Free tool
Chargeable weight calculator for air freight and courier
Airlines and couriers bill the higher of a parcel’s actual weight and its volumetric (dimensional) weight. Enter your piece sizes and weights to see which one you will pay for, for air freight, express courier or your own carrier’s divisor.
IATA standard: length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000.
Pieces
Actual weight
0 kg
Volumetric weight
0 kg
cm³ ÷ 6,000
Chargeable weight
0 kg
The higher of actual and volumetric
How it is worked out
Volumetric weight, air freight
Length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000 (the IATA standard), per piece. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm box is 16 kg volumetric.
Volumetric weight, courier
Most express couriers divide by 5,000 instead, so the same 60 × 40 × 40 cm box is 19.2 kg. Some use 4,000: check your contract.
Chargeable weight
The higher of the total actual weight and the total volumetric weight, usually rounded up to the next 0.5 kg.
Inches
Switch to inches and the sizes are converted to centimetres (1 inch = 2.54 cm) before dividing.
Questions
- What is chargeable weight?
- The weight a carrier bills you for: the higher of the actual (gross) weight and the volumetric weight worked out from the size of the pieces.
- How do I calculate volumetric weight for air freight?
- Multiply length × width × height in centimetres and divide by 6,000. Do this for each piece and add them up.
- Why do couriers use 5,000 instead of 6,000?
- Express couriers price for the space parcels take in their network, so most use a smaller divisor of 5,000, which gives a higher volumetric weight. The exact divisor is in your courier contract.
- How can I lower my chargeable weight?
- When volumetric weight is higher, you are paying for empty space. Smaller cartons, less filler and packing tighter all reduce it.
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