905 by volume
770 placed one by one
The division says 905
A 40 ft high cube container holds 76.1 m³. A 60 × 40 × 35 cm carton is 0.084 m³, so the division gives 905 cartons. Only 770 fit.
Free CBM calculator
Work out the volume of a shipment in cubic meters. Enter the size and quantity of each carton to get the total CBM, cubic feet and weight, see how much of a 20 ft or 40 ft container it fills, and check the chargeable weight for sea and air freight. Free to use, and calculated in your browser.
- 20 ft33.1 m³ inside20%
- 40 ft67.4 m³ inside10%
- 40 ft high cube76.1 m³ inside9%
Placed carton by carton, everything fits one 20 ft container and takes 2.00 m of its 5.90 m length.
- Sea freight charges for
- 6.78 m³
- volume, not weight
- Air freight charges for
- 1,130 kg
- volume weight (real 1,077.5 kg)
Volume alone says how full a container is on paper. Cartons leave gaps at the walls and under the roof, so fewer fit than the share suggests.
How to calculate CBM in 3 steps
Everything happens on this page. Nothing to install.
- Step 1
Enter one carton
Type the length, width and height of a carton and how many you are shipping. Add the weight if you want the chargeable weight too.
- Step 2
Add the rest of the shipment
Add a row for each carton size, pallet or crate. Every row shows its own CBM, and the total updates as you type.
- Step 3
Read the total
See the volume in cubic meters and cubic feet, the share of a 20 ft and a 40 ft container, and the weight sea and air carriers charge for.
The CBM formula
CBM stands for cubic meter, the unit freight is quoted in. To convert, 1 m³ is 35.315 cubic feet.
CBM = length × width × height × quantity
with every side in meters. One carton of 60 × 40 × 35 cm is 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 m = 0.084 m³, and 100 of them are 8.4 m³.
| Unit | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Centimeters | length × width × height ÷ 1,000,000 | 60 × 40 × 35 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.084 |
| Millimeters | length × width × height ÷ 1,000,000,000 | 600 × 400 × 350 ÷ 1,000,000,000 = 0.084 |
| Inches | length × width × height ÷ 61,024 | 23.6 × 15.7 × 13.8 ÷ 61,024 = 0.084 |
| Feet | length × width × height ÷ 35.315 | 1.97 × 1.31 × 1.15 ÷ 35.315 = 0.084 |
CBM does not tell you how many fit
CBM is the right number for a freight quote. It is the wrong number for deciding whether an order fits in one container.
Space is lost at the side wall
Cartons cannot be cut to fill the last 15 cm of the width, so that strip stays empty on every layer.
Space is lost under the roof
7 layers of 35 cm leave 24 cm under the roof, which is not enough for one more layer.
How many CBM a container holds
The volume inside the four common containers, and how much of it one ordinary carton size can really use.
| Container | Volume inside | 60 × 40 × 35 cm cartons that fit | CBM those cartons take | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 ft | Volume inside 33.1 m³ (1,169 ft³) | Cartons that fit 318 | CBM they take 26.7 m³, 81% of the volume | Payload 28,110 kg |
| 40 ft | Volume inside 67.4 m³ (2,380 ft³) | Cartons that fit 660 | CBM they take 55.4 m³, 82% of the volume | Payload 26,480 kg |
| 40 ft high cube | Volume inside 76.1 m³ (2,686 ft³) | Cartons that fit 770 | CBM they take 64.7 m³, 85% of the volume | Payload 26,280 kg |
| 45 ft high cube | Volume inside 85.8 m³ (3,031 ft³) | Cartons that fit 854 | CBM they take 71.7 m³, 84% of the volume | Payload 25,610 kg |
Typical dry containers. Volumes and payloads vary by carrier and by container. Carton counts assume cartons kept upright and stacked to the roof with no gaps.
From CBM to chargeable weight
There is no fixed weight for one cubic meter of cargo. Carriers convert volume to weight with their own rule and charge whichever is greater.
Sea freight: 1 m³ or 1,000 kg
Less-than-container sea freight is charged per m³ or per 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. A shipment lighter than 1,000 kg per m³ pays by volume.
Air freight: divide by 6,000
Airlines charge the greater of the real weight and the volume weight: length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000. That is 167 kg for every m³.
Couriers: divide by 5,000
Express couriers usually divide by 5,000, which is 200 kg for every m³. Check the divisor on your carrier's rate sheet.
The calculator shows the sea and air figures next to the total. It does not quote freight: rates, minimum charges and surcharges come from your forwarder.
CBM questions, answered
What to know before you ask for a freight quote.
Is the CBM calculator free?
Yes. Calculating and copying the result are free.
What is CBM in shipping?
CBM is the volume of a shipment in cubic meters. Forwarders use it to quote sea freight and to judge how much of a container a shipment takes.
How do I calculate CBM from centimeters?
Multiply length × width × height in centimeters and divide by 1,000,000. Multiply by the number of cartons for the total.
How do I calculate CBM from inches?
Multiply length × width × height in inches and divide by 61,024. Or switch the calculator to inches and it converts for you.
How many CBM fit in a 20 ft and a 40 ft container?
A 20 ft container is about 33.1 m³ inside, a 40 ft about 67.4 m³ and a 40 ft high cube about 76.1 m³. Cartons never use all of it: one ordinary carton size fills between 81 and 85 percent.
How many kg is 1 CBM?
It depends on the cargo. For charging, sea freight treats 1 m³ as 1,000 kg and air freight treats 1 m³ as 167 kg.
How do I convert CBM to cubic feet?
Multiply by 35.315. To go from cubic feet to CBM, divide by 35.315.