What is the CBM of my shipment?
Type the outside size of one carton and how many cartons you ship. The CBM calculator shows the shipment's volume in cubic meters (CBM), cubic feet and litres.
- Total CBM (m³)
- 0.6
The shipment takes up 0.6 m³ (21.19 ft³).
- CBM of one carton (m³)
- 0.06
- Total cubic feet (ft³)
- 21.19
- Total litres
- 600
Total CBM (m³): 0.6. The shipment takes up 0.6 m³ (21.19 ft³).
How to calculate
Computes the volume of a shipment in cubic metres (CBM) and cubic feet from the length, width and height of a carton and the number of cartons.
Example with the default inputs (Length 19.6850393700787 in, Width 15.748031496063 in, Height 11.8110236220472 in, Number of cartons 10): The shipment takes up 0.6 m³ (21.19 ft³).
Method: CBM of one carton = length × width × height in metres; total CBM = CBM of one carton × number of cartons; cubic feet = CBM ÷ 0.028316846592.
- Sizes are the outside dimensions of each carton, which carriers measure.
- Every carton has the same size; for mixed sizes, add up the CBM of each size.
Worked examples
Each example is checked against the calculator on every build.
- Length 19.69 in, Width 15.75 in, Height 11.81 in, Number of cartons 10 gives CBM of one carton (m³) 0.06, Total CBM (m³) 0.6, Total litres 600, Total cubic feet (ft³) 21.1888.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 ft³ = 0.028316846592 m³). https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Length 24 in, Width 18 in, Height 12 in, Number of cartons 4 gives Total cubic feet (ft³) 12, CBM of one carton (m³) 0.084951, Total CBM (m³) 0.339802.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 ft³ = 0.028316846592 m³). https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
- Length 47.24 in, Width 39.37 in, Height 59.06 in, Number of cartons 1 gives Total CBM (m³) 1.8, Total cubic feet (ft³) 63.5664.Source: NIST Handbook 44 (2026), Appendix C, General Tables of Units of Measurement (1 in = 2.54 cm; 1 ft³ = 0.028316846592 m³). https://www.nist.gov/document/2026-nist-handbook-44-appendix-c
How it works
- CBM of one carton = length × width × height, each in meters (cubic meters, m³).
- Total CBM = CBM of one carton × number of cartons.
- Cubic feet = total CBM ÷ 0.028316846592 (1 ft = 0.3048 m exactly, so 1 ft³ = 0.3048³ m³).
- Litres = total CBM × 1,000.
Exact arithmetic. Each size is read as the exact decimal you typed, in the unit you typed it in (24 in is exactly 0.6096 m). When you type a size, the page stores it in meters and reads it back as the decimal with the fewest significant digits, in one of the box's units (cm, m, mm, in, ft), that gives the same stored number; on a tie the first unit in that list wins. When none does, the stored number's own shortest decimal, in meters, is used. Every step is an exact fraction, so 50 × 40 × 30 cm is exactly 0.06 m³.
Output format. Total CBM shows with at most 4 decimals, one carton's CBM with at most 6, cubic feet with at most 2 and litres with at most 1, each rounded half up from the exact value, with trailing zeros left off.
Assumptions
- Every carton has the same outside size. Each size is more than 0 and at most 100 m; 1 to 1,000,000 cartons.
- This is the space the cartons fill, not a container plan: real loads leave gaps between cartons.
Worked examples by hand
Ten 50 × 40 × 30 cm cartons. 0.5 × 0.4 × 0.3 = 0.06 m³ each; × 10 = 0.6 m³ = 600 L; 0.6 ÷ 0.028316846592 = 21.19 ft³.
Four 24 × 18 × 12 in boxes. 24 × 18 × 12 = 5,184 in³ = 3 ft³ = 0.0850 m³ each (3 × 0.028316846592 = 0.084950539776); × 4 = 12 ft³ = 0.3398 m³.
One pallet load 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.5 m. 1.2 × 1.0 × 1.5 = 1.8 m³ = 63.57 ft³.
Other questions people ask
What is CBM?
CBM stands for cubic meter, the volume of a box 1 m long, 1 m wide and 1 m high. Freight forwarders and sea carriers price less-than-container loads by the CBM.
How do I calculate CBM?
Multiply length × width × height in meters. A 50 × 40 × 30 cm carton is 0.5 × 0.4 × 0.3 = 0.06 m³. Multiply by the number of cartons for the shipment: 10 cartons are 0.6 CBM.
How do I calculate CBM from inches?
Multiply the three sizes in inches for cubic inches, then multiply by 0.000016387064 (one cubic inch in m³). A 24 × 18 × 12 in box is 5,184 in³ = 0.0850 m³. The calculator does this for you: pick inches in the unit menu.
How many cubic feet are in one CBM?
One cubic meter is 35.31 cubic feet, because 1 ft³ is 0.028316846592 m³ exactly. So 0.6 CBM is 0.6 ÷ 0.028316846592 = 21.19 ft³.
Should I measure the box or the product?
Measure the outside of the carton, with any bulges, because that is the space it takes in a container. Round each size up to the next whole centimeter or half inch if it is not square.
How do I add cartons of different sizes?
Work out the CBM of each size with its count, then add the totals. The calculator handles one carton size at a time.