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CBM calculator: cargo volume and container fit
Enter the size and weight of your boxes, crates, pallets or vehicle. You get the volume in cubic metres and cubic feet, the total weight, the freight tons, and whether it fits a 20-foot, a 40-foot or a 40-foot high cube container.
Measure your cargo, line by line.
One line per type of piece. Measure the outside of the packaging, at the longest, widest and highest points. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Enter the length, width and height of at least one piece to see the result.
- Volume0 m³0 cubic feet
- Total weight0 kg0 lb
- Pieces0All lines together
- Freight tons (W/M)0The higher of m³ and tonnes
| Container | Volume used | Payload used | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20-foot standard | 0% | 0% | FitsFits, but it is tightNeeds 2 containersOne piece is too big for the door |
| 40-foot standard | 0% | 0% | FitsFits, but it is tightNeeds 2 containersOne piece is too big for the door |
| 40-foot high cube | 0% | 0% | FitsFits, but it is tightNeeds 2 containersOne piece is too big for the door |
How to read the result. An estimate to help you plan, not a loading plan. The volume is the sum of the pieces, and real cargo leaves gaps, so the tool calls a load tight above 85% of the container. The door check assumes a piece can be turned on any side. Weight limits on the road are often lower than the container payload. We confirm the container when we see the packing list.
The three dry containers the calculator checks.
Inside measurements, door opening, capacity and payload as published by the carrier. They vary slightly from one container owner to another.
| Container | Inside, length × width × height | Door, width × height | Capacity | Payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20-foot standard | 5.898 × 2.350 × 2.390 m | 2.340 × 2.280 m | 33.1 m³ | 28,330 kg |
| 40-foot standard | 12.032 × 2.350 × 2.390 m | 2.340 × 2.280 m | 67.6 m³ | 26,840 kg |
| 40-foot high cube | 12.032 × 2.350 × 2.695 m | 2.340 × 2.585 m | 76.2 m³ | 28,800 kg |
Source: Ocean Network Express (ONE), dry container specifications, read 11 November 2026. Reference figures only: check the container you are given.
How the numbers are worked out.
The same arithmetic a forwarder does on a packing list.
Volume of one piece
Length × width × height, converted to metres. One inch is 2.54 centimetres and one foot is 30.48 centimetres.
Volume of the shipment
The volume of each piece times the number of pieces, added up over every line. One cubic metre is 35.3 cubic feet.
Weight
The weight of each piece times the number of pieces. One pound is 0.4536 kilograms.
Freight tons
The volume in cubic metres compared with the weight in tonnes. The higher of the two is the figure a carrier charges on for loose cargo.
Container fit
The volume against the capacity, the weight against the payload, and the largest piece against the door opening and the inside length.
What the result means for your shipment.
The volume points to the service. We confirm it when you send the list.
- It fits a container
Book a full container
You load and seal it, and nobody else’s cargo travels with yours. Tell us what you load and we compare the 40-foot standard and the high cube for you.
- It rolls
Ask for RORO
Cars, trucks and machines that drive are not put in a container. They are measured by length, width and height and driven aboard.
- A piece does not pass the door
Flat rack or open top
Cargo that is too wide, too tall or too heavy for a closed container travels on a flat rack or is lowered into an open top by crane.
Use the result on these pages.
CBM and container volume, answered.
What is CBM?
CBM means cubic metre: the space a shipment takes up. One CBM is a cube one metre long, one metre wide and one metre high. Ocean freight for loose cargo, crates and vehicles is often priced by CBM, and a container is chosen by how many CBM it holds.
How do I calculate CBM?
Multiply the length by the width by the height of one piece, in metres, then multiply by the number of pieces. A crate of 1.2 by 1.0 by 0.8 metres is 0.96 CBM; ten of them are 9.6 CBM. If you measured in centimetres, divide the result by one million. The calculator on this page does the conversion from centimetres, inches or feet.
How many CBM fit in a 20-foot or a 40-foot container?
On the carrier specifications we use, a 20-foot standard container holds 33.1 cubic metres, a 40-foot standard 67.6 and a 40-foot high cube 76.2. Real cargo never fills all of it, because boxes and pallets leave gaps, so this tool marks a load as tight once it passes 85% of the volume.
What is a freight ton, or W/M?
W/M means weight or measurement. For cargo that is not in a container, the carrier compares the volume in cubic metres with the weight in tonnes and charges on the higher figure. The calculator shows that figure as freight tons.
Is a car or a machine measured the same way?
Yes. On RORO and breakbulk services the unit is measured at its longest, widest and highest points, mirrors, buckets and antennas included, and the volume is length by width by height. Enter those three measurements as one piece.
Does the result tell me the price?
No. It tells you the volume, the weight and the container that fits, which is what we need to quote. Send those figures with the origin and the destination and you get a written price.
Have the volume? Ask for the price.
Send the cubic metres, the weight, where the cargo is and where it is going. We answer in Spanish, English or French.
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