About this calculator
CBM (cubic metre) is the volume unit almost everyone in the supply chain works with: forwarders price LCL freight per CBM, warehouses charge storage per cubic metre, and load planners use it to estimate how many containers a shipment needs. The formula is simple, length × width × height in metres × number of packages, yet small slips such as mixing centimetres with millimetres or forgetting to multiply by the carton count regularly throw quotations off.
This calculator takes several cargo lines at once, so you can enter cartons, pallets and crates of different sizes and see the total in m³ and ft³. Weight per package is optional; when you add it, the total weight appears next to the volume so you can tell straight away whether the shipment is light (volume-bound) or dense (weight-bound).
Below the result you will find the share of the internal volume of a 20' GP, 40' GP and 40' HC container. Those are theoretical internal volumes; in practice cartons rarely fill more than 80–90% of the space because of gaps, stacking limits and room near the doors. For a real stowage pattern, open the result in the 3D Planner.
Worked example
A coffee exporter ships 100 cartons of 50 × 40 × 30 cm, 12 kg each.
- Volume per carton: 0.5 × 0.4 × 0.3 = 0.06 m³
- Total volume: 0.06 × 100 = 6 m³ (= 211.9 ft³)
- Total weight: 12 × 100 = 1,200 kg
- Share of a 20' GP (33.2 m³): 6 ÷ 33.2 ≈ 18%
At 6 m³ this shipment is cheaper as LCL than booking a full 20' container.
How to use it
Measure each package type
Measure the outer length, width and height of the carton or pallet, including packaging and overhang.
Fill in the cargo lines
Enter the size, unit (cm, mm, m or inches), number of packages and weight per package if known. Add a line for each other size.
Read the total CBM
Total m³, ft³ and weight update as you type, together with the share of a 20 and 40 foot container.
Share or plan
Copy the result link to send to your forwarder, or open it in the 3D Planner to see a real stowage pattern.