Calculators
CBM calculator for sea shipments
Independent site, not a government service. General information, not customs advice.
Measure one carton in centimetres, enter how many you have, and read the volume. The rows show the share of each container size the cargo would use.
CBM of a shipment
Volume
19.20 m³
| Share of a 20' general purpose (33.2 m³) | 57.8% |
| Share of a 40' general purpose (67.7 m³) | 28.4% |
| Share of a 40' high cube (76.3 m³) | 25.2% |
Capacity shares ignore gaps and packing, so real loads fit less.
CBM is short for cubic metre, the unit in which carriers state a container's capacity. For one carton, multiply length by width by height in metres, or in centimetres and divide by one million, then multiply by the number of cartons. A carton of 60 by 40 by 40 centimetres is 0.096 cubic metres, and 200 of them come to 19.2. The next question is usually whether that fits in a container. A 20 foot general purpose box has a nominal capacity of 33.2 cubic metres in a carrier brochure of 2016, against 67.7 for a 40 foot and 76.3 for a 40 foot high cube. Those are nominal figures, and cartons leave gaps that geometry alone shows: the loading tool counts how many whole cartons fit. The amount that can really be loaded depends on the carton, the pallet and the packing plan, so treat those shares as a ceiling.
Will my cargo fit this container?
Tightest limit used
72.3%
| Volume used | 72.3% |
| Payload used | 39.7% |
| Space left | 9.2 m³ |
Nominal figures from one carrier brochure of 2016. Check the plate on your own container.
Tariff and rules read by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Method and sources
Volume by carton size
| Carton (cm) | One carton | 100 cartons | 500 cartons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 × 20 × 20 | 0.012 m³ | 1.2 m³ | 6.0 m³ |
| 40 × 30 × 30 | 0.036 m³ | 3.6 m³ | 18.0 m³ |
| 50 × 40 × 30 | 0.060 m³ | 6.0 m³ | 30.0 m³ |
| 60 × 40 × 40 | 0.096 m³ | 9.6 m³ | 48.0 m³ |
| 80 × 60 × 50 | 0.240 m³ | 24.0 m³ | 120.0 m³ |
| 120 × 80 × 100 | 0.960 m³ | 96.0 m³ | 480.0 m³ |
Volume or weight: which fills first?
Volume is only half the check. Heavy goods reach the payload limit long before the container looks full, while light goods run out of space with weight to spare. The second tool shows both limits against the container you pick, using nominal figures from one carrier brochure dated March 2016, which calls itself non-binding. For the sizes themselves, see container dimensions.
Next steps
If you know your carton size, the container loading calculator gives a count per layer and per box. If the goods will fly, volume is converted differently: use the volumetric weight calculator. Once freight is quoted, put it in the duty calculator, because it forms part of the value on which duty is charged.