CBM Calculator — how many cartons fit your container?
Enter one carton's size and weight and we'll give you total cubic meters, air chargeable weight, and exactly how many cartons load into a 20ft, 40ft or 40ft HC container.
CBM Calculator
Every sourcing number in one place
CBM is step two. SellHandy is building the full toolkit sellers reach for before wiring money to a supplier.
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Cartons \u2192 cubic meters, and what fits a 20ft / 40ft container.
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Freight quotes are built on CBM and chargeable weight. Know both before the supplier names a price.
What CBM actually is
CBM = cubic meter — the volume of your shipment. One carton's CBM is its length \u00d7 width \u00d7 height in centimeters, divided by 1,000,000. Multiply by the number of cartons to get your total shipment volume, which is what sea-freight rates are usually quoted on.
Why chargeable weight matters for air
Air freight bills on chargeable weight = the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is your dimensions divided by a divisor (6,000 for most express couriers, 5,000 for some airlines) per carton. A big but light carton can be "heavier" on paper than a small dense one — this is where air quotes surprise sellers.
How many cartons fit a container
A 20ft container holds roughly 28 CBM of usable space (and ~21,000 kg), a 40ft about 58 CBM (~26,700 kg), and a 40ft High Cube about 68 CBM. We divide each limit by your single-carton volume and weight, take the lower number, and tell you how many full containers your order needs. Weight often caps you before volume does.
Works as your container load calculator
Whether you're planning an Alibaba consolidation, a 1688 container, or a courier air shipment, the same math applies. Use it as a CBM calculator, a container load calculator, and a quick check for how many cartons fit in a 20ft container before you book space.
Worked example
A standard carton 40 \u00d7 30 \u00d7 25 cm, 8 kg, 500 cartons:
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Carton volume | 0.030 m\u00b3 |
| Total volume | 15.00 m\u00b3 |
| Total gross weight | 4,000 kg |
| Volumetric weight (div 6000) | 2,500 kg |
| Chargeable weight (air) | 4,000 kg (actual > volumetric) |
| 20ft container | fits in 1 \u00d7 20ft (433 cartons to spare) |
| 40ft / 40ft HC | fits in 1 of either (plenty of room) |
Sources & method
Container capacities reflect common usable limits — a 20ft container is nominally ~33 m\u00b3 but practical loading is ~28 m\u00b3 after accounting for pallets and the curved walls; 40ft ~58 m\u00b3 and 40ft HC ~68 m\u00b3. Air volumetric divisors follow IATA practice (6,000 for express, 5,000 for some passenger airlines). Exact allowances vary by carrier and commodity — confirm with your freight forwarder for a firm quote.