Container Load Calculator
Work out how many containers your cargo needs — and whether volume or weight is what fills them first. Pick a container, enter your total cubic metres and kilos, and see the count, the utilization, and whether the load is small enough to ship LCL instead.
Containers needed
Volume or weight — whichever fills first
A container has two limits: the cube it can hold and the payload it can carry. Light, bulky cargo runs out of space long before weight; dense cargo tops out on weight with room to spare. The number of containers is set by whichever limit you hit first.
Containers = ceiling of the greater of (volume ÷ usable volume) and (weight ÷ payload)
Why usable volume, not internal
You never get the full internal cube. Cartons don’t tessellate perfectly, pallets waste height, and you need dunnage and access. Planning on 80–90% of the rated volume keeps the estimate honest — this tool defaults to 85%, which you can change.
FCL or LCL?
If your cargo only half-fills a single container, a full container (FCL) is paying for air. Under roughly 15 CBM, LCL — less than container load, where you pay for the space you use in revenue tons — is usually cheaper. This tool flags that case for you.
A planning estimate. Real loadability depends on package sizes, stackability, and how the container is packed.