CBM to KG
Convert CBM to kilograms using the sea, road or air volumetric ratio your carrier bills on.
How CBM to kg works
This is the inverse of the kg-to-CBM conversion. Volume alone does not tell you a weight, a cubic meter of feathers and a cubic meter of steel differ enormously, so what this returns is a volumetric (chargeable) weight: the weight a carrier treats one CBM as, under an agreed billing ratio. The three standard ratios are:
Sea / LCL: 1 CBM = 1000 kg · Road / LTL: 1 CBM = 333 kg · Air: 1 CBM = 167 kg
To turn a CBM figure into an imputed weight, multiply by the chosen ratio:
weight in kg = CBM × ratio (kg per CBM)
Carriers compare this volumetric weight against the shipment's actual scale weight and bill on whichever is greater. So this figure is the weight your volume "counts as", not what the goods truly weigh.
Worked example
A consolidation measures 3 CBM. Its volumetric weight by mode is:
- Sea: 3 × 1000 = 3000 kg
- Road: 3 × 333 = 999 kg
- Air: 3 × 167 = 501 kg
If the goods actually weigh 800 kg, an air carrier would charge on the 800 kg actual; a road carrier would still charge on the higher 999 kg volumetric figure.
Volumetric ratios
| Mode | 1 CBM is billed as | CBM → kg multiply by |
|---|---|---|
| Sea / LCL | 1000 kg | 1000 |
| Road / LTL | 333 kg | 333 |
| Air | 167 kg | 167 |
These ratios are billing conventions, not the physical weight of your cargo. Confirm the exact ratio with your carrier or forwarder before you rely on it.
To go back the other way, use kg to CBM. To build CBM from box dimensions first, use the CBM calculator. For the parcel-side equivalent of this same idea, see the dimensional weight calculator, and what is CBM for the wider context.