How to calculate CBM for sea freight

CBM — cubic metres — is the unit sea freight is planned in. It decides the price of an LCL shipment, whether a full container is worthwhile and which container size you need.

The formula

Length × width × height, in metres, multiplied by the number of identical pieces. A pallet of 1.20 × 0.80 × 1.50 m is 1.44 m³; ten of them are 14.4 m³.

Measuring correctly

• Measure the packed shipment, not the product — including pallet, packaging and any overhang.

• Use the longest point on each side.

• Group identical pieces into lines and multiply by quantity.

• Keep dimensions and weights for each line; carriers and warehouses will ask for them.

Converting units

From centimetres, divide the product of the three dimensions by 1,000,000. From inches, the result in cubic inches divided by 61,024 gives cubic metres. One cubic metre is 35.31 cubic feet.

Common mistakes

• Mixing centimetres and metres in one calculation.

• Forgetting the pallet height (usually 12–15 cm).

• Assuming a container can be filled to its full cubic capacity — stacking limits, pallet sizes and door clearances always leave some space unused.

From CBM to a quote

For LCL, compare total CBM with total weight in tonnes: the higher figure is the chargeable revenue tonnage. For FCL, use CBM as a first check, then confirm with a load plan if the shipment is close to a container’s practical limit. Our CBM calculator handles several cargo lines and units and shows the LCL W/M figure automatically.