CBM Calculator – Cubic Meter Volume

Calculate CBM (cubic meters) from length, width, height and quantity. Designed for freight, warehouse planning and any application where cargo volume matters.

Key formula: CBM = (Length × Width × Height) in meters. If you have multiple identical pieces, multiply by the quantity.

Box / package CBM calculator

Supports cm, m and inches
Input units: All three dimensions use the same unit.

Longest side of the box.

Number of identical pieces.

Examples (L × W × H in cm):

Volume to CBM converter

Convert from liters, ft³ and in³ to m³

Use this block when the volume is already known in another unit (for example from a CAD model or a tank specification).

What is CBM and why is it important?

CBM stands for cubic meter (m³). In freight and logistics it is the standard unit used to describe the volume occupied by cargo in containers, trucks, air pallets and warehouses.

For a rectangular box or package, the CBM is simply the product of its three dimensions expressed in meters:

Basic CBM formula

\(\text{CBM} = L \times W \times H\)

where \(L, W, H\) are the length, width and height in meters.

For multiple identical pieces

\(\text{Total CBM} = \text{CBM per piece} \times \text{Quantity}\)

Unit conversions used in this calculator

  • 1 meter = 100 centimeters
  • 1 inch = 0.0254 meters (exact)
  • 1 cubic meter (m³) = 1000 liters (L)
  • 1 m³ = 1,000,000 cubic centimeters (cm³)
  • 1 cubic foot (ft³) ≈ 0.0283168466 m³
  • 1 cubic inch (in³) ≈ 1.6387064 × 10⁻⁵ m³

Worked example: CBM for cartons on a pallet

Suppose you have 10 cartons with dimensions 60 × 40 × 50 cm.

  1. Convert each dimension to meters: 0.60 m, 0.40 m, 0.50 m.
  2. Compute CBM per carton: \(0.60 \times 0.40 \times 0.50 = 0.12~\text{m}^3\).
  3. Multiply by quantity: \(0.12 \times 10 = 1.2~\text{m}^3\).
  4. Entering 60, 40, 50 and quantity 10 in the calculator returns per-piece CBM 0.12 m³ and total CBM 1.2 m³.

FAQ: CBM in logistics and freight

Is CBM based on external or internal dimensions?

For freight purposes, CBM usually uses external dimensions of the packed item, because that is the space that will be occupied in a container or truck. For tank capacities or equipment rating, internal volume may be more relevant.

How does CBM relate to container capacity?

Container sizes are often specified with their internal cubic capacity in m³ (for example, a 20′ container has around 33 m³ of internal volume). By comparing your total CBM with the nominal container volume you can quickly estimate how many containers you will need, while still considering weight limits and stowage constraints.

What about chargeable weight vs. CBM?

Many carriers use dimensional-weight rules where the freight charge is based on whichever is larger between the actual weight and a weight-equivalent derived from the CBM (for example, 1 m³ = 167 kg). This calculator helps you compute the CBM side of the equation; check your carrier’s tariff for the exact rule.