Enter your carton sizes and quantities to get total cubic metres (CBM) and how many 20ft, 40ft or 40ft High Cube containers you need, by space and by weight.
Sample shipment shown. Type your own carton sizes; the result updates instantly.
Sea freight · 85% packing
100 cartons · 1,000 kg (2,205 lb)
Total volume
6m³
211.9 cu ft
21% full· 4% of 28,200 kg payload
Stacked, up to 392 of these cartons fit.
10% full· 4% of 26,600 kg payload
Stacked, up to 840 of these cartons fit.
9% full· 4% of 26,500 kg payload
Stacked, up to 1,050 of these cartons fit.
Payloads are typical; your booking and road limits can be lower.
| Container | Inside (L × W × H) | Nominal | Usable at 85% | Typical payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20ft Dry Container (20' GP) | 5.898 × 2.352 × 2.393 m | 33.2 m³ | 28.2 m³ | 28,200 kg |
| 40ft Dry Container (40' GP) | 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.393 m | 67.7 m³ | 57.6 m³ | 26,600 kg |
| 40ft High Cube (40' HC) | 12.032 × 2.352 × 2.698 m | 76.4 m³ | 64.9 m³ | 26,500 kg |
Multiply length x width x height in centimetres and divide by 1,000,000 to get cubic metres per carton, then multiply by the number of cartons. From inches, divide the product by 61,023.7. One CBM is 35.31 cubic feet.
A 20ft dry container holds about 33.2 m³ inside. Loose cartons rarely use more than 80 to 85% of that, so plan on roughly 28 m³ of cargo.
A 40ft dry container is about 67.7 m³ inside (around 57 to 58 m³ usable), and a 40ft High Cube is about 76.3 m³ (around 65 m³ usable at 85%). The High Cube is 30 cm taller, which helps with light, bulky goods.
Cartons never fill a container perfectly. Gaps between non-matching carton sizes, pallets, dunnage and clearance under the roof typically cost 15 to 20% of the space. Palletised cargo loses more, often 25 to 30%.
Yes. Dense goods like tiles, metal parts or liquids can hit the payload limit while the container is still half empty. The calculator checks both and tells you which one governs.