Chargeable Weight Calculator

Chargeable weight = the higher of actual weight and volumetric weight (L × W × H ÷ divisor). Three 60 × 50 × 40 cm cartons weighing 42 kg bill at 60 kg by air (÷6000) and 72 kg by express (÷5000).

Air freight chargeable weight (÷6000) 60.00 kg Billed on volume · 42.00 kg actual · 3 pieces

Express (÷5000)72.00 kg

Sea LCL0.360 W/M

Volume0.360 CBM

Headline mode

Units

Up to 10 sizes. Use packed outer dimensions, pallet included.

Custom divisor and rounding

Your carrier's divisor (cm³/kg)

Round chargeable weight up to the next 0.5 kg

Rounding follows your tariff. This option mirrors a common air freight practice. Leave it off to see exact figures.

Chargeable weight by mode

Mode and rule	Volumetric	Actual	Chargeable	Billed on
Air freight÷6000 cm³/kg, whole shipment	–	–	–	–
Express, per package÷5000 cm³/kg, each box rated	–	–	–	–
Express, shipment total÷5000 cm³/kg, totals compared	–	–	–	–
Sea LCL W/Mmax(CBM, metric tons)	–	–	–	–
Your divisorAdd it under Custom divisor	–	–	–	–

The calculation runs in your browser.

Formula

How to Calculate Chargeable Weight in 4 Steps

Measure the packed piece. Take outer length, width and height, including the pallet, overhang and any bulge.
Work out volumetric weight. Multiply L × W × H × pieces, then divide by the divisor for your mode and units.
Add up the actual weight. Use the gross weight of the whole shipment from a calibrated scale.
Take the higher figure. That is the chargeable weight. Apply the tariff's rounding and minimum charge last.

You measure in	Air freight	Express / courier	Result unit
Centimeters	L × W × H ÷ 6,000	L × W × H ÷ 5,000	kg
Inches	L × W × H ÷ 166	L × W × H ÷ 139	lb
Cubic meters (CBM)	CBM × 166.67	CBM × 200	kg

Keep each divisor with its units. 6,000 belongs with centimeters and kilograms, 166 with inches and pounds. Dividing inches by 6,000 is the most common way a quote comes out wrong by a factor of about 36.

By carrier and mode

One Box, Three Different Chargeable Weights

Air, express and ocean each turn volume into a bill differently. The rate sheet decides which rule applies to your lane.

Air freight ÷6000 · 1 CBM = 166.67 kg

Forwarders and airlines rate the consignment as a whole. Total volume is compared with total gross weight, so dense and bulky pieces offset each other.

Express / courier ÷5000 · 1 CBM = 200 kg

Express networks usually rate every package on its own, then sum them. The smaller divisor also makes the same box heavier on paper.

Sea LCL W/M · 1 CBM = 1 revenue ton

Ocean consolidators bill the greater of CBM or metric tons. The result is revenue tons, not kilograms. Full containers are priced per box instead.

Divisor reference

Rule	Metric divisor	Imperial divisor	1 CBM counts as	Break-even density	Where you meet it
Air freight	6,000 cm³/kg	166 in³/lb	166.67 kg	10.40 lb/ft³	Common for international air cargo quotes
Express / courier	5,000 cm³/kg	139 in³/lb	200 kg	12.49 lb/ft³	Common for express and parcel services
Other rate-sheet divisor (example)	4,000 cm³/kg	Ask the carrier	250 kg	15.61 lb/ft³	Seen on some road and domestic tariffs
Other rate-sheet divisor (example)	3,000 cm³/kg	Ask the carrier	333.33 kg	20.81 lb/ft³	Seen on some road and rail tariffs
Sea LCL W/M	1 CBM = 1,000 kg	1 CBM = 1 metric ton	1 revenue ton	1,000 kg/CBM	Consolidated ocean freight

Cargo denser than the break-even figure bills on actual weight. Lighter cargo bills on volume. The 4,000 and 3,000 rows are examples only; use them when your rate sheet says so.

Worked example

A Dallas Apparel Brand Flying Two Carton Sizes

An apparel brand in Dallas, Texas is air-freighting a restock into DFW. It has two carton sizes, measured in inches and pounds.

