CBM (cubic meter) is the unit of volume used to price a sea freight groupage (LCL) shipment — the more space your shipment takes up in the container, the more it costs, regardless of its weight. Knowing how to calculate your CBM lets you estimate your cost yourself before even requesting a quote.
The Formula
Measure the length, width and height of your package in centimeters, at the widest point of each side (including packaging), then:
CBM (m³) = (Length × Width × Height in cm) ÷ 1,000,000
We divide by 1,000,000 because there are 1,000,000 cubic centimeters in one cubic meter.
A Concrete Example
A box that is 60 cm long, 40 cm wide and 50 cm high:
60 × 40 × 50 = 120,000 cm³
120,000 ÷ 1,000,000 = 0.12 m³
Several Packages in the Same Shipment?
Calculate the volume of each type of package separately, then add them up. For example, for 3 identical boxes of 0.12 m³ each, plus a crate of 0.4 m³:
(0.12 × 3) + 0.4 = 0.36 + 0.4
= 0.76 m³ in total
Don't Want to Calculate by Hand?
Our online calculator does the math for you — add a line for each type of package, and it adds them up automatically. It also calculates volumetric weight, useful if you're considering air freight instead of sea freight.
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