CBM calculator in cm, mm or inches: cartons, W/M, containers
CBM is length × width × height in centimetres ÷ 1,000,000, times the number of cartons: a 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 0.096 m³, so 120 of them make 11.52 m³. Sea LCL is charged on the higher of cubic metres and tonnes (W/M, 1 m³ counts like 1,000 kg); air freight turns 1 m³ into 166.67 kg (cm³ ÷ 6,000). Empty, a 20 ft container holds 33.1 m³, a 40 ft 67.6 m³ and a 40 ft high cube 76.2 m³ (ONE). In Logistivo, a pallet measured with a phone gets its m³ from the same formula, and a freight request carries the container count and weight to the carriers you work with.
Source: Ocean Network Express (ONE) · Hapag-Lloyd · Samskip · Maersk · DACHSER SE · Cargolux Airlines International · TNT (a FedEx company) · NIST · legislation.gov.uk · Raben Logistics Polska · Raben Netherlands · EPAL.
Data last updated:
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Your cartons, stacked and totalled
Your cartons, stacked and totalled — Enter carton sizes in cm, mm or inches and get the total CBM, the sea W/M, the air volumetric weight and how full a 20 ft, 40 ft or 40 ft HC would be.
Every carton type becomes a stack on the left; the column on the right adds them up and converts the total into the bases freight is charged on. The arithmetic runs in your browser — no sign-up, no prices.
Length — Outside of the packed carton.
Width — Outside of the packed carton.
Height — Outside of the packed carton; for a pallet, the loaded height including the pallet.
Cartons — Number of identical cartons of this size.
Kg per carton — Gross weight of one carton with contents and packaging.
Keep upright — Cartons marked "this way up" stay on their base, so only the two orientations with the height vertical are counted. The count is for one carton size loaded alone, from the smallest published inside dimensions — a minimum, not a load plan.
LDM if stacked to — Loading metres = m³ ÷ (2.4 m × stacking height). 2.70 m is the inside height of a standard 13.6 m curtainsider (Samskip); lower stacks need more floor.
120 × 80 — Euro pallet footprint 1200 × 800 mm (EPAL). Sets length and width; enter the loaded height.
120 × 100 — EPAL 2 pallet footprint 1200 × 1000 mm. Sets length and width; enter the loaded height.
20 ft dry container (22G1) — Load capacity 33.1 m³ (1,169 cu ft) according to ONE; 33.0–33.2 m³ in Hapag-Lloyd's series. Inside 5,898 × 2,350 × 2,390 mm (smallest published). Payload 28,180–30,250 kg depending on the series. Sources: ONE container information; Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification.
40 ft dry container (42G1) — Load capacity 67.6 m³ (2,387 cu ft) according to ONE; 67.7 m³ at Hapag-Lloyd. Inside 12,029 × 2,350 × 2,390 mm. Payload 26,700–28,800 kg. Sources: ONE container information; Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification.
40 ft high cube (45G1) — Load capacity 76.2 m³ (2,690 cu ft) according to ONE; 76.3–76.4 m³ at Hapag-Lloyd. Inside 12,032 × 2,342 × 2,695 mm. Payload 26,780–28,800 kg. Sources: ONE container information; Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification.
13.6 m curtainsider trailer — Inside 13.62 × 2.48 × 2.70 m, volume 91.2 m³ (Samskip); the mega trailer is 3.00 m high inside, 101.3 m³. No single payload: it depends on the tractor, the trailer and the country. Source: Samskip equipment specifications.
Express (TNT, international)
How is CBM calculated? Every step with your numbers — Three steps give the volume; from the total, each freight basis is one more line. The green line under each formula is the same step with the carton type you are editing.
CBM of one carton — L × W × H (cm) ÷ 1,000,000 — Measure the outside of the packed carton and multiply the three sides. 100 × 100 × 100 cm = 1,000,000 cm³ = 1 m³, so centimetres are divided by 1,000,000, millimetres by 1,000,000,000, and metres need no division. Inches are converted first: 1 in = 2.54 cm exactly, so one cubic inch is 16.387064 cm³. — NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8
CBM of one carton type — carton m³ × number of cartons — Identical cartons are multiplied, not rounded first: 0.096 m³ × 120 = 11.52 m³. Each carton size is its own type (A, B, C …).
