Container load and CBM calculator for 20ft, 40ft and 40HC

Enter carton size, weight and quantity to get total CBM and cartons per 20ft, 40ft and 40HC by volume and by payload. Free, no sign-up. Results are estimates.

What is CBM?

CBM means cubic metre, a unit of cargo volume. A box 1 m long, 1 m wide and 1 m high is 1 CBM. Forwarders often use it to measure cargo and to price LCL (less than container load) shipments.

The formula is length (m) × width (m) × height (m) × number of cartons. For centimetres, multiply the three sides and divide by 1,000,000. For inches, multiply the three sides and divide by 61,024.

Worked example

Carton 60 × 40 × 30 cm, 12 kg, 2,000 cartons: 0.6 × 0.4 × 0.3 = 0.072 CBM per carton, for a total of 144 CBM and 24,000 kg.

In a 40HC (inside 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,698 mm), kept upright: length 12,032 ÷ 600 = 20 rows, width 2,352 ÷ 400 = 5 columns, height 2,698 ÷ 300 = 8 layers. By volume, 20 × 5 × 8 = 800 cartons.

By payload, 28,700 kg ÷ 12 kg = 2,391 cartons. Space runs out first, so it’s 800 per container, and 2,000 cartons need 3 40HC containers. The same way, a 20ft takes 315 and a 40ft takes 700.

If the same carton weighs 40 kg, payload alone gives 28,700 ÷ 40 = 717 cartons, or 28,680 kg. That doesn’t mean you can send it that way. For door delivery in Korea, HMM lists 26.6 t gross for a 40ft. Take off the 3,800 kg tare and that leaves 22,800 kg of cargo, or 570 cartons.

Common container sizes

Published figures for three dry container types. They are the rows HMM labels heavy duty, and this calculator uses them. Other containers and carriers can differ.

Each carton side is converted to mm. For every orientation you allow, we divide the container’s inside length, width and height by the carton’s sides, drop the remainders and multiply (rows × columns × layers). The orientation that fits the most gives the count by volume. The count by payload is the carrier’s published payload divided by the weight per carton, and the lower of the two is what you can load. All cartons are stacked one way, so patterns that mix directions to fit a few more aren’t counted. It runs in your browser, and your inputs stay in the address so you can share the result by link.

• How many cartons fit in a 20ft or 40ft container? It depends on the carton size and direction. Divide the inside length, width and height by the carton’s sides, drop the remainders and multiply. A 60 × 40 × 30 cm carton kept upright comes to 315 in a 20ft, 700 in a 40ft and 800 in a 40HC. If the payload runs out first, the number is lower.
• What are the inside dimensions and CBM of a container? On the heavy duty rows of HMM’s table, a 20ft is 5,898 × 2,352 × 2,392 mm, 33.2 CBM, with a 28,280 kg payload. A 40ft is 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,392 mm, 67.6 CBM, 28,900 kg. A 40HC is 12,032 × 2,352 × 2,698 mm, 76.3 CBM, 28,700 kg. Other containers and carriers can differ, so confirm with your carrier when you book.
• What is the difference between a 40ft and a 40HC? Length and width are the same, and only the height differs. On HMM’s table, a 40HC is 306 mm taller inside and holds 8.7 CBM more. Light cargo fits more in a 40HC, but heavy cargo can hit the payload first, which leaves no difference.
• Why can’t I load more when there is space left? The payload ran out first. Payload is the maximum gross weight minus the container’s tare, and it isn’t the last word. For door delivery in Korea, HMM lists a gross weight (cargo plus tare) of 21.2 t for a 20ft and 26.6 t for a 40ft, and its table has figures for other countries and truck types. Limits change with the route, so for heavy cargo ask your forwarder for the limit on each leg first.
• Will this many really fit? Not guaranteed. This is an estimate from dimensions. Bulging cartons, packing tolerance, door clearance, lashing and dunnage, weight distribution, what the bottom carton can carry, and differences between carriers and containers aren’t in the sum. Check your forwarder’s load plan before you book.
• How does it work with pallets? It first counts the cartons that fit on one pallet without overhang, then the pallets that fit on the floor, and multiplies. The pallet’s own height and weight count, and pallets aren’t stacked on each other. Replace the starting height and weight with your real ones.
• Does this CBM calculator work out freight? No. LCL is usually charged on the larger of CBM or tonnes (W/M), so use the total CBM and weight here to get a quote from your forwarder. To see what that freight does to your price, use the export price calculator.

TradeGraph · Free tools · Playbooks · Compare · Docs · llms.txt · 한국어