---
title: "Stowage Factor for Timber Cargo: IMO Ranges and How to Use Them"
description: "Stowage factor = m³ per tonne: what it tells you about a ship's hold or container, the IMO CSS Code Table 4.1 ranges for wood cargo, a worked example and timber deck cargo basics."
image: "https://nestingcalc.com/og-default.png"
url: "https://nestingcalc.com/guides/stowage-factor-timber-cargo/"
locale: "en"
---

# Stowage Factor for Timber Cargo: IMO Ranges and How to Use Them

Stowage factor = m³ per tonne: what it tells you about a ship's hold or container, the IMO CSS Code Table 4.1 ranges for wood cargo, a worked example and timber deck cargo basics.

## What the stowage factor tells you

The stowage factor is **SF = cargo volume ÷ cargo mass (m³/t)** — how many cubic metres one tonne of the cargo occupies in a hold, including dunnage and voids. Low SF means dense cargo that fills weight first; high SF means light cargo that fills space first. For a hold of 1,850 m³ and 1,250 t deadweight, cargo with SF 2.0 fills the hold at 925 t — space-bound long before weight-bound.

## IMO CSS Table 4.1 ranges for wood

| Cargo | SF (m³/t) |
| --- | --- |
| Sawn wood, square | 1.8–3.4 |
| Sawn wood, non-square | 2.0–3.8 |
| Planed wood | 2.4–2.8 |
| Tropical logs, fresh | 1.3–2.8 |
| Pine logs, fresh | 1.4–2.2 |
| Logs, debarked/kiln-dried | 1.2–3.3 |
| Plywood (estimate) | 1.7–2.1 |
| Flat-pack wood (estimate) | 3.0–5.0 |

## Worked example

A parcel of planed pine: 520 m³ in the trim plan, 200 t on the draft survey → SF = 520 ÷ 200 = **2.60 m³/t** — inside the planed-wood band (2.4–2.8) and also inside the general sawn bands. If the figure lands outside every band for the declared cargo, suspect the measurement: wrong volume, wrong moisture, or the wrong cargo in the hold.

## Timber deck cargo in brief

The IMO CSS Code dedicates provisions to timber deck cargo: lashing and uprights sized for the stack, maximum heights, secured walkways for the crew, and stability checks that account for water absorption and ice. The ranges above help you size the parcel; the loading plan itself belongs to the master and class rules — SF is an input to that conversation, not a substitute for it.

## From stowage factor to booking

Use SF to sanity-check freight: a parcel with SF far above the trade norm occupies premium hold space and should price accordingly. For the container leg the same logic runs through balanced density — [Cube-Out vs Weigh-Out: Which Limit Stops Your Container First?](https://nestingcalc.com/guides/container-loading-cube-out-weigh-out/) — and [Stowage factor](https://nestingcalc.com/stowage-factor-calculator/) computes SF from your volume and mass, then flags which IMO band (and which estimates) your cargo falls into.

[Stowage factor](https://nestingcalc.com/stowage-factor-calculator/) [Open the linear cutting calculator](https://nestingcalc.com/linear-cutting-calculator/)

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