Total CBM of the shipment — Σ carton types — Add the carton types: 11.52 + 3 = 14.52 m³ in the example. Carriers charge on what they receive — TNT, for instance, charges the higher of the declared and the actual dimensions and may re-measure — so measure the cartons as packed. — TNT Terms and Conditions of Carriage (Europe), §5.1
Sea LCL: freight tonnes (W/M) — W/M = max(m³; kg ÷ 1,000) — Groupage sea freight is rated per weight ton or per measurement ton, whichever earns the carrier more: one metric tonne and one cubic metre each count as one freight tonne. 14.52 m³ weighing 2.92 t is 14.52 W/M. Maersk notes older bases of 2,240 lb or 40 cubic feet, so check which ton your quote uses. — Maersk, Glossary of shipping terms
Air freight: volumetric weight — cm³ ÷ 6,000 = kg (1 m³ = 166.67 kg) — The higher of the gross weight and the volumetric weight of the whole shipment is charged. Dachser's air & sea terms set the volume ratio at 1:6 — 1 cbm equals 167 kg of chargeable weight — and Cargolux bases its charges on "the higher of the total weight or total volume". — DACHSER AGB Air & Sea Logistics §5.1; Cargolux Conditions of Carriage §5.2
Express (TNT, international) — m³ × 200 = kg (cm³ ÷ 5,000) — Express couriers publish their own factor. TNT's UK page: × 200 for international Express, × 250 for National Express (UK) and Economy. The courier charges the higher of the result and the actual weight. — TNT United Kingdom, Calculating size & weight
Cubic feet — ft³ = m³ ÷ 0.028316846592 (m³ × 35.3147) — 1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, so 1 ft³ = 0.028316846592 m³ and 1 m³ = 35.3147 ft³. From inches: in³ ÷ 1,728 = ft³ — the Weights and Measures Act 1985 defines the cubic inch as 1/1728 of a cubic foot. — NIST SP 811, Appendix B.8; Weights and Measures Act 1985, Schedule 1
Container fill by volume — shipment m³ ÷ load capacity m³ — ONE publishes load capacities of 33.1 m³ (20 ft), 67.6 m³ (40 ft) and 76.2 m³ (40 ft high cube); Hapag-Lloyd lists 33.0–33.2, 67.7 and 76.3–76.4 m³. That is the empty box: cartons of one size never fill it completely, which is why the calculator also counts cartons per box. — ONE container information; Hapag-Lloyd Container Specification
Cartons per container (one size, loaded alone) — ⌊L ÷ l⌋ × ⌊W ÷ w⌋ × ⌊H ÷ h⌋ per block, two blocks — The smallest published inside dimensions are divided by the carton size in each direction and rounded down. "Keep upright" allows only the two orientations with the carton's height vertical; otherwise all six are tried. The box may be split once — along its length, width or height — into two blocks with different orientations, and the highest count wins. The result is a minimum; for Euro pallets it matches our container loading calculator (11 in a 20 ft, 25 in a 40 ft). — Geometry; inside dimensions from ONE, Hapag-Lloyd and Samskip
Loading metres from CBM — LDM = m³ ÷ (2.4 m × stacking height) — A loading metre measures floor, not volume: carriers convert the floor area of a consignment in m² ÷ 2.4 (Raben: 1 loading metre = floor m² ÷ 2.4, charged as 1,500 kg). Volume only becomes floor once you know how high the goods stand; 2.70 m, the inside height of a standard 13.6 m curtainsider, gives the smallest possible LDM. — Raben Logistics Polska, OWSUP annex 4 pt 6; Samskip
Chargeable weight calculator — Air, express, road and sea LCL for the same pieces, side by side.
How many pallets fit in a container — Floor plan for 20 ft, 40 ft, 40 ft HC, reefers and trailers.
Loading metre calculator — Does this load fit the trailer — LDM and gross weight.
Container type codes (22G1, 45G1) — Decode the ISO 6346 size and type code on the door.
Packing list template — Carton m³, net and gross weight package by package; checked against invoice and CMR.
All free logistics tools — The Logistivo tool directory.
Turn this CBM into a freight request in Logistivo — Open a sea, road or air request in Logistivo with the container count and gross weight you have just worked out; the carriers and forwarders you work with quote per container or vehicle, and you compare the offers side by side. When the invoice and the export or transit documents reach the load, Logistivo checks that their package counts and gross weights agree.
Warehouse management — Measure pallets by phone — the m³ is saved with every measurement — /en/warehouse-management
The calculator shows volumes and the conversion rules carriers publish; it shows no freight prices. Your carrier's tariff, its minimum charges and its own measurement decide the invoice, and cartons per box are a geometric minimum for one carton size, not a stowage plan.
