CBM Calculator for Sea Freight
Calculate the total cubic metres (CBM) of your shipment for sea freight LCL quotes. Enter carton dimensions and quantity below to get total volume, volumetric weight, and a ready-to-use freight note.
Enter the outer dimensions of each carton type and quantity — get total shipping volume in m³ for your LCL freight quote.
Carton dimensions
After calculating, copy the result into your workflow instead of searching for the calculator again.
Calculate first, then reuse the result
After you calculate, UtilityPilot can turn the result into a clean note you can paste into your SOP, spreadsheet, CRM, Slack, Notion, checklist or email.
Plain-English result — paste into any tool
For internal process notes
For client-ready wording
For Notion, docs or wikis
Share the tool without your values
No sign-up · No stored inputs · Copied text does not include your entered values
Formula
CBM = Length (m) × Width (m) × Height (m)
Convert all dimensions to metres first, then multiply. For multiple items: sum each item's volume × quantity. Example: 60cm × 40cm × 50cm = 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.5 = 0.12 m³.
Worked Example
Scenario: Shipment of 3 different carton sizes for an LCL sea freight quote.
Carton A: 60×40×50cm × 20 units = 0.12 m³ × 20 = 2.40 m³
Carton B: 80×60×60cm × 10 units = 0.288 m³ × 10 = 2.88 m³
Carton C: 40×30×30cm × 50 units = 0.036 m³ × 50 = 1.80 m³
Total: 7.08 m³
At a freight rate of £85/m³, the shipping cost would be 7.08 × £85 = £601.80.
Common Mistakes
- Mixing units. Entering some dimensions in cm and others in metres gives wrong results. Set the unit selector and use it consistently for all items.
- Using inner dimensions instead of outer. Freight is charged on the outer carton dimensions, not the product size inside.
- Forgetting to multiply by quantity. If you have 20 identical cartons, enter 20 in the Qty field — the total CBM is per unit × quantity.
Guide
How to Use
- 1
Select your unit
Choose cm, m, in, or ft. All values are converted to metres automatically.
- 2
Enter outer carton dimensions
Measure length, width, and height of each carton or pallet type.
- 3
Set the quantity
Enter the number of identical units. CBM per item is multiplied by quantity.
- 4
Add more items if needed
Click "Add item" for each different carton or SKU type in your shipment.
- 5
Get the total
Click Calculate to see total m³ and estimated volumetric sea freight weight.
Next Steps
What to do next
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Related by Workflow
Related by Region
CBM formula for sea freight
CBM = L (m) × W (m) × H (m) × Quantity
Convert cm to m by dividing by 100. Convert inches by multiplying by 0.0254.
Worked example
200 cartons, 60cm × 40cm × 35cm each
Per carton: 0.60 × 0.40 × 0.35 = 0.084 CBM
Total: 0.084 × 200 = 16.8 CBM
At 16.8 CBM, this shipment is approaching the crossover point where a 20ft FCL might be more cost-effective than LCL.
LCL vs FCL decision guide
Under 5 CBM
LCL is usually the right choice. Courier may suit under 1 CBM.
5–15 CBM
LCL is typically most cost-effective. Get quotes from freight forwarders.
Over 15 CBM
Compare LCL with a 20ft FCL. FCL often wins above 15–20 CBM.
Use this in your workflow
After calculating, use Copy freight planning note or Copy result summary to paste the CBM breakdown into your freight quote request, logistics spreadsheet, CRM, Slack message or supplier email.