CBM Calculator
Carton sizes to CBM, cubic feet, W/M and how much of a container the shipment fills.
Container fill
Volume and weight by carton
How this was calculated
About the CBM Calculator
CBM — cubic metres — is how sea freight, warehouses and forwarders measure cargo. Enter each carton’s length, width and height with the number of cartons and the gross weight of one, in centimetres, millimetres, metres, inches or feet, and the calculator gives the volume of each carton and of the shipment in cubic metres and cubic feet, the total weight, the revenue tonnes (W/M) an LCL shipment is charged on, and the air and road volumetric weights.
It also shows how much of a 20′ GP, 40′ GP, 40′ HC or 45′ HC container the shipment fills and how many containers it needs — and, for a single carton size, how many cartons fit: by volume with an allowance for gaps, at most by the carton’s shape, stacked in rows, and by weight.
How to use it
- Choose the units you measured in — centimetres, millimetres, metres, inches or feet — and kilograms or pounds.
- Enter each carton size: length, width, height, the number of cartons and the gross weight of one carton (carton and contents). Measure the outside at the widest points.
- Add a row for each carton size in the shipment; group identical cartons with the quantity.
- Read the total CBM, cubic feet, weight and revenue tonnes, and the fill of each container below.
- Under Container and freight settings, set the share of a container you expect to fill, whether cartons must stay upright, your carriers’ air divisor and road factor, and the container payloads.
Examples
0.096 m³ each · 9.6 m³ (339.02 ft³) · 1,800 kg W/M: 9.6 revenue tonnes, charged on volume
By volume: 85% of 33.2 m³ ÷ 0.096 m³ = 293 · at most 265 by shape · 225 stacked in rows (9 × 5 × 5) · 1,677 by weight Fits about 265 — upright, five 40 cm layers use only 2.0 m of the 2.393 m height
27 m³ — 96% of a 20′ GP’s usable space, but only one roll fits along its 5.9 m length At most 49 per 20′ GP (1 × 7 × 7): 3 containers · a 40′ GP takes 196, so one
6,144 in³ = 3.556 ft³ = 0.1007 m³
0.6 m³ but 2.5 t → W/M 2.5, charged on weight
How CBM is calculated
Multiply the length, width and height in metres: a 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.096 m³, and 100 of them are 9.6 m³. Working in centimetres, divide the product by 1,000,000; in millimetres by 1,000,000,000. In inches, divide the cubic inches by 61,023.74, or by 1,728 for cubic feet. One cubic metre is 35.3147 cubic feet, because a foot is exactly 0.3048 m.
Revenue tonnes (W/M)
LCL (less-than-container-load) sea freight is usually priced per revenue tonne, “weight or measurement”: whichever is greater, the gross weight in tonnes or the volume in cubic metres — so 1 m³ counts as 1,000 kg. 9.6 m³ weighing 1.8 t is 9.6 revenue tonnes; 0.6 m³ weighing 2.5 t is 2.5. Check your forwarder’s quote for a minimum charge.
Air and road volumetric weight
Air cargo is charged on the higher of the actual and the volumetric weight. With the IATA volume ratio of 6,000 cm³ per kg, a cubic metre counts as 166.67 kg; many express and courier services use 5,000 cm³ per kg, which makes it 200 kg. Road carriers set their own factor — for example 333 kg per m³ — so enter the one on your rate card. To price parcels box by box, use the volumetric weight calculator.
Container sizes and fit
The containers are the inside sizes, capacities and payloads in Hapag-Lloyd’s container specification for its standard boxes rated at 32,500 kg gross:
- 20′ GP: 5.900 × 2.352 × 2.393 m, 33.2 m³, payload 30,200 kg
- 40′ GP: 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.395 m, 67.7 m³, payload 28,800 kg
- 40′ HC: 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.700 m, 76.3 m³, payload 28,650 kg
- 45′ HC: 13.556 × 2.352 × 2.700 m, 86.0 m³, payload 27,800 kg
Other boxes differ by a few centimetres and kilograms — some are rated at 30,480 kg gross — and the road weight limits on your route may be lower, so change the payloads under the settings if you need to.
For one carton size the calculator gives four figures:
- By volume: the usable space (85% of the capacity unless you change it) divided by the carton volume — the usual rule of thumb.
- At most by shape: the inside length, width and height can only be filled with whole carton sides. 60 and 40 cm sides fill 5.8 m of a 20′ GP’s 5.9 m length and 2.2 m of its 2.352 m width, and five 40 cm layers fill 2.0 m of its 2.393 m height, so no more than 5.8 × 2.2 × 2.0 m ÷ 0.096 m³ = 265 such cartons fit upright, whatever the load plan — fewer than the 293 the volume rule suggests.
- Stacked in rows: the best whole-number grid in one orientation, which is sure to fit. A load plan that mixes orientations can often fit more.
- By weight: the payload divided by the carton weight.
The estimate is the lowest of the volume, shape and weight figures, and the containers needed are the cartons divided by it, rounded up. With several carton sizes the calculator uses the share of each container’s usable space and payload the shipment takes — and never fewer containers than one size needs on its own.
Limitations
- The container figures work with volume, shape and weight; they do not plan where each carton goes. Pallets, dunnage, the door opening (about 2.29 m high on a GP door, 2.60 m on a high cube) and weight distribution all reduce what fits.
- With several carton sizes the calculator shows how much of each container the shipment fills, not how many of each size fit.
- Freight rates, minimum charges and surcharges are not included — use your forwarder’s quote.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate CBM?
Multiply length × width × height in metres, then by the number of cartons. For 100 cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm: 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.096 m³ each, 9.6 m³ in all.
How many cubic feet are in one CBM?
35.3147 cubic feet. One cubic foot is 0.0283 m³.
How many CBM fit in a 20 ft or 40 ft container?
Inside, a 20′ GP has about 33.2 m³, a 40′ GP about 67.7 m³ and a 40′ HC about 76.3 m³. Gaps between cartons, pallets and dunnage mean you will not fill all of it, which is why the calculator lets you set the usable share (85% by default).
What does W/M mean in freight?
“Weight or measurement”: the freight is charged on whichever is greater, the weight in tonnes or the volume in cubic metres, with 1 m³ counted as 1,000 kg.
What is the difference between CBM and volumetric weight?
CBM is the space the cargo takes. Volumetric weight turns that space into kilograms so it can be compared with the actual weight: at the air cargo ratio of 6,000 cm³ per kg, 1 m³ counts as 166.67 kg.