When intending to ship goods, it is vital to learn how to determine the cubic meters of the shipment. CBM is a familiar term that can be applied by shipping companies to measure how much space a particular shipment will take in a container to enable the business to settle on the cost of shipping.
Knowing how to calculate CBM can be quite useful whether you are shipping via air, sea, or overland to save yourself time and get better quotations. This article will explain the shipping cbm meaning, and it's a formula to enable the companies to calculate the shipments.
Understanding What CBM Means
The term CBM means Cubic Meter and measures the cubic space occupied by a particular consignment. It tells you how much volume your products will take up in the shipping container.
CBM is important to calculate because freight charges are paid on a cubic measurement basis rather than weight. CBM of shipment provides knowledge of container capacity and allows making accurate estimations concerning the costs of shipment.
Basic Formula for Calculating CBM
The basic formula for calculating CBM is straightforward:
CBM = Length in meters × Width in meters × Height in meters
Dimensions of the shipment should be in meters, including the length, width, and height. If you had used centimeters in your calculations, then your aggregate should have been in cm. Then the final outcome should be portioned out by 100 to change the numbers to meters.
For instance, a package dimensions may be 200 cm × 150 cm × 100 cm; the real proportions may be 2 m × 1.5 m × 1 m. Then, multiply the dimensions together to calculate the CBM:
CBM = 2 × 1.5 × 1 = 3 CBM
What this tells you is that the shipment size that you have is 15 cubic meters on the larger side, no matter which of the two shipments is being referred to.
Calculating CBM for Multiple Packages
If your shipment is large and has a heap of boxes, the process will be to add the combined CBM for all the boxes to get a full shipment CBM.
In this instance, if you have to calculate the the CBM for 3 parcels with the following proportions:
- First bundle: 1.2 m × 1.0 m × 0.8 m
- Second bundle: 0.6 m × 0.5 m × 0.7 m
- Third bundle: 1.0 m × 0.9 m × 0.6 m
You would calculate the CBM for each package individually:
- CBM of box 1
1.2 × 1.0 × 0.8 = the total would be 0.96 CBM
- CBM of box 2
0.6 × 0.5 × 0.7 = 0.21 CBM will be the total
- CBM of box 3
1.0 × 0.9 × 0.6 = 0.54 CBM is the answer after multiplication.
Now, sum the CBM for all packages:
Total CBM = 0.96 + 0.21 + 0.54 = 1.71 CBM
This is the total volume of your shipment.
Calculating CBM for Irregular Shapes
If your shipment consists of irregularly shaped items, calculating CBM becomes slightly more complex. You must measure the longest points for length, width, and height. Despite the fact that, as an object, the generalized item is not the perfect geometric shape of a box, the volume assigned is calculated as if the item is contained in a rectangular box.
For instance, if the item for shipment has a cylindrical shape, one needs to measure the greatest dimensions of the particular item in all three aspects after applying the standard CBM formula.
Importance of Accurate CBM Calculation
CBM calculation is useful for acquiring the correct shipping price and avoiding underestimating or overestimating the available space in a container. With the CBM being miscalculated, either one has to pay for the unused space or the extra fees for the extra quantity that forced the shipment to occupy more space in the container than required.
Conclusion
CBM calculation is one of the basic yet critical tasks in international shipment execution. With package dimensions correctly taken and application of the CBM, the container space can be utilized in the best way possible, and protection against additional costs can be provided.
Whether shipping a single package or multiple items, understanding how to calculate CBM ensures smooth and efficient shipment management.
