Cubic Meter Calculator
Cubic meter calculator for freight: turn carton size, count and weight into total CBM, the chargeable weight on an LCL or air quote, and the container it fills.
By CalcBuilt Editorial TeamUpdated September 9, 2026Formulas checked against manufacturer specs, see how we calculate.
Results
- Total volume (CBM)
- 5.03 m³
- 50 cartons at 0.101 m³ each, from 24 in x 16 in x 16 in
- Chargeable on an LCL quote
- 5.03 revenue tons
- W/M takes the greater of 5.03 m³ and 0.91 tonnes, so volume governs. Forwarders bill a 1 revenue ton minimum.
- Container the load fills
- One 20 ft container, 18% of a usable 28.2 m³
- 33.1 m³ nominal cube, loaded at 85%. Under 13 m³ most forwarders price LCL below a full 20 ft container.
- Nominal container capacity
- 20 ft 1,170 cu ft, 40 ft 2,390 cu ft, 40 HC 2,700 cu ft
- 33.1, 67.7, 76.5 m³ nominal. At 85% fill, plan on 28.2, 57.5, 65 m³ of cargo. Pallets, dunnage and the gap above the top tier never load.
- Gross weight
- 2,000 lb
- 50 cartons x 40 lb. At 11.2 lb per cu ft the LCL bill follows volume below 62.4 and the air bill follows volume below 10.4.
- Also in cubic feet, yards and liters
- 177.8 cu ft, 6.58 cu yd, 5,034 L
- 1 m³ = 35.315 cu ft = 1.308 cu yd = 1,000 liters, and 1 cu ft = 0.0283 m³.
Cubic Meter formula
CBM per carton = L x W x H in cm / 1,000,000 (in inches: L x W x H / 61,024)
Total CBM = CBM per carton x carton count
LCL revenue tons = greater of Total CBM and gross tonnes; Air kg = greater of gross kg and CBM x 166.67
Containers = Total CBM / (33.1, 67.7 or 76.5 m³ x fill factor)Worked example
Twelve pallets, each 48 x 40 x 52 in once the cartons and the pallet are stacked: 48 x 40 x 52 = 99,840 cubic inches. Divided by 61,024 that is 1.636 m³ a pallet, so twelve pallets are 19.63 m³. At 1,200 lb a pallet the load grosses 14,400 lb, which is 6,532 kg or 6.53 tonnes. W/M takes the greater of 19.63 and 6.53, so the LCL bill is 19.63 revenue tons.
By cube, 19.63 m³ is about 70 percent of the 28.2 m³ a 20 ft container takes at an 85 percent fill factor. By floor plan it is not. A 20 ft holds about ten 48 x 40 in pallets in one tier, and these are 12, so the load needs a 40 ft. Flown instead, 19.63 m³ is 3,272 kg volumetric against 6,532 kg actual, so the air waybill charges the 6,532 kg.
Quick reference
| Carton (cm) | Carton (in) | CBM each | Per 20 ft (28.2 m³) | Per 40 HC (65 m³) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 x 30 x 30 | 15.7 x 11.8 x 11.8 | 0.036 | 782 | 1,805 |
| 50 x 40 x 30 | 19.7 x 15.7 x 11.8 | 0.060 | 469 | 1,083 |
| 60 x 40 x 40 | 23.6 x 15.7 x 15.7 | 0.096 | 293 | 676 |
| 60.96 x 40.64 x 40.64 | 24 x 16 x 16 | 0.101 | 279 | 645 |
| 60 x 50 x 40 | 23.6 x 19.7 x 15.7 | 0.120 | 234 | 541 |
| 80 x 60 x 40 | 31.5 x 23.6 x 15.7 | 0.192 | 146 | 338 |
| 120 x 100 x 100 | 47.2 x 39.4 x 39.4 | 1.200 | 23 | 54 |
How to calculate CBM for a shipment
CBM is a cubic meter of shipping volume. Multiply a carton's length, width and height in centimeters and divide by 1,000,000, or multiply the three dimensions in inches and divide by 61,024. Then multiply by the number of cartons. A 60 x 40 x 40 cm carton is 0.096 m³, so 50 of them are 4.8 m³. Round each dimension up to the next whole centimeter first, because that is what the tape at the origin warehouse does.
Measure the master carton, not the retail box inside it, and include the bulge a full carton develops. If the cargo ships palletized, cube the finished stack instead of the cartons. A GMA pallet is 48 x 40 in and about 5 in tall, so 42 in of cartons on it is a 47 in stack. That stack is 48 x 40 x 47 = 90,240 cubic inches, or 1.479 m³, and the pallet itself is part of what you pay to move.
Chargeable weight, LCL and the container
Ocean LCL is priced per revenue ton, also written W/M, and a revenue ton is the greater of one cubic meter and one metric ton. Cargo lighter than 1,000 kg per cubic meter therefore bills on volume, which covers most furniture, apparel and packaged consumer goods. Air freight uses a volumetric divisor instead: 6,000 cm³ per kg under the IATA tariff, so a cubic meter counts as 167 kg. Anything lighter than that bills on volume. International express couriers divide by 5,000 cm³ per kg, which is 200 kg per cubic meter.
