Chargeable weight calculator
Enter your boxes and get the chargeable weight, the volumetric weight and the CBM. Air freight, express courier, sea LCL and groupage each bill on a different rule, and the one being applied is shown beside the answer. Free, no sign-up, nothing leaves your browser.
| Pieces | Length (cm) | Width (cm) | Height (cm) | Weight each (kg) | CBM | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — |
The rules behind the number
| Service | Rule | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight | 1 : 167 (6,000 cm³ per kg) | The IATA rule, used for general air cargo on a master or house waybill. |
| Express courier / parcel | 5,000 cm³ per kg | The standard for express parcel services. Some carriers and some account types use a different divisor — check your rate card. |
| Sea LCL / road groupage | 1 CBM = 1,000 kg | Groupage bills on whichever is greater, the weight or the space. Sea LCL is often quoted per revenue tonne, which is the same comparison. |
| Full container / full truck | Billed by the unit, not by weight | An FCL or FTL move is priced per container or per truck, so there is no volumetric weight — only the real weight, which still has to stay inside the legal limit. |
Questions people ask
What is chargeable weight?
It is the greater of what your cargo actually weighs and what it weighs volumetrically — a figure that converts the space it occupies into kilos. Carriers bill on it because a light, bulky consignment fills an aircraft or a container long before it reaches the weight limit, and they would otherwise carry air for nothing.
How do you calculate volumetric weight for air freight?
The IATA rule is 1:167 — one cubic metre counts as 167 kg. Written the way it appears on most tariffs that is 6,000 cubic centimetres per kilo, which is the same thing. Multiply length by width by height in centimetres, divide by 6,000, and compare the answer with the real weight.
Why does express courier use a different number?
Express parcel services generally use 5,000 cubic centimetres per kilo rather than 6,000, so the same box bills heavier on a courier service than as general air cargo. Some carriers and some negotiated account types use another divisor again, which is why the rule is printed beside the answer here rather than assumed.
How does it work for sea LCL or road groupage?
Groupage compares weight against volume at one tonne per cubic metre — so a cubic metre and a tonne are charged the same, and you pay for whichever is greater. Sea LCL is often quoted per revenue tonne or per freight tonne, which is that same comparison under another name.
What about a full container or a full truck?
There is no volumetric weight. You are buying the container or the vehicle, so the price is per unit and the only weight that matters is the real one — which still has to stay inside the legal axle and gross limits for the road it travels on.
Does the calculator send my dimensions anywhere?
No. The arithmetic runs in your browser and nothing is transmitted or stored.
Doing this on every quote?
Chargeable weight is one line of a quotation. The rest — the buy rate, the margin, the booking it turns into and the supplier bill that arrives weeks later — is what a forwarding system is for.