Air freight — Value: 166.67 kg | Basis: ÷ 6,000, Dachser 1:6
Express (TNT, international) — Value: 200 kg | Basis: × 200, TNT UK
Road groupage — Value: 300 kg (Raben NL, RO) · 330 kg (Raben PL) | Basis: carrier terms
How many CBM in a 20 ft, 40 ft or 40 ft HC container?
How many CBM in a 20 ft, 40 ft or 40 ft HC container? — Published load capacity of the empty box, and the payload that may end the loading first.
20 ft dry (22G1) — Load capacity: 33.1 m³ (1,169 cu ft) | Inside L × W × H: 5,898 × 2,350 × 2,390 mm | Payload: 28,180–30,250 kg
40 ft dry (42G1) — Load capacity: 67.6 m³ (2,387 cu ft) | Inside L × W × H: 12,029 × 2,350 × 2,390 mm | Payload: 26,700–28,800 kg
40 ft high cube (45G1) — Load capacity: 76.2 m³ (2,690 cu ft) | Inside L × W × H: 12,032 × 2,342 × 2,695 mm | Payload: 26,780–28,800 kg
45 ft high cube (L5G1) — Load capacity: 86.0 m³ (3,037 cu ft) | Inside L × W × H: 13,556 × 2,352 × 2,697 mm | Payload: 25,830–27,850 kg
13.6 m curtainsider — Load capacity: 91.2 m³ (Samskip) | Inside L × W × H: 13.62 × 2.48 × 2.70 m | Payload: depends on the vehicle
Capacities: ONE; inside dimensions and payloads: ONE and Hapag-Lloyd (smallest published inside size); trailer: Samskip.
How do you calculate CBM?
Multiply the carton's length, width and height in centimetres, divide by 1,000,000, then multiply by the number of cartons. 60 × 40 × 40 cm = 96,000 cm³ = 0.096 m³ per carton, and 120 cartons are 11.52 m³.
In millimetres, divide by 1,000,000,000 (600 × 400 × 400 mm = 96,000,000 mm³ = 0.096 m³); in metres, multiply directly (0.6 × 0.4 × 0.4 = 0.096 m³). For inches, convert first — 1 in = 2.54 cm exactly — or work in cubic feet: in³ ÷ 1,728 = ft³, and ft³ × 0.0283168 = m³.
Measure the outside of the packed carton, not the product inside. Cartons of different sizes are worked out line by line and added: in the example 11.52 m³ + 3 m³ = 14.52 m³.
cm — Formula for one carton: L × W × H ÷ 1,000,000 | 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton: 0.096 m³
mm — Formula for one carton: L × W × H ÷ 1,000,000,000 | 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton: 0.096 m³
m — Formula for one carton: L × W × H | 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton: 0.096 m³
in — Formula for one carton: L × W × H ÷ 1,728 = ft³; × 0.0283168 = m³ | 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton: 23.62 × 15.75 × 15.75 in = 3.39 ft³ = 0.096 m³
How many CBM fit in a 20 ft or 40 ft container?
Empty, a 20 ft dry container holds 33.1 m³, a 40 ft 67.6 m³ and a 40 ft high cube 76.2 m³ (ONE; Hapag-Lloyd lists 33.0–33.2, 67.7 and 76.3–76.4 m³). Cartons never fill that completely: 60 × 40 × 40 cm cartons loaded upright give at least 255 in a 20 ft (24.5 m³), 550 in a 40 ft (52.8 m³) and 660 in a 40 ft high cube (63.4 m³).
The gap is the part of the inside dimensions no whole carton fits into: a 20 ft is 2,350 mm wide inside, which takes five 400 mm cartons (2,000 mm) and leaves 350 mm. The calculator counts cartons per box for each size you enter, from the smallest published inside dimensions, and shows what share of it your quantity uses.
Weight can end the loading before volume does: the published payload is 28,180–30,250 kg for a 20 ft and 26,700–28,800 kg for a 40 ft, depending on the series. For pallets rather than loose cartons, the container loading calculator draws the floor plan. Before the packed box is loaded on the ship, its verified gross mass must be known — cargo, packaging, pallets, dunnage and tare; the VGM calculator adds it up and checks it against the maximum gross on the CSC plate.
Booking the container in Logistivo — A sea request in Logistivo names the container type — 20 ft and 40 ft dry, 40 ft and 45 ft high cube, reefer, open top, flat rack or tank — the number of containers and the weight per container. The forwarders and carriers you invite quote per container, and accepting an offer creates the load you then track.
How is LCL sea freight charged — by CBM or by weight?
By whichever is larger: cubic metres or metric tonnes. This is the W/M (weight or measurement) basis — one cubic metre and one tonne each count as one freight tonne, so any cargo lighter than 1,000 kg per m³ pays on its volume.
The example is 14.52 m³ and 2.92 t, so it is charged as 14.52 W/M and the LCL rate is multiplied by 14.52. Only cargo denser than 1,000 kg/m³ — metal parts, stone, liquids in drums — pays on weight.
Maersk's glossary describes the rate as assessed "on either a weight ton or measurement ton basis, whichever will yield the carrier the greater revenue" and mentions older bases of 2,240 lb or 40 cubic feet; a metric quote uses 1 t or 1 m³.
As the LCL volume grows, compare with a full container: 14.52 m³ is already 44 % of a 20 ft by volume.
How do you convert CBM to kg?
Not without a scale — CBM is space, kg is mass. What exists are the conversion factors carriers charge with: at sea 1 m³ counts as 1,000 kg (W/M), in air freight 1 m³ = 166.67 kg (÷ 6,000), and express and road carriers publish their own factors.
The carrier compares the converted figure with the actual gross weight and charges the higher one. The example (14.52 m³, 2,920 kg) pays on volume at sea but on its 2,920 kg in the air, because its density — 201 kg per m³ — is above the air factor of 166.67. The chargeable weight calculator puts all modes side by side for the same pieces.
What is the difference between CBM and volumetric weight?
CBM is the space the cartons take, in cubic metres. Volumetric weight is that space turned into kilograms with a carrier's factor so it can be compared with the scale: one 0.096 m³ carton is 16 kg of volumetric weight in air freight (÷ 6,000) and 19.2 kg with an express factor of ÷ 5,000.
Sea freight does not convert to kilograms at all — it compares cubic metres with tonnes directly (W/M). Road groupage uses per-carrier factors, often together with loading metres.
How many CBM is a pallet, and how many fit on a truck?
A pallet's CBM is its footprint times the loaded height: a Euro pallet (1.20 × 0.80 m) loaded to 1.50 m in total is 1.44 m³. A standard 13.6 m curtainsider is 13.62 × 2.48 × 2.70 m inside (Samskip), about 91.2 m³ of space, and takes 34 Euro pallets on its floor.
On the road, CBM is rarely the unit — trucks sell floor. A loading metre (LDM) is one metre of trailer floor; carriers convert the floor area in m² ÷ 2.4 (Raben: 1 LDM = floor m² ÷ 2.4, charged as 1,500 kg). CBM becomes LDM only when you know the stacking height: LDM = m³ ÷ (2.4 × height). 14.52 m³ stacked to 2.70 m is 2.24 LDM; stacked to 1.80 m it is 3.36 LDM.
Measure the loaded pallet, not the empty one — the pallet's own height counts. For the trailer floor, see the loading metre calculator.
Measure pallets with a phone in Logistivo — In Logistivo's warehouse module a pallet is measured by hand, with iPhone LiDAR, with Android depth sensing (ARCore) or from a photo; its volume is calculated with the same L × W × H ÷ 1,000,000, and every re-measurement is kept with its date and method.
35.3147 cubic feet. One foot is exactly 0.3048 m, so one cubic foot is 0.028316846592 m³; a 20 ft container's 33.1 m³ is 1,169 cu ft, as ONE publishes it.
From inches: multiply the three dimensions and divide by 1,728 for cubic feet, or multiply by 16.387064 for cm³. The example carton (23.62 × 15.75 × 15.75 in) is 3.39 ft³ = 0.096 m³.
Six mistakes that inflate or hide the CBM
Six mistakes that inflate or hide the CBM — Most wrong CBM figures come from the tape measure and the units, not from the formula.
Measuring the product instead of the carton — Carriers measure the packed piece, bulges and pallet included; product sheet dimensions are always smaller. TNT charges the higher of the declared and the actual dimensions and may re-measure.
Mixing units in one line — One side in mm and two in cm is a factor of 10 out. Pick the unit first — the calculator converts every line when you switch between cm, mm and inches.