A full container starts to win somewhere above 13 to 15 m³, because LCL also carries terminal handling, deconsolidation and documentation on every lot. Plan the box on usable cube, not nominal: 1,170 cubic feet in a 20 ft is 33.1 m³ on paper and about 28 m³ of loose cartons in practice. Weight bites first on dense freight. The federal Interstate limits in 23 CFR 658.17 are 80,000 lb gross and 34,000 lb on a tandem axle. Once a tractor and chassis take about 28,000 lb of that, a drayed 40 ft container holds roughly 44,000 lb of cargo. A 20 ft tares almost 3,000 lb lighter, so it drays about 47,000 lb. The ocean leg allows far more: ISO 668 rates both sizes at 36,000 kg gross since 2016.
What this calculator leaves out
Floor slots and stacking. A 20 ft takes about ten 48 x 40 in pallets in one tier and a 40 ft about twenty. A palletized load can therefore clear on cube and still need a bigger box. Also outside the result: the rate itself, terminal handling, deconsolidation, documentation, customs entry and duty, drayage, chassis, detention and demurrage. It does not set an LTL freight class or an NMFC code for the US domestic leg, which are density based. It does not cover hazardous goods paperwork, ISPM 15 heat treatment stamps on wood packaging, or cargo insurance. The weight distribution and VGM filing the carrier needs before loading are outside it too.
Code limits that apply
- 23 CFR 658.17checked
80,000 lb gross vehicle weight on the Interstate, 34,000 lb on a tandem axle
If you miss it: A container legal at sea is overweight on the road, and the drayage is refused or has to move on an overweight permit.
- SOLAS Chapter VI Reg 2
The shipper files a verified gross mass for every packed container before loading
If you miss it: No VGM, no vessel: the box is rolled to the next sailing and storage accrues at the terminal in the meantime.
- ISO 668 Table 2
Rated maximum gross mass 36,000 kg for standard 20 ft and 40 ft dry containers, raised from 30,480 kg by ISO 668 Amendment 2 of 2016
If you miss it: Load to the plated rating and a US road move is refused long before it, because tractor, chassis and tare eat the 80,000 lb gross limit.
- 49 CFR 393.102
Cargo stays secured under 0.8 g forward, 0.5 g rearward and 0.5 g lateral force
If you miss it: Loose cartons shift in transit, crush the front wall of the container and the consignee refuses the load.
Rows marked checked produce a warning in the results when an entry crosses the limit. The others are on the plans or on site and this calculator does not test them. Local amendments can be stricter; the adopted edition and the inspector govern.
Mistakes that cost money
- Cubing the retail box instead of the master carton: the forwarder tapes the packed carton, bulge and all, and rounds each dimension up.
- Forgetting the pallet: a GMA pallet adds 5 in of height and turns 42 in of cartons into a 47 in stack that gets cubed.
- Quoting only CBM on dense freight: 5 tonnes in 2 m³ bills as 5 revenue tons under W/M, not 2.
- Planning to the nominal 33.1 m³ of a 20 ft container: loose cartons reach about 28 and palletized freight less.
- Ignoring the 1 revenue ton minimum: a 0.4 m³ sample shipment still bills as a full cubic meter on LCL.
- Skipping the SOLAS verified gross mass filing: a packed container with no VGM is not loaded and it rolls to the next sailing.
Key facts
- One cubic meter is 35.315 cubic feet, 1.308 cubic yards, or 1,000 liters.
- A 20 ft container holds 1,170 cubic feet, a 40 ft holds 2,390 and a 40 ft high cube 2,700, or 33.1, 67.7 and 76.5 cubic meters.
- Ocean LCL bills a revenue ton, the greater of one cubic meter and one metric ton, so cargo under 1,000 kg per cubic meter is billed on volume.
- IATA prices air cargo on a volumetric divisor of 6,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram, which makes one cubic meter count as 167 kg.
- Express couriers divide by 5,000 cubic centimeters per kilogram instead, so the same cubic meter counts as 200 kg on an international express airbill.
- Federal law caps a truck on the Interstate System at 80,000 lb gross and 34,000 lb on a tandem axle.
Frequently asked questions
How many CBM fit in a 20 ft container?
About 28 m³ of cartons. The nominal internal cube is 33.1 m³, or 1,170 cubic feet, and 85 percent of it is what loose-loaded cartons actually reach. A 40 ft holds about 57 m³ and a 40 ft high cube about 65.
What does CBM mean in shipping?
CBM is one cubic meter of volume, length x width x height measured in meters. It is the unit an ocean LCL quote is priced in, next to gross weight in metric tons, and the carrier bills whichever of the two is greater.
When is a full container cheaper than LCL?
Most forwarders find the crossover between 13 and 15 m³. Below that, LCL wins even though it adds terminal handling and deconsolidation on the lot. Above it, a 20 ft container with about 28 m³ of usable cube is usually the cheaper way to move the same cargo.
How do I convert cubic meters to cubic feet?
Multiply by 35.315. One cubic meter is 35.315 cubic feet, 1.308 cubic yards, or 1,000 liters. Going the other way, divide cubic feet by 35.315.
Sources and references
- Guide for the Use of the International System of Units, Appendix B.9 conversion factors (cubic meter, cubic foot, cubic yard, liter) (NIST)
- Shipping equipment: internal dimensions, empty weight and cubic capacity of dry containers (Matson)
- 23 CFR 658.17, Weight limits on the Interstate System (US Government Publishing Office)
- TACT Rules, the air cargo tariff and rules that set volumetric weight (IATA)
Next steps for this project
The usual order for a measurement & cost project. See all measurement & cost calculators.
Results are estimates based on standard formulas and typical product specifications. Confirm quantities with your supplier and local code before ordering.