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Chargeable weight calculator
Enter your pieces in cm, mm, m or inches. You get the volumetric weight, the gross weight and the chargeable weight an airline or courier bills, the larger of the two.
Your cargo
Volumetric divisor
- Row 1320.0 kg
Results
Chargeable weight
320.0 kg
705.5 lb
Billed by volume
Gross weight
300.0 kg
2 pieces
Volumetric weight
320.0 kg
1.920 m³
Rounded up to the next 0.5 kg, as most air carriers bill it. Check your carrier’s divisor and rounding rules.
Your cargo is copied into the planner, which arranges every piece in 3D.
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How it is calculated
Air and courier freight is priced on chargeable weight, so light, bulky cargo pays for the space it takes. It is the larger of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight.
Formula
- volumetric weight (kg) = L × W × H (cm) × quantity ÷ divisor
- chargeable weight = max(gross weight, volumetric weight)
- The usual divisors are 6,000 for air freight and 5,000 for couriers and express. A carrier’s own contract rate can use another one.
- Measure the outer size of each package, including the pallet and any overhang.
Worked example
- 2 pallets of 120 × 80 × 100 cm: 960,000 cm³ each, 1,920,000 cm³ in total.
- Divided by 6,000, the volumetric weight is 320 kg.
- The pallets weigh 150 kg each, so 300 kg gross. 320 kg is larger, so you pay for 320 kg.
Questions and answers
What is chargeable weight?
The weight a carrier bills: the larger of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight of the shipment.
How do I calculate volumetric weight for air freight?
Multiply length × width × height in centimetres, then divide by 6,000. For 100 × 80 × 60 cm that is 480,000 ÷ 6,000 = 80 kg per piece.
Why do couriers use 5,000 instead of 6,000?
A smaller divisor gives a higher volumetric weight. Courier and express networks fill vans and aircraft with parcels, so they price space more tightly.
How do I calculate it in inches and pounds?
Choose in and lb in this calculator. By hand, multiply the inches and divide by 166 for air freight, or by 139 for most couriers, to get pounds.
Does chargeable weight apply to sea freight?
Sea LCL works in a similar way with W/M: you pay per revenue tonne, which is 1 m³ or 1,000 kg, whichever is larger. The CBM calculator shows it.
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