What is volumetric weight?
Volumetric weight is the volume that a shipment occupies, converted into kilograms with the divisor of the transport mode. The carrier compares the actual (gross) weight with the volumetric weight, and whichever is greater is the chargeable weight. In this way light but bulky cargo is invoiced for the capacity it takes up in the vehicle. Dimensional weight means the same thing.
How is volumetric weight calculated in air freight?
In air freight, volumetric weight is found by multiplying width, length and height in centimetres and dividing by 6000. The established IATA divisor is 6000 cm³/kg, which means that 1 m³ is counted as about 167 kg. Example: a single pallet measuring 120 × 80 × 100 cm is 960,000 cm³, and divided by 6000 it gives a volumetric weight of 160 kg. If the actual weight of the pallet is 90 kg, the invoice is issued on 160 kg. For express courier products the standard divisor is 5000, and the same pallet then comes to 192 kg. Measurements are taken from the outermost points of the cargo: pallet feet, stretch film and protruding packaging are included in the volume. See air freight for the wider service.
- Formula: (width × length × height, cm) ÷ 6000 = volumetric weight (kg).
- For express products the divisor is 5000, and the result is about 20% higher.
- Comparison: 160 kg volumetric weight > 90 kg actual weight, so the charge is on 160 kg.
Which rule applies to road part-load?
In road part-load, the common convention is 1 m³ = 333 kg, that is, a divisor of 3000 (cm³ ÷ 3000). Example: for a 400 kg shipment occupying 2 m³, the volumetric weight is 2 × 333 = 666 kg, and the charge is made on 666 kg. For heavy cargo with a small volume a second measure applies: the loading metre (ldm). Although the actual inner width can reach 2.45 m depending on the trailer type, the base of the ldm formula is accepted in the sector as 2.40 m; the ldm value of a load is found by dividing the floor area it occupies by 2.40, and 1 ldm is commonly taken to correspond to 1,750 kg. A 120 × 80 cm Euro pallet occupies 0.96 m² of floor area; that is 0.4 ldm, or 700 kg. For loads that cannot be stacked on, the carrier counts the ldm in full, without regard to height.
- 1 m³ ≈ 333 kg (a divisor of 3000).
- 1 ldm ≈ 1,750 kg; ldm = floor area (m²) ÷ 2.40.
- For cargo that cannot be stacked, ldm is counted in full.
How is the chargeable weight found in sea LCL?
In LCL the measure is the W/M (weight or measurement) rule: 1 m³ and 1,000 kg are treated as equal, and the greater is charged. The resulting unit is called the revenue ton (freight ton; R/T). Example: for a 1,200 kg shipment occupying 6.5 m³, the volume is 6.5 R/T and the weight is 1.2 R/T, so the charge is on 6.5 R/T. In the opposite case, for a machine part of 3,500 kg with a volume of 2 m³, the weight dominates at 3.5 R/T. In LCL most carriers apply a minimum of 1 R/T, so very small shipments are still priced on one full revenue ton. In FCL this calculation is not made; the price is given per container, and the limit is set by the maximum payload of the container and by the road weight limits in the country of destination.
When is the actual weight charged?
Actual weight is charged when the density of the cargo exceeds the threshold density of that transport mode. The threshold is the direct counterpart of the divisor: 167 kg/m³ in air freight, 200 kg/m³ for express products, 333 kg/m³ in road part-load and 1,000 kg/m³ in sea LCL. Actual weight dominates for dense cargo such as metal castings, marble and full chemical drums; volumetric weight dominates for low-density cargo such as textiles, packaging material, furniture and empty receptacles (empty drums, crates and similar vessels, not shipping containers). The same cargo can be charged on weight by sea and on volume by air. For this reason, when modes are compared, asking for a quote on a single weight is misleading; the calculation has to be made separately for each mode.
What should be watched in measuring and rounding?
If the declared measurement and the measurement taken at the terminal differ, the invoice is corrected to the terminal measurement. In air freight, in common practice, the shipment weight is rounded up to the next 0.5 kg and the dimensions of each piece to the nearest centimetre. For palletised cargo, the height of the pallet itself and the thickness of the stretch film are included in the volume; a box that is 100 cm high can measure 115 cm in height once it is palletised. Terminal measuring devices scan the outer box of the cargo, so a protruding corner, a projecting part or a slanted stack enlarges the whole box. Declaring the measurement in its palletised state before booking largely removes the risk of a difference invoice later. The volumetric weight calculator shows the calculation for each mode.
Volumetric weight divisors and threshold densities by transport mode
| Transport mode |
Rule / divisor |
How many kg is 1 m³ counted as |
Threshold density (above it the actual weight is charged) |
| Air freight (IATA) |
(cm³) ÷ 6000 |
≈ 167 kg |
167 kg/m³ |
| Air express / courier |
(cm³) ÷ 5000 |
200 kg |
200 kg/m³ |
| Road part-load |
(cm³) ÷ 3000 |
≈ 333 kg |
333 kg/m³ |
| Road (loading metre) |
1 ldm ≈ 1,750 kg |
By floor area |
Area-based, independent of volume |
| Sea LCL (W/M) |
1 m³ = 1,000 kg, revenue ton (R/T) |
1,000 kg |
1,000 kg/m³ |
| Sea FCL |
Volumetric weight does not apply |
— |
Price per container |
Frequently asked questions
Are volumetric weight and chargeable weight the same thing?
No. Volumetric weight is only one input of the calculation; chargeable weight is the greater of the actual weight and the volumetric weight. Both values are calculated for every shipment, and only the greater one is reflected on the invoice. Asking which of them is used as the basis when you request a quote is the first condition for comparing offers correctly.
How much does the charge rise if the divisor is 5000 instead of 6000?
The volumetric weight rises by about 20%, because the same volume is divided by a smaller number. A pallet of 960,000 cm³ comes to 160 kg with a divisor of 6000 and to 192 kg with 5000. For dense cargo whose actual weight is above these values, however, a change in the divisor has no effect on the invoice at all, because the actual weight is already being charged.
Are the weight of the pallet and the packaging counted?
Yes. Gross values are used both for the actual weight and for the volume calculation; both the weight and the volume of the pallet, the crate, the corner protectors and the stretch film are included. The net weight of the product is shown separately only for the customs declaration and the origin documents. This is why the packing list should show both the gross and the net weight.
Is each box calculated separately in a multi-piece shipment?
The volume of each piece is calculated separately and added up, and then the total volumetric weight is compared with the total gross weight. Choosing the greater value piece by piece and adding those up gives a wrong and inflated result; the comparison is always made at the level of the shipment.