What is CBM and How to Calculate It

Logistics Guide

CBM stands for Cubic Meters. It is the standard unit used across sea and air freight to measure the volume a shipment occupies. Carriers use it, alongside weight, to calculate shipping costs and to decide how much space a shipment takes up in a container.

Why CBM Matters

Freight pricing is rarely based on weight alone. A shipment that is light but bulky can take up as much space in a container as one that is heavy but compact. Carriers price shipments based on whichever is greater: the actual weight or the volume the cargo occupies. CBM is how that volume is measured and compared.

The Formula

CBM = Length (m) × Width (m) × Height (m)

All three dimensions must be in meters. If your measurements are in centimeters, divide each by 100 before multiplying. For multiple identical packages, multiply the result by the quantity.

Worked Example

Suppose you have 10 cartons, each measuring 60 cm × 40 cm × 50 cm.

Convert to meters: 0.6 m × 0.4 m × 0.5 m
Volume per carton: 0.12 CBM
Total for 10 cartons: 0.12 × 10 = 1.2 CBM

A Quick Note on Density

Once you know your total CBM and total weight, you can calculate cargo density (weight divided by volume). This helps determine whether your shipment is better suited to sea freight, and whether LCL or FCL makes more financial sense — a comparison CargoScale calculates automatically in the Shipment Analyzer.

Try the CBM Calculator