Volumetric Weight Calculator for air freight and courier
Work out the volumetric weight of your boxes and see the chargeable weight an airline or courier will actually bill. Add as many boxes as you like, in centimetres or inches.
Multiply the length, width and height of the box in centimetres, then divide by 6,000 for air freight or by 5,000 for most express couriers. The result is the volumetric weight in kilograms. The carrier bills whichever is higher, the actual weight or the volumetric weight, and that figure is the chargeable weight. For example, a 60 x 50 x 40 cm box is 120,000 cubic centimetres, so its volumetric weight is 20 kg by air freight and 24 kg by courier.
Calculator
Calculate Volumetric and Chargeable Weight
Add each box or pallet, choose your units and the service, and the calculator shows what the carrier will bill.
What Volumetric Weight Means and Why Carriers Use It
An aircraft fills up by space long before it reaches its weight limit. A large carton of pillows weighs very little but takes the same room as a carton of books, so airlines and couriers price light, bulky cargo by the space it takes. That space-based figure is the volumetric weight, also called dimensional weight or DIM weight.
Every shipment has two weights: the actual weight on the scale and the volumetric weight worked out from its size. The carrier bills the higher of the two. This is the chargeable weight, and it is the number your air freight or courier price is based on.
Most airlines use the IATA standard of 6,000 cubic centimetres per kilogram. Express couriers usually use 5,000, which makes the same box count as heavier. Sea freight works differently and is priced by cubic metre, which you can work out with our CBM calculator.
Worked example
One carton, 60 x 50 x 40 cm, weighing 15 kg.
Volume: 60 x 50 x 40 = 120,000 cubic cm
Air freight: 120,000 / 6,000 = 20 kg volumetric
Courier: 120,000 / 5,000 = 24 kg volumetric
Actual weight is 15 kg, so the box is billed at 20 kg by air
Shrink the carton to 55 x 45 x 40 cm and it bills at 16.5 kg
Volumetric weight, also called dimensional or DIM weight, is a weight worked out from the size of a package rather than its actual mass. Carriers use it so that light but bulky cargo pays for the space it takes on an aircraft or vehicle.
What is the formula for volumetric weight?
Length x width x height in centimetres, divided by 6,000 for air freight or 5,000 for most express couriers, gives the volumetric weight in kilograms. In inches and pounds, divide by 166 for air freight or 139 for courier.
What is chargeable weight?
Chargeable weight is the weight you are billed for. It is the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight. Airlines usually round it up to the next half kilogram.
Why is the courier divisor 5,000 and air freight 6,000?
Express couriers run tightly packed networks, so they value space more and use the smaller divisor of 5,000. That makes the same box count as heavier than it would under the IATA air freight standard of 6,000.
Does sea freight use volumetric weight?
Not in the same way. Sea LCL is billed per cubic metre or per tonne, whichever is greater, which works out as 1 CBM equal to 1,000 kg. Use our CBM calculator for sea shipments.
How do I measure an irregular item?
Measure the longest, widest and tallest points as if the item sat inside a rectangular box, including any protruding parts. If it is crated, measure the crate.
Is the calculator result my final price?
No. It shows the weight the carrier will bill. The price also depends on the destination, the service, pickup and delivery, and customs. Send the result to us and we will quote the full door-to-door cost.
Can I calculate several different boxes at once?
Yes. Add a row for each size and enter how many identical boxes you have. The calculator totals the actual weight, volumetric weight, chargeable weight and volume.
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