Logistics Unit Converter
Freight documents mix three measurement worlds: metric dimensions on Chinese packing lists, imperial carton specs on US retail labels, and volume units that switch between cubic meters and cubic feet depending on who priced the job. This converter applies the exact definition factors — not rounded shortcuts — and prints the full cross table for whichever quantity class you are checking.
Logistics Unit Converter
Convert length, mass and volume between the metric, imperial and freight units used on quotes and packing lists.
| From ↓ / To → | m | cm | ft | inch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| m | — | 100 | 3.2808 | 39.3701 |
| cm | 0.01 | — | 0.0328084 | 0.393701 |
| ft | 0.3048 | 30.48 | — | 12 |
| inch | 0.0254 | 2.54 | 0.0833333 | — |
Conversion Formulas Used by the Tool
Definition: every unit conversion is a multiplication by a legal metrology definition factor, routed through the SI base of its quantity class (meters, kilograms, cubic meters). General form: result = value × factor(from) ÷ factor(to).
| Conversion | Formula | Factor type |
|---|---|---|
| meters → feet | ft = m ÷ 0.3048 | Exact definition (international yard & pound agreement, 1959) |
| cm → inch | in = cm ÷ 2.54 | Exact definition (1 in = 25.4 mm) |
| kg → lb | lb = kg ÷ 0.453592 | Six-decimal form of the exact avoirdupois definition (1 lb = 0.45359237 kg exactly) |
| CBM → CFT | CFT = CBM × 35.3147 | Derived: 61,023.744 in³ ÷ 1,728 in³ per CFT |
| inch dimensions → CBM | CBM = (L × W × H in inches) ÷ 61,024 | Rounded convention over the exact 61,023.744 in³ per CBM |
Scope and basis statement
This tool performs pure arithmetic on user input using fixed definition factors; it stores nothing and calls no external service. Factors follow the International System of Units and the 1959 international yard-and-pound agreement. Volumetric-weight divisors are a separate commercial convention and are covered by the CBM & volumetric weight calculator, not here.
Unit Conversion FAQ
How many cubic inches are in one cubic meter (the 61,024 convention)?
Because 1 inch is defined as exactly 2.54 cm, one cubic meter is 1,000,000 cm³ ÷ 16.387064 cm³-per-cubic-inch = 61,023.744 cubic inches (three decimals). Freight paperwork rounds this to the 61,024 convention, which is why inch-based CBM formulas divide L × W × H by 61,024.
What is the exact weight conversion between kilograms and pounds?
One pound is exactly 0.45359237 kilograms (the international avoirdupois definition), so one kilogram is about 2.20462 pounds. This tool computes with the six-decimal form 0.453592, which keeps consignment-scale error below 0.001%. A 7,200 kg palletized consignment therefore reads 15,873.3 pounds on a US warehouse scale.
Why do ocean quotes use CBM while US warehouses quote cubic feet?
International ocean and airfreight pricing evolved metric (revenue tons and CBM), while US domestic warehousing and trucking inherited imperial cubic feet. The bridge factor is 1 CBM = 35.3147 CFT, and both directions are computed above with exact definition factors rather than rounded rules of thumb.
Last reviewed: September 2026 · Standards: SI definitions, international yard and pound agreement (1959).