Line	Carton (in)	Pieces	lb / piece	Air vol. / piece (÷166)	Express vol. / piece (÷139)	Express billed
Outerwear (bulky)	24 × 18 × 16	10	22 lb	41.64 lb	49.73 lb	497.27 lb
Denim (dense)	16 × 12 × 10	4	38 lb	11.57 lb	13.81 lb	152.00 lb
Total		14	372 lb	462.65 lb		649.27 lb

462.65 lbair chargeable (209.85 kg), 24.4% above scale weight

649.27 lbexpress, rated per package

552.52 lbexpress if totals were compared

1.259 W/Mby sea LCL (1.259 CBM vs 0.169 t)

By air, volume wins: 462.65 lb volumetric against 372 lb on the scale.
At an example rate of $5.00 per chargeable kg, the air bill is $1,049.27. Billing on volume adds $205.59 over scale weight.
By express, the dense denim cartons cannot offset the bulky outerwear, which adds 96.75 lb.
Enter the same two lines in the calculator above with Inches and lb selected to reproduce every figure.

Per package or per shipment

Why Mixed Cartons Cost More by Express

Air freight: the whole consignment

Total volume ÷ divisor is compared with total gross weight.
Heavy, dense cartons pull the shipment toward actual weight.
Mixing dense and bulky goods on one air waybill can lower the bill.

Express: every package

Each box is billed on the higher of its own actual or volumetric weight.
The shipment bill is the sum of those package figures.
The calculator shows both, so you can see what consolidating would change.

Carrier playbook

Chargeable Weight by Carrier Type

Who you book with decides the rule, the unit and what gets rated. Use this to know which row of the calculator to read.

Carrier type	Usual rule	What is rated	Result unit	Ask before booking
Air freight forwarder or airline	Higher of gross and ÷6000 volumetric	The whole air waybill	kg, often rounded up	Minimum charge and rounding step
International express network	Higher of actual and ÷5000 volumetric	Each package, then summed	kg or lb per package	Divisor on your account and any oversize fees
US domestic parcel carrier	Higher of actual and dimensional weight in inches	Each package	Whole lb	Divisor on your rate card and how dimensions are rounded
LCL ocean consolidator	W/M: higher of CBM and metric tons	The whole booking	Revenue tons	Minimum W/M and destination charges per W/M
FCL ocean carrier	Price per container	The box	Per 20ft or 40ft	Payload limit and free time at port
US LTL trucking	Freight class, driven by density	The shipment	Class and lb	Class, pallet count and accessorials. See the freight class calculator

Dense goods

Tools, liquids, metal parts and books usually weigh more than their volumetric weight. You pay the scale figure, so packaging size matters less.

Bulky goods

Apparel, bedding, lampshades and plastic homeware usually bill on volume. Every centimeter of carton is paid for.

Mixed loads

On an air waybill, dense lines help bulky ones. By express, each box stands alone. Compare the two express rows in the calculator.

Chart

Volumetric Weight of Common Carton Sizes

If a carton weighs less than the figure shown, it bills on volume. Every value is calculated with the same formulas as the tool.

Carton	CBM	Air freight (÷6000 / ÷166)	Express (÷5000 / ÷139)
30 × 30 × 30 cm	0.0270	4.50 kg	5.40 kg
40 × 30 × 30 cm	0.0360	6.00 kg	7.20 kg
50 × 40 × 30 cm	0.0600	10.00 kg	12.00 kg
60 × 40 × 40 cm	0.0960	16.00 kg	19.20 kg
12 × 12 × 12 in	0.0283	10.41 lb	12.43 lb
18 × 12 × 12 in	0.0425	15.61 lb	18.65 lb
20 × 20 × 20 in	0.1311	48.19 lb	57.55 lb
24 × 18 × 18 in	0.1274	46.84 lb	55.94 lb

Rounding and minimums

What Changes the Number on the Invoice

The calculator shows exact figures. Three tariff terms usually move them, and each varies by carrier.

Weight rounding

Many air tariffs round chargeable weight up to the next half kilogram or whole pound. Turn on rounding above to preview it.

Dimension rounding

Parcel carriers often round each measurement to the nearest whole inch before dividing. A 15.6 in side becomes 16 in.

Minimum charges

Air freight has a minimum per shipment, and LCL often a minimum of 1 W/M. Small consignments can pay the minimum, not the calculated figure.

