Worked example: twenty cartons in centimetres
For 20 cartons measuring 50 × 40 × 30 cm externally, convert to 0.50 × 0.40 × 0.30 m. One carton occupies 0.06 m³ and the shipment totals 1.20 m³. When using centimetres directly, divide the cubic-centimetre product by 1,000,000, not by 100.
If the sealed carton bulges to 52 × 42 × 32 cm, each carton occupies 0.069888 m³ and 20 occupy 1.39776 m³. That is 16.48% more volume than the nominal dimensions. Measure a packed sample before ordering a shipment.
Before comparing a freight quote
Keep carton volume separate from palletized volume. A pallet adds deck height and may leave unused space around the cartons. Ask which dimensions and minimum charge the quote uses; the calculated CBM does not include freight rates, minimum billable volume, or packing allowances.
The formula
Convert each side to metres, multiply length × width × height, then multiply by the number of cartons. Keep full precision until the final display.
Volume is not a load plan
CBM alone does not account for unusable space, door openings, payload, stacking orientation or weight distribution.