How do I convert CBM to kg?

For air freight, multiply CBM by 167 to get volumetric weight in kg (the IATA 1:6000 rule); express couriers use 200 kg per CBM. For ocean LCL, one revenue ton is the greater of 1 CBM or 1,000 kg. There is no fixed conversion for the actual weight of goods because it depends on the commodity's density.

How many kg is 1 CBM?

For air freight chargeable weight, 1 CBM equals 167 kg under the standard 1:6000 rule (200 kg with a 1:5000 express divisor). For ocean LCL, 1 CBM is compared against 1,000 kg and you're billed the greater. The actual weight of one CBM of cargo depends entirely on what it is.

What is volumetric weight?

Volumetric (or dimensional) weight converts the space a shipment occupies into a weight, so bulky, lightweight freight is priced fairly. In air freight it's CBM x 167. Carriers bill the greater of volumetric weight and actual weight.

Does ocean freight use volumetric weight?

Ocean LCL uses weight-or-measure: a revenue ton is the greater of 1 CBM or 1,000 kg. It's the same greater-of principle as air, but the volume-to-weight breakpoint is 1,000 kg per CBM instead of 167.

CBM to KG: Converting Cubic Meters to Weight

There’s no single CBM-to-kg number — it depends on why you’re asking. For air freight, 1 CBM of volumetric weight is 167 kg (the IATA 1:6000 rule). For ocean LCL, 1 CBM is one revenue ton, billed against 1,000 kg, whichever is greater. And 1 CBM of actual cargo can weigh anything from a few kilos of foam to a tonne of tile. Here’s each case, worked — with the calculator that does it for you.

Why there's no fixed CBM-to-kg number

Weight and volume are different things, so converting one to the other always needs a rule. The rule depends on what you’re doing: pricing air freight, pricing ocean freight, or estimating the real mass of the goods. Each uses a different factor, and mixing them up is the commonest mistake.

Air freight: 1 CBM = 167 kg

Airlines charge on volumetric weight so that a plane full of pillows doesn’t fly at a loss. The IATA standard divides volume by 6,000 cm³ per kg, which works out to 167 kg per CBM (1,000,000 ÷ 6,000). Express couriers like FedEx and UPS use a denser 1:5000 divisor — 200 kg per CBM.

You’re billed the greater of volumetric and actual weight. A 3 CBM shipment has a volumetric weight of about 500 kg; if it actually weighs 300 kg it bills at 500, but if it weighs 700 kg the actual weight wins and it bills at 700.

The break-even is about 167 kg per CBM. Lighter than that and volume sets your bill; heavier and weight does.

Ocean LCL: 1 CBM vs 1,000 kg

Less-than-container-load ocean freight bills in revenue tons (also called weight-or-measure, W/M). One revenue ton is the greater of 1 CBM or 1 metric tonne (1,000 kg). A 3 CBM / 300 kg shipment bills as 3 revenue tons (volume wins); a dense 3 CBM / 4,000 kg shipment bills as 4 (weight wins).

Actual weight of 1 CBM of cargo

If you just want a rough real-world mass: 1 CBM of water is exactly 1,000 kg, and cargo is measured against that. Light foam or textiles might be 100–200 kg per CBM; boxed consumer goods often 200–400; dense goods like tile, liquids or metal parts approach or exceed 1,000. Without knowing the commodity, there is no accurate single answer — which is exactly why carriers bill on the greater of volume and weight.