GUIDES / FREIGHT MEASUREMENT

Freight measurement guides

Worked answers to the questions asked before a freight booking. Every figure is either linked to the carrier or standards page it comes from, or computed by the Livnaro calculators with the inputs shown, so you can rerun it with your own cargo.

Updated 30 October 2026

• PALLETS / FLOOR POSITIONSHow many pallets fit in a 40 ft containerFloor counts for EUR, 120 × 100 cm, 48 × 40 in and half pallets in 20ft, 40ft, 40HQ and 45HC containers, worked from inside dimensions, with clearance and double stacking.
• UNITS / M³ AND FT³CBM to cubic feet (and back)1 CBM = 35.3147 cubic feet because 1 ft is exactly 0.3048 m. Conversion table for cartons and containers, inches to CBM directly, and how rounding the factor or each carton changes a full container.
• CHARGEABLE WEIGHT / KG PER M³CBM to kg: the conversion carriers useThere is no physical CBM to kg conversion. Sea freight bills 1 m³ as 1,000 kg, European road 333 kg, express 200 kg, air cargo 166.67 kg. Density break-evens and one shipment priced four ways.
• PACKING LIST / CUBIC METRESHow to calculate CBM for a shipmentCBM is length × width × height in metres, line by line. A five-line packing list worked through, and why 1 cm of bulge per side adds 7.9% and a second 40ft HQ.
• ROAD FREIGHT / LOADING METRESLDM: what a loading metre is and when it is chargedLDM (loading metre) is the trailer floor length a load takes: length × width ÷ 2.4 m. When carriers charge by LDM instead of m³, 1 LDM = 1,850 kg, and worked examples for EUR pallets.
• PAYLOAD / MAX GROSS / VGMContainer weight limits: which number appliesA 40ft GP's payload depends on who rated it: 26,840 kg (ONE) or about 28,800 kg (SeaCube, Maersk). How the box rating, US road weight and the SOLAS verified gross mass interact, with a dense-cargo example.
• LOAD PLANNING / CARTONS AND MIXESContainer loading calculator: what a free tool can answerWhat a free container loading calculator can work out (volume fill, turned-carton counts with drawings, pallet floor positions, weight, mixed container sizes) and what still needs a load plan.