CBM Calculator (Cubic Meters and Volumetric Weight)

CBM (cubic meters) is the volume of your shipment. Freight forwarders use it to quote sea freight and to check how much of a container your goods will fill.

Pick centimeters, inches or millimeters, then enter the outer carton dimensions and the number of identical cartons. The calculator returns CBM per carton, total CBM and the volumetric weight using the common 6,000 divisor for air freight. Switching units converts the dimensions you already typed.

Always use outer dimensions including packaging, and set the volumetric divisor your carrier uses: 6,000 is common for air freight, many couriers use 5,000, and road freight often uses 3,000. For mixed cartons, calculate each size separately and add the results.

How the calculation works

CBM per carton = (length × width × height in cm) ÷ 1,000,000. Total CBM = CBM per carton × number of cartons.

Example: a 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 96,000 cm³ = 0.096 CBM. 50 cartons = 4.8 CBM.

Volumetric weight (kg) = (length × width × height in cm) ÷ 6,000, per carton. In the example that is 16 kg per carton, or 800 kg for 50 cartons. Air freight is charged on the greater of this and actual weight.

In inches: CBM per carton = (length × width × height in inches) ÷ 61,024, because one cubic meter is 61,024 cubic inches. Example: a 24 × 16 × 16 in carton is 6,144 in³ = 0.1007 CBM.

In millimeters: CBM per carton = (length × width × height in mm) ÷ 1,000,000,000. Example: a 600 × 400 × 400 mm carton is 0.096 CBM, the same as the 60 × 40 × 40 cm example.

See also: Landed cost calculator, Stock Cover Calculator.