CBM (Cubic Meter)

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What is CBM ?

CBM (cubic meter) is a unit of volumetric measure globally used by shipping and freight carriers to determine a freight’s volume. A container or freight’s length, width, and height are used to calculate CBM. It is primarily used to calculate the required space and quote prices accordingly. 

Significance of CBM in an E-commerce Shipping and Delivery

CBM is a very vital aspect for measuring shipping, as it is used in every form of area and space calculation. The transportation costs of shipments are heavily dependent on CBM. 

  • Globally used metric: Every shipping company uses CBM to represent and calculate the volume. Depending on their requirements, it is highly beneficial for sellers who partner with several shipping companies. The chances of confusion due to using several different measuring metrics are negated. 
  • Seamless transfer and collaboration: Shipping companies often work with third-party carriers to create a shipping lifecycle. As every company uses CBM, the requirement for converting the metric per a unique carrier is ousted from the equation. Therefore, allowing seamless collaboration. 

Prerequisites of CBM and How It Works

There are no such requirements for CBM as it is deeply embedded and used by every shipping company.

The formula for calculating CBM: length x breadth x height.

For a complete shipping cycle, the CBMs for freights, containers, or any associated form of packaging are calculated separately and priced per the results.

Use Case with CBM 

A retailer decides to ship a moderately-sized appliance to Australia. The machine’s length, breadth, and height are 1000cm, 1000cm, and 100cm after packaging. Applying the above formula, the CBM of your shipment will be 100m3.  

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