Work out the CBM, gross weight, volumetric weight and freight ton of your shipment, and get an estimate of the containers or trucks it needs — for air, sea LCL, sea FCL, rail and road.
Freight is rarely charged on weight alone. Ocean LCL is charged on volume or weight, whichever is greater; air freight compares the actual weight with a volumetric equivalent; and a full container is limited by whichever runs out first — space or payload. The formulas below are the ones this calculator uses.
Multiply the three dimensions of one package in centimetres, divide by one million, then multiply by the number of packages.
CBM = (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 1,000,000 × Qty
With several package types, calculate each type separately and add the results — mixing units in one sum is the most common source of error, so this calculator converts every row before adding.
Air freight compares the real weight of a shipment with the space it occupies. The volumetric divisor for centimetre dimensions is commonly 6000.
Volumetric kg = (L × W × H in cm) ÷ 6000
Chargeable = MAX(gross weight, volumetric weight)
Light but bulky cargo is charged on volume; dense cargo is charged on weight.
LCL uses the weight-or-measurement rule: one weight ton is 1,000 kg and one measurement ton is one cubic metre. The revenue ton is whichever is greater.
RT = MAX(kg ÷ 1000, CBM)
A minimum charge may apply to small shipments. That minimum changes only the billable figure — never the physical volume of your cargo, which this calculator always shows separately.
Dividing total CBM by a container’s nominal volume overstates what really fits. This calculator instead works out how many packages fit along the length, width and height of the unit, tests the sensible rotations, respects whether the cargo may be stacked, checks the door opening and compares the result against the payload limit.
When your packages have different dimensions, an exact loading plan is not something any online tool can promise; the result is then shown as an approximation based on total volume and weight.
| Container | Internal L × W × H (cm) | Door W × H (cm) | Internal volume | Max payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' Dry (20DC) | 589 × 235 × 239 | 234 × 228 | 33.1 CBM | 28,200 kg |
| 40' Dry (40DC) | 1203 × 235 × 239 | 234 × 228 | 67.6 CBM | 26,700 kg |
| 40' High Cube (40HC) | 1203 × 235 × 269 | 234 × 258 | 76.0 CBM | 26,460 kg |
CBM (cubic metre) is the volume of your cargo. For each package type multiply length × width × height in centimetres, divide by 1,000,000 and multiply by the quantity. Adding every package type together gives the total CBM of the shipment.
A 40ft dry container offers roughly 67 CBM of internal space and a 40ft high cube roughly 76 CBM. Usable volume is always lower than the nominal figure because packages rarely tessellate perfectly, which is why this calculator estimates from a real stacking pattern instead of dividing volumes.
A standard 20ft dry container is usually rated around 28 tonnes of payload, and a 40ft around 26.5 tonnes. Road and rail legs of the same journey can be limited to less than that by axle-load and route rules.
Volumetric weight in centimetres is length × width × height ÷ 6000 per package. The chargeable weight is then the higher of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight. The divisor is configurable here because not every carrier uses 6000.
LCL cargo is normally charged on whichever is greater: one tonne of weight or one cubic metre of volume. This calculator shows the weight ton, the measurement ton and the resulting revenue ton separately, and keeps your actual cargo volume unchanged even when a minimum charge applies.
No. Volume, weight and volumetric weight are exact arithmetic, but equipment recommendations are estimates: the final loading plan depends on the carrier, the stowage method and the characteristics of your cargo. Send us the shipment details for a firm answer.