Chargeable weight calculator

Air freight is billed on whichever is greater: the real weight of your shipment or its volumetric weight. Enter each piece below to see both and the weight you will actually pay for.

How chargeable weight is calculated

1. Measure the outer length, width and height of each piece in centimetres, including the pallet and any overhang.
2. Multiply L × W × H to get the volume in cm³, then multiply by the number of identical pieces.
3. Divide the total volume by the divisor (6,000 for most airline cargo) to get the volumetric weight in kg.
4. Compare it with the total gross weight. The higher figure is the chargeable weight.
5. Round up to the carrier's increment — commonly the next half kilogram for air freight.

The 6,000 divisor means one cubic metre is treated as 166.67 kg. In freight-forwarding shorthand that is the "1:6" ratio: if your cargo weighs less than 166.67 kg per cubic metre, you are paying for space, not weight.

Worked example

Two cartons of 60 × 40 × 50 cm weighing 9 kg each. Volume per carton is 120,000 cm³, so 240,000 cm³ in total. 240,000 ÷ 6,000 = 40 kg volumetric, against 18 kg actual. The shipment is billed at 40 kg. Sent with an express courier using the 5,000 divisor, the same cartons would be billed at 48 kg.

Ways to reduce chargeable weight

• Right-size cartons — empty space inside a box is billed as if it were cargo.
• Consolidate small cartons onto one pallet only if the stacked footprint is tighter than the separate pieces.
• Avoid oversized pallets; a 120 × 80 cm pallet with a 10 cm overhang is measured at its widest point.
• For light, bulky goods, compare an airline (6,000) quote with an express (5,000) quote — the divisor alone can change the bill by 20%.

Read the full guide: chargeable weight in air freight, including weight breaks and when declaring a higher weight is cheaper.