What is Cubic Meter CBM?
CBM stands for cubic meter. It is a standard unit for measuring cargo volume in international and domestic shipping. Knowing your cargo’s CBM helps plan and estimate costs.
How Can I Calculate my CBM?
- Multiply the three dimensions: CBM = Length x Width x Height
- Then multiply by the quantity of items (ex, pallets) = total CBM
If your shipment contains items of different sizes, calculate the CBM for each size and add them together.
CBM for Air Freight
Carriers have a set DIM divisor – a number that represents cubic inches per pound for different modes of transport, to facilitate shipments and help standardize prices based on freight volumes. The DIM divisor (DIM factor or conversion factor) differs between sea and air freight and other modes of transport.
Here’s a formula to find out the volumetric weight for air cargo.
- 167 kg = 1 CBM
CBM for LCL Ocean Freight
For ocean freight pricing, 1 ton (1000 kg) is equivalent to 1 CBM. This round number makes it easy to find CBM in LCL shipments.
- 1 kg = 0.001 CBM
- 10 kg = 0.01 CBM
- 50 kg = 0.05 CBM
- 100 kg = 0.1 CBM
- 200 kg = 0.2 CBM
- 500 kg = 0.5 CBM
- 1000 kg = 1 CBM
How Many CBMs In A Container?
Containers cannot be fully loaded. Their actual capacity is approx. 80% of their maximum capacity. Here are some general estimates of how many CBMs fit in common-sized shipping containers:
- 20′ containers: 26-28 CBM (Max. 33 CBM)
- 40′ containers: 56-58 CBM (Max. 66 CBM)
- 40′ High Cube containers: 60-68 CBM (Max. 72 CBM)