Calculate total shipment volume in CBM / CFT and estimate how many cartons fit inside standard 20ft, 40ft, and 40ft High Cube sea freight containers.
Standard Shipping Container Capacities
When exporting or importing bulk cargo via ocean freight, understanding container volume and payload constraints is essential:
20ft Standard Container: Usable Volume ~28–30 CBM | Max Payload ~28,000 kg
40ft Standard Container: Usable Volume ~58–62 CBM | Max Payload ~28,500 kg
40ft High Cube (HQ): Usable Volume ~68–72 CBM | Max Payload ~28,600 kg
Note: Practical loading efficiency typically ranges between 85% to 92% due to palletizing, packing gaps, and stacking constraints.
Formula
Single Carton CBM = (Length × Width × Height in cm) / 1,000,000 Total CBM = Single Carton CBM × Quantity Container Utilization % = (Total CBM / Usable Container CBM) × 100
Frequently Asked Questions
A 20-foot standard container has a gross internal volume of ~33 CBM, but realistically accommodates about 28 to 30 CBM of packed boxed goods after accounting for stacking and door clearance.
\n
A 40ft High Cube is 1 foot taller (9ft 6in vs 8ft 6in), providing approximately 10 additional CBM of usable space (approx. 68–72 CBM vs 58–62 CBM for standard 40ft).
\n
1 Cubic Meter (CBM) = 35.315 Cubic Feet (CFT). Multiply CBM by 35.315 to get CFT.