMB” mean “CBM,” or cubic meters. To calculate CBM, multiply length × width × height after converting all dimensions to meters. For cartons, multiply the result by the number of cartons in the shipment.
CBM is a volume measurement expressed in cubic meters. In logistics, it is the standard way to describe how much space a carton, pallet, or shipment occupies. Volume can be expressed in other units too, such as cubic feet, but CBM specifically means cubic meters.
Actual weight is what the shipment weighs on a scale. Chargeable weight is the billing weight carriers use, usually the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Lightweight but bulky cartons often get charged by volumetric weight.
A standard 20ft container has around 33 CBM of gross internal space. Practical usable capacity is often closer to 25–28 CBM depending on carton sizes, pallets, and loading constraints. Use the container-fit table to estimate cartons and utilization percentage.
A 40ft High Cube container has around 76 CBM of gross internal space using common internal dimensions of about 12.03m × 2.35m × 2.69m. A 90% planning capacity is around 68.4 CBM, but real usable space depends on carton dimensions and loading rules. It is useful for bulky but lighter shipments.

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