About

Logistics managers and freight forwarders rely on accurate volume estimation to maximize container space and minimize shipping costs. Miscalculating the total Cubic Meter (CBM) volume can lead to overflow cargo, additional booking fees, or wasted space in Less than Container Load (LCL) shipments. This tool calculates the aggregate volume of a shipment based on piece dimensions and quantity. It normalizes inputs from various metric and imperial units into a standardized cubic meter output. A utilization factor is provided against standard 20ft and 40ft ISO shipping containers to assist in load planning.

Formulas

The core calculation standardizes all dimensions to meters before aggregation. The formula for the total volume V_total is:

V_total = L × W × H × Q

Where L, W, and H are length, width, and height in meters, and Q is the quantity of pieces. The container utilization percentage U is calculated as:

U = V_totalV_container × 100

Reference Data

Container Type	Internal Volume (m³)	Payload Capacity (kg)	Practical CBM Limit (85%)
20ft Standard	33.2 m³	25,000 kg	28.2 m³
40ft Standard	67.7 m³	27,600 kg	57.5 m³
40ft High Cube	76.3 m³	28,600 kg	64.8 m³
45ft High Cube	86.0 m³	27,700 kg	73.1 m³
20ft Reefer	28.3 m³	27,400 kg	24.0 m³
40ft Reefer	59.3 m³	29,400 kg	50.4 m³
20ft Open Top	32.5 m³	24,000 kg	27.6 m³
40ft Open Top	66.4 m³	26,500 kg	56.4 m³

Frequently Asked Questions

No. The calculation is purely based on the dimensions of the items provided. If your items are palletized, you must enter the dimensions of the loaded pallet (including the wood base) to get an accurate CBM value for shipping.

The tool compares your volume against the total internal volume of ISO containers. However, in practice, "broken stowage" (wasted space due to gaps, stacking limits, or packaging shapes) prevents 100% utilization. A safe planning limit is typically 85-90% of the theoretical max.

The current interface applies a single unit type to Length, Width, and Height for speed. If you have mixed units, convert them to a single standard (e.g., all inches) before inputting.

For LCL (Less than Container Load) shipments, freight forwarders charge based on "Revenue Tons". This is usually the higher value between the actual weight in tons and the volume in CBM. 1 CBM is often equated to 1,000 kg for billing purposes.