CBM and cubic feet converter
Enter piece dimensions in centimeters, meters or inches, the number of pieces and the total gross weight in kilograms. The converter returns cubic meters, cubic feet, density in PCF with its NMFC 13-tier class, the chargeable weight used by air and ocean LCL, and how full a 20-foot, 40-foot and 40-foot high cube container would be.
Density:
Chargeable:
Container fill:
Worked example: eight 120×100 cm import pallets
A container of industrial filters is devanned at a transload warehouse in Ontario, California: eight 120×100 cm pallets, 150 cm tall, 200 kg each, stackable.
| Step | Calculation | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Volume per pallet | 1.20 × 1.00 × 1.50 m | 1.80 CBM |
| Total volume | 1.80 × 8 | 14.40 CBM |
| Cubic feet | 14.40 × 35.3147 | 508.5 cu ft |
| Total weight | 1,600 kg × 2.20462 | 3,527 lbs |
| Density | 3,527 ÷ 508.5 | 6.94 PCF |
| NMFC 13-tier class | 6 to under 8 PCF | Class 125 |
| Linear feet (59 in tall: one tier) | 4 rows × 47.24 in ÷ 12 | 15.7 LF |
At 59 inches the pallets are just under the height at which carriers impute 96 inches, so tariff cube equals actual cube. They do occupy 15.7 linear feet, past the 12 LF rule most carriers apply — a candidate for a spot volume LTL or partial truckload quote from the transload dock rather than class-rated LTL.
Run metric pallets through the dimensional engine
- Safe — tariff cube, density and linear feet stay under the carrier's cube and linear-foot rules.
- Tier 1 — 350 cu ft or more under 3 PCF (XPO, Saia, ABF, Estes): synthetic weight of 6 lbs per tariff cubic foot.
- Re-bill — 750 cu ft or more under 6 PCF, or linear feet at the carrier's rule: book volume LTL or direct partial truckload.
Metric pallet sizes in North American trailers
ISO and EUR pallets do not share the 48×40 inch GMA footprint, which changes how many fit across a trailer and how linear feet add up.
| Pallet | Metric | Inches | Across a 98.5 in van | 53' van, single tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GMA (North America) | 121.9 × 101.6 cm | 48 × 40 | 2 | 26 |
| ISO / "Asia" pallet | 120 × 100 cm | 47.2 × 39.4 | 2 | 26 |
| EUR 1 | 120 × 80 cm | 47.2 × 31.5 | 3 (turned 2) | 39 straight |
| Australian / square | 116.5 × 116.5 cm | 45.9 × 45.9 | 2 | 26 |
EUR pallets at 31.5 inches fit three across a 98.5-inch van, which lowers linear feet for the same count — worth stating on the bill of lading when a partial is priced by the foot.
Container volumes and realistic fill
Nominal container volume is never fully usable. Pallet footprints, door clearance and lashing leave a realistic fill of about 85–90% for palletized cargo and 90–95% for floor-loaded cartons.
| Container | Nominal CBM | Cubic feet | Realistic palletized CBM | Max payload |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20' standard | 33.2 | 1,172 | 25–28 | 47,900 lbs |
| 40' standard | 67.5 | 2,385 | 54–58 | 58,800 lbs |
| 40' high cube | 76.3 | 2,694 | 62–68 | 58,450 lbs |
U.S. highway weight limits usually cap a loaded container well below its rated payload: a 40-foot box on a standard chassis typically carries about 42,000–44,000 lbs of cargo legally. Plan heavy containers with the drayage carrier before booking. More on container loading in the 40-foot high cube guide.
Chargeable weight: air, ocean LCL and domestic LTL
- Air cargo charges the greater of gross weight and volumetric weight; most carriers use 6,000 cm³ per kg (a 1:6000 divisor), so 1 CBM = 166.7 kg chargeable.
- Ocean LCL charges per "weight or measure": the greater of cubic meters and metric tonnes (1 W/M = 1 CBM or 1,000 kg).
- Domestic LTL charges by weight at a class set by density — then applies cubic capacity and linear-foot rules on top. Converting CBM correctly is what lets you see a cube penalty coming before the freight leaves the port.
Once the freight is domestic, carry the converted figures into the cubic feet and density calculator or tender it straight from the transload dock on the spot rate form.
