Calculator
Calculate your chargeable weight.
Freight is charged on the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. Enter your pieces to see both figures, which one applies and the divisor used, useful when comparing quotes side by side.
Chargeable weight
0kg
Enter dimensions and weights to see which figure your freight will be billed on.
- Total gross weight
- 0
- Total volume
- 0
- Volumetric weight
- 0
- Divisor
- 6,000 cm³/kg
- Total pieces
- 0
A planning estimate. Carriers measure cargo at the terminal, so measure to the outside of the packed pallet, including any overhang, for the most accurate figure.
The method
How the calculation works.
The method behind the result, step by step.
Measure the packed pieces
Take length, width and height of each piece as packed, including the pallet and any overhang. Carriers measure the packed unit.
Work out the volume
Multiply length by width by height for each piece, multiply by the number of pieces, and add them together. In centimetres this gives cubic centimetres; divide by 1,000,000 for cubic metres.
Convert volume to a weight
Divide the total volume in cubic centimetres by the divisor for the service: 6,000 cm³/kg under the IATA air freight convention, typically 5,000 for express and around 3,000 for European road groupage. The result is the volumetric weight in kilograms.
Take the greater figure
Compare the volumetric weight against the actual gross weight. The higher of the two is the chargeable weight, and it is what the rate per kilogram is applied to.
For ocean LCL, use revenue ton instead
Ocean groupage is not charged on a divisor. It is billed per revenue ton (the greater of one cubic metre or one metric tonne), so compare the cargo's volume in cubic metres against its weight in tonnes and take the larger number.
Beyond the calculation
Three factors that can change the result.
Divisors vary by carrier
The IATA convention for air freight is 6,000 cm³ per kilogram, which makes a cubic metre count as 167 kg. Most express and courier operators apply 5,000 instead, which makes exactly the same box twenty per cent heavier on paper. On light, bulky cargo the divisor can move the invoice more than the rate does, so it belongs in any quote comparison alongside the rate per kilo.
Measure the packed unit
Chargeable weight is calculated from the outside of the packed unit. Pallet, crating, shrink wrap and any overhang all count, and a carton that overhangs its pallet is measured to the overhang. Understated dimensions lead to a re-measure at the terminal and a corrected invoice, usually after the cargo has moved.
Density decides the result
Anything below roughly 167 kg per cubic metre will be charged on volume for air freight, and anything above it on weight. Knowing which side of that line a product sits on shows whether repacking is worth doing. Reducing the height of a pallet on low-density cargo cuts the bill directly; on dense cargo it has no effect.
Questions
Common questions.
More definitions in the freight glossary.
What is chargeable weight?
The greater of a shipment's actual gross weight and its volumetric weight. Carriers run out of space before they run out of lift, so cargo that takes up more room than it weighs is charged on the room it occupies. It is why an air freight invoice can be several times what the scale reads.
Is the air freight divisor 5,000 or 6,000?
6,000 cm³ per kilogram is the IATA convention for general air cargo, which makes one cubic metre equal to 167 kg. Express and courier operators generally use 5,000, which produces a higher volumetric weight for the same box. Both are in everyday use, so always confirm which divisor applies.
How is ocean LCL charged?
On revenue ton (the greater of one cubic metre or one metric tonne), with no volumetric divisor. Dense cargo is billed on weight, light cargo on volume, and the invoice takes whichever produces the higher figure.
Does the pallet count towards chargeable weight?
Yes, in both dimensions and weight. Chargeable weight is calculated from the packed unit as the carrier will handle it, so the pallet, the crating and any overhang are all included.
Where this applies
Time-critical and high-value cargo on established airline and handling partners, with chargeable weight, screening and documents confirmed before booking.
FCL, LCL and specialised equipment on the main east–west and transatlantic trades, with VGM, ISF and free time managed as part of every booking.
FTL, LTL, port drayage and cross-border trucking that connect every other mode to your loading dock.
Other tools
How many containers your cargo needs, which equipment uses the fewest boxes, and whether volume or payload is the limit.
Clear definitions of the terms on a freight quote or invoice.