Free Freight Tool

CBM Calculator

Work out the total CBM of your cartons or pallets, see how many 20ft, 40ft and 40HC containers they fill, and whether LCL or FCL suits your shipment. Free, instant and no sign-up.

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Commercial cargo only · 50kg minimum

Last reviewed: 29 September 2026 by the Aver customs team

Run the numbers

Calculate your CBM and container load

Enter the size and weight of one carton and how many you are shipping. The calculator returns the total volume in cubic metres, the container fill for each size and a recommendation for LCL or FCL.

CBM & Container Load Calculator

Total your cartons or pallets in cubic metres and see how many 20ft, 40ft and 40HC containers they fill.

Total volume —

20ft (28 CBM usable)—

40ft (58 CBM usable)—

40HC (68 CBM usable)—

Enter your carton dimensions to calculate.

Indicative only: based on usable capacity, not weight limits or stacking.

How it works

How the CBM calculator works

Measure one carton

Note the outer length, width and height of a packed carton or pallet, in centimetres or inches.

Count your cartons

Enter how many identical cartons you are shipping, and the gross weight of each one.

Total the volume

The calculator multiplies length × width × height, converts to cubic metres (CBM) and multiplies by the number of cartons.

Compare containers

The total is set against the usable capacity of a 20ft, 40ft and 40HC container, with a recommendation for LCL or FCL.

Why it matters

Why CBM decides how you ship

Ocean freight is sold by space. Below a certain volume you share a container and pay per cubic metre (LCL); above it, a container of your own (FCL) is usually better value. Knowing your total CBM before you book tells you which side of that line you are on, how many containers to ask for, and lets you compare quotes like-for-like.

Cartons add up fast

A single 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is under 0.1 CBM, but a hundred of them fill a third of a 20ft container.

LCL or FCL

Smaller loads share a container and pay per CBM. Once you approach a full 20ft, a container of your own often costs less.

Quote like-for-like

Give forwarders the same CBM, piece count and weight and their prices become directly comparable.

Plan order sizes

Seeing how full the last container is helps you round an order up to fill the space you are paying for.

FAQ

Common questions

Everything you need to know about the CBM Calculator.

What is CBM?

CBM stands for cubic metre, the unit ocean freight is measured and priced in. One CBM is a space 1 metre long, 1 metre wide and 1 metre high.

How do I calculate CBM?

Multiply the length, width and height of one carton in centimetres and divide by 1,000,000 to get CBM. Multiply that by the number of cartons for the total. For example, a 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton is 0.096 CBM, so 100 of them are 9.6 CBM.

How much fits in a 20ft, 40ft and 40HC container?

This calculator uses usable capacities of 28 CBM for a 20ft, 58 CBM for a 40ft and 68 CBM for a 40ft high cube (40HC). These are less than each container's internal volume, because cartons never pack perfectly.

Should I ship LCL or FCL?

As a guide, under about 15 CBM LCL (sharing a container) is usually cheaper. Between 15 and 28 CBM it is worth comparing LCL with a 20ft container. Above 28 CBM a full container load (FCL) is normally the better option.

Does the calculator account for container weight limits?

No. Weight limits are not modelled here: the calculator works on volume only. Dense cargo can reach a container's weight limit before it is full, so our team checks the weight when we quote.

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Plan your shipment end-to-end — combine the tools to forecast both transit and landed cost before you book.

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