Work out sea freight cbm instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.
CBM is cubic metres: length times width times height in metres. Sea freight is charged on whichever is greater of CBM or weight in tonnes, so light bulky cargo pays on volume — the same weight-or-measure principle as air freight but with a 1:1 break-even.
CBM
CBM = L x W x H in metres; chargeable = max(CBM, weight in tonnes)
About 33 CBM usable in a 20 ft, 67 in a 40 ft high cube. Geometric capacity is higher but packing efficiency reduces it.
Below roughly 15 CBM. Above that, a full container is usually cheaper per cubic metre and avoids consolidation delays.