Cubic feet calculator for shipping
Enter the length, width and height of a carton or a pallet to get its volume in cubic feet and cubic meters, and its density once you add the weight. This free cubic feet calculator for shipping runs in your browser and needs no login.
Enter the length, width and height, and the cubic feet appear here.
– ft³cubic feet, all pieces
How to calculate cubic feet for shipping
- Measure in inches. Length, width and height at the outermost points of the piece as it will ship.
- Multiply the three. Length × width × height gives cubic inches.
- Divide by 1,728. A cubic foot is 12 × 12 × 12 inches, so 1,728 cubic inches make one cubic foot. Multiply by the number of pieces for the whole shipment.
A carton of 24 by 18 by 16 inches, for example, is 6,912 cubic inches, or 4 cubic feet. Twelve of them make 48 cubic feet.
Measuring in centimeters? Multiply the three and divide by 28,317 for cubic feet. The calculator does both.
Cubic feet of a standard pallet, by height
A 48 by 40 inch pallet, measured from the floor to the top of the freight.
| Height | Cubic feet | Cubic meters |
|---|---|---|
| 36 in | 40.0 | 1.13 |
| 48 in | 53.3 | 1.51 |
| 60 in | 66.7 | 1.89 |
| 72 in | 80.0 | 2.27 |
Every foot of height adds about 13 cubic feet to a pallet this size. For trailer length instead of volume, use the linear feet calculator.
Cubic feet calculator questions
Do I include the pallet when I measure cubic feet?
Yes. Measure the shipment as it will ship: the pallet, the packaging and any overhang, at the longest, widest and tallest points. Carriers measure the same way, and a short measurement can come back as a reclass.
How do I convert cubic feet to cubic meters?
Divide cubic feet by 35.31. Ocean freight and many overseas suppliers quote volume in cubic meters (CBM), so importers often need both.
Why do cubic feet matter for an LTL quote?
LTL freight class follows density, the weight per cubic foot. The same weight in more cubic feet means a lower density, a higher class and a higher rate.
Rather send the sizes?
Send the dimensions, the weight and the two ZIP codes, and we work out the space, the class and the rate.