Freight & Shipping
Volumetric vs Chargeable Weight in Air Freight
Air freight is rarely charged on the weight your scale shows. Airlines compare your cargo’s actual weight against its volumetric weight and bill you on whichever is greater. Here’s how that works, with the formula and a worked example.
Why airlines use volumetric weight
Aircraft hold space is limited as much as their weight capacity, so a large, light shipment can fill the hold long before it hits the weight limit. To price fairly, airlines convert volume into a notional weight — the volumetric (or dimensional) weight — and charge on whichever is higher.
The volumetric weight formula
For air freight, volumetric weight in kilograms is length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 6000. So a box of 60cm × 40cm × 50cm has a volumetric weight of 120 000 ÷ 6000 = 20 kg, regardless of what it actually weighs.
Worked example
Volumetric weight of a 60×40×50 box
Volumetric weight = (60 × 40 × 50) ÷ 6000 = 20 kg
• If the box actually weighs 12 kg → charged on 20 kg
• If it actually weighs 30 kg → charged on 30 kg
You always pay on the greater of volumetric and actual weight.
Chargeable weight: the greater of the two
The chargeable weight is simply the higher of the actual (gross) weight and the volumetric weight. If your 20 kg-volumetric box actually weighs 12 kg, you pay on 20 kg. If it weighs 30 kg, you pay on 30 kg. Dense cargo bills on actual weight; bulky, light cargo bills on volume.
How to reduce your chargeable weight
Because volume can drive the cost, smart packing pays. Removing void space, using right-sized cartons, and consