CBM calculator

Enter box dimensions and quantity for total cubic metres and an estimated container load.

What CBM is

Cubic metres. Length × width × height in metres is one box's CBM; multiply by quantity for the total. Sea freight is usually priced on it, and it decides whether you book a whole container (FCL) or share one (LCL).

Why container capacity is figured at 85%

A 20ft container holds about 33 m³ nominally, but boxes never pack perfectly — pallets, corners and door clearance eat space. In practice 80–85% is the usable limit; this calculator uses 85%. Uniform boxes fit more, mixed sizes less.

Why volumetric weight appears

Air freight charges whichever is greater: actual or volumetric weight. The standard conversion is 1 m³ = 167 kg. Light, bulky cargo is billed on volume.

Frequently asked

Should I check container weight limits too?

Yes. Roughly 28 t for 20ft and 26.5 t for 40ft. Heavy cargo hits the weight cap before the volume runs out. Enter weight per box to see the total.

What about palletised loads?

Use the pallet footprint (e.g. 1100×1100) and the stacked height as the box. Pallets often can't double-stack, so real counts drop further.

The forwarder's quote differs

Forwarders apply their own rounding and minimum-CBM rules. This gives physical volume only — use it to size the shipment before asking for quotes.