Weigh and measure the shipment as packed, on the pallet if it ships on one.
Send the carrier piece count, dimensions per piece and gross weight, not just totals.
Check the invoice against the quoted divisor, rounding step and minimum before you pay it.

Avoid surprises

Six Chargeable Weight Mistakes

Using product size

The carrier measures the packed carton or pallet. Catalog dimensions understate volume on every side.

Pairing the wrong divisor

6,000 is for centimeters and 166 is for inches. Mixing them breaks the result.

Leaving off the pallet

A palletized load is measured to its full height, deck included, and to the widest overhang.

Treating W/M as kilograms

1.5 W/M means 1.5 revenue tons, billed at a per-W/M rate. It is not 1.5 kg.

Summing express like air

Express rates each package. Comparing shipment totals understates the bill when box densities differ.

Assuming one divisor for all lanes

Contracts, services and countries differ. Confirm the divisor on the quote before you book.

Lower the bill

How to Reduce Chargeable Weight

Right-size the carton

Trimming a 60 × 50 × 40 cm carton to 56 × 46 × 36 cm cuts its air volumetric weight from 20.00 kg to 15.46 kg, 22.7% less.

Consolidate for air

On one air waybill, dense cartons offset bulky ones. Send mixed goods together rather than as separate express parcels.

Switch mode for bulky goods

When volume drives the air bill, compare an LCL quote using the W/M figure above. Check that the extra transit time works for stock.

Ask the carrier which divisor, rounding rule and minimum apply to your lane.
Keep that answer with the quote so the invoice can be checked later.
Re-run the numbers whenever packaging or the product mix changes.

Next step

Related Freight Calculators

CBM calculator Total cubic meters for several carton sizes, with LCL W/M and container fit. Volumetric weight calculator Volumetric weight for one carton across every common divisor. Dimensional weight calculator DIM weight and billable weight for ecommerce parcels. Landed cost calculator Add freight, duty and fees to get the cost per unit landed.

See all free logistics tools, or read how Locad handles shipping and cross-border logistics.

FAQ

Chargeable Weight Questions

Work out volumetric weight as length × width × height ÷ the carrier's divisor, then compare it with the actual weight and bill the higher one. Three 60 × 50 × 40 cm cartons weighing 42 kg in total have a volumetric weight of 60 kg at ÷6000, so the air chargeable weight is 60 kg.

The divisor turns space into weight. At 6,000 cm³ per kg, one cubic meter counts as 166.67 kg, so the divisor sets a break-even density. Cargo lighter than about 166.67 kg per CBM is billed on its volume instead of its scale weight.

Measure each packed piece in centimeters, multiply length × width × height × pieces, and divide the total by 6,000 to get volumetric kg. In inches and pounds, divide by 166 instead. Compare that with the total gross weight of the shipment and use whichever is higher.

Multiply CBM by 166.67 for air freight at ÷6000, or by 200 for express at ÷5000. So 2 CBM is 333.33 kg by air and 400 kg by express. Then compare that figure with the actual weight and bill the higher one.

Actual weight is what the scale reads. Volumetric weight is calculated from the dimensions and a divisor. Chargeable weight is whichever of the two is higher, and it is the figure the rate per kg or per lb is multiplied by on the invoice.

Use the divisor in your rate sheet. As a planning rule, air freight quotes commonly use 6,000 cm³/kg (166 in³/lb) and express or courier services commonly use 5,000 cm³/kg (139 in³/lb). The smaller divisor gives a higher volumetric weight for the same box.

Multiply the inches, then divide by 166 for air freight or 139 for express to get dimensional pounds. A 24 × 18 × 16 in carton is 41.64 lb by air and 49.73 lb by express. Compare that with the actual pounds and bill the higher figure.

Express carriers usually rate each package on its own, then add the packages together. A heavy box cannot offset a light, bulky one. In the Dallas example on this page, that per-package rule bills 96.75 lb more than comparing shipment totals would.

Sea LCL is billed per revenue ton, also called W/M: the greater of the shipment volume in CBM or its weight in metric tons. The answer is a count of revenue tons, not kilograms. Many forwarders apply a minimum of 1 W/M. Full containers are priced per box.

Usually, yes. Many air tariffs round up to the next half kilogram or the next whole pound, and parcel carriers often round each dimension to the nearest inch first. The calculator shows exact figures and has an option to round up in half-kilogram or whole-pound steps.

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