CBM is shipment volume in cubic meters
CBM is simply volume expressed in cubic meters. For a rectangular carton, multiply the outside length, width, and height after converting each measurement to meters.
Example
A carton measuring 40 × 30 × 25 cm is 0.40 × 0.30 × 0.25 m, or 0.03 m³. Five hundred identical cartons therefore occupy a theoretical 15 m³ before pallets, gaps, wrap, or other handling allowances.
Use packed dimensions
Freight planning should use the final packed outside dimensions. Product dimensions alone usually understate the space consumed by a shipment.
Where CBM is not enough
Volume does not tell you whether the cartons physically tessellate inside a pallet or container, nor whether payload limits are exceeded. Continue with pallet and container calculations for those questions.
Use the calculator
Move from the explanation into a live calculation using the related PackFlow tool.