CBM and chargeable weight calculator
Enter your carton sizes, quantities and weights. You'll get the total volume in CBM and cubic feet, and the volumetric and chargeable weight for air freight, express and sea freight, as carriers calculate them.
Chargeable weight is rounded up to the next 0.5 kg, and express to whole kilograms from 21 kg, as our published rates do. Carriers' own rounding and divisors can differ; your quote confirms them.
Results
- Total volume
- 1.200 CBM
- 42.4 ft³
- Actual weight
- 150.0 kg
- 330.7 lb
- Cartons
- 10
- Density
- 125 kg/CBM
- Volumetric
- 200.0 kg
- Chargeable
- 200.0 kg
- Volumetric
- 240.0 kg
- Chargeable
- 240.0 kg
- Chargeable
- 1.200 freight tons
Container fit: Under about 15 CBM, LCL is usually cheaper than a full container.
How the calculator works
Volume: length × width × height of each carton in centimetres, divided by 1,000,000, gives CBM; multiply by the number of cartons. One CBM is about 35.3 cubic feet.
| Method | Volumetric weight | Chargeable weight | Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air freight | cm³ ÷ 6,000 | Greater of actual and volumetric weight | 1 CBM = 167 kg |
| Express | cm³ ÷ 5,000 | Greater of actual and volumetric weight, carton by carton | 1 CBM = 200 kg |
| Sea freight (LCL) | — | Greater of CBM and tonnes (W/M) | 1 CBM = 1,000 kg |
A worked example
Ten cartons of 60 × 40 × 50 cm weighing 15 kg each: each carton is 120,000 cm³, so the shipment is 1.2 CBM and 150 kg actual weight. By air the volumetric weight is 120,000 ÷ 6,000 = 20 kg per carton, 200 kg in total, so you pay for 200 kg. By express it is 120,000 ÷ 5,000 = 24 kg per carton, 240 kg in total. By sea (LCL) you pay for 1.2 CBM, because 1.2 is more than 0.15 tonnes.
Light, bulky goods are charged on volume, so smaller or better-filled cartons can cut the bill. Read our guide to chargeable weight for more examples, or compare every method with your numbers.
FAQ
How do I calculate CBM for a shipment?
Multiply length × width × height of one carton in centimetres, divide by 1,000,000, then multiply by the number of cartons. For example, 50 cartons of 50 × 40 × 30 cm are 0.06 CBM each, 3 CBM in total.
Why is express volumetric weight higher than air freight's?
Express couriers divide by 5,000 instead of 6,000, which counts each CBM as 200 kg rather than 167 kg. The same carton therefore has a volumetric weight about 20% higher by express.
Do I pay for actual weight or volumetric weight?
Whichever is greater, for air freight and express. Sea freight LCL is charged on the greater of the volume in CBM and the weight in tonnes.
How many CBM fit in a 20' or 40' container?
Inside, a 20' container is about 33 CBM, a 40' about 67 CBM and a 40' high cube about 76 CBM, but cartons rarely fill every gap. Plan on roughly 25–28, 55–60 and 65–70 CBM, depending on carton sizes.