Rounding each carton before multiplying — 0.0963 m³ rounded to 0.1 and multiplied by 500 cartons adds 1.85 m³. Round the total, if at all.
Reading the load capacity as carton space — 33.1 m³ is the empty 20 ft box. 255 upright cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm use 24.5 m³ of it — 74 %.
Forgetting that weight can decide — Dense goods reach the payload (20 ft: 28,180–30,250 kg) before the volume, and in air freight anything above 166.67 kg per m³ pays on its weight.
Dividing inches by 1,728 and calling it m³ — in³ ÷ 1,728 gives cubic feet. For cubic metres multiply the cubic feet by 0.0283168 — or convert each inch to 2.54 cm first.
After the calculation, in Logistivo
After the calculation, in Logistivo — The free account keeps the figures you just worked out attached to the shipment they belong to.
Requests by container or vehicle — Sea, road and air requests carry the container or vehicle count and the weight; road part loads add pallet lines with dimensions. Your carriers quote per unit.
Pallets measured by phone — iPhone LiDAR, Android depth sensing or a photo estimate; the volume in m³ is saved with every measurement.
Package count and weight checked — When the invoice and the export or transit documents reach a load, Logistivo compares their package counts and gross weights and flags a mismatch on the load.
Quotes from your own network — Share a request with the carriers you choose, compare their offers in one table and accept one.
Measure once, use it on every load
Free Logistivo account, no card: keep pallet measurements in the warehouse module, open freight requests with container count and weight, and let your carriers quote per container.
Hapag-Lloyd — Container Specification — general purpose and high cube containers (capacity, payload) — https://www.hapag-lloyd.com/content/dam/website/downloads/press_and_media/publications/15211_Container_Specification_engl_Gesamt_web.pdf
Samskip — Equipment — 13.6 m, mega and coil trailer inside dimensions — https://www.samskip.com/equipment/
Maersk — Glossary of shipping terms — Weight/Measurement Ton, W/M, Cubic Metre — https://www.maersk.com/support/glossaries/shipping-terms
DACHSER SE — AGB Air & Sea Logistics, §5.1 (volume ratio 1:6) — https://www.dachser.de/downloads/Germany/AGBs/AGB_Air_Sea_Logistics_DACHSER%20SE_DE_vers.pdf
Cargolux Airlines International — Conditions of Carriage, §5.2 Basis of rates and charges — https://www.cargolux.com/conditions-of-carriage/
TNT (a FedEx company) — Terms and Conditions of Carriage for Europe, §5 Dimensional (volumetric) weight — https://www.tnt.com/express/en_gb/site/terms-conditions.html
Only as a freight convention in sea LCL: under W/M one cubic metre and one tonne each count as one freight tonne. Physically, a cubic metre of cartons weighs what its contents weigh — the example weighs 201 kg per m³.
How do I calculate CBM in inches?
Multiply length × width × height in inches, divide by 1,728 for cubic feet and multiply by 0.0283168 for cubic metres — or convert each inch to 2.54 cm first. The calculator switches between cm, mm and inches and converts what you have already typed.
How many cartons fit in a 20 ft container?
It depends on the carton: 60 × 40 × 40 cm cartons loaded upright give at least 255 in a 20 ft dry container, 550 in a 40 ft and 660 in a 40 ft high cube. Enter your carton and the calculator counts it for each box.
What does W/M mean on a sea freight quote?
Weight or measurement: the rate is charged per tonne or per cubic metre, whichever is more. 14.52 m³ weighing 2.92 t is 14.52 W/M.
Why does air freight divide by 6,000?
The 1:6 ratio means 6,000 cm³ count as one kilogram — 166.67 kg per m³, which Dachser rounds to 167 kg. TNT's international Express services use 5,000 (200 kg per m³).
Can Logistivo work out the CBM of my pallets?
Yes, in the warehouse module: measure a pallet by hand, with iPhone LiDAR, Android depth sensing or a photo, and Logistivo saves its dimensions and its volume in m³ with the date and method of each measurement.
Can I get container quotes in Logistivo?
Yes. A sea request in Logistivo carries the container type, the number of containers and the weight; the carriers and forwarders you invite quote per container, and you compare and accept in one table.
Does Logistivo check the weights on my documents?
When invoices and export or transit accompanying documents are added to a load, Logistivo compares their package counts and gross weights; a mismatch is flagged on the load and posted in its chat.
Is the calculator free?
Yes, and it needs no account. Opening a Logistivo account is free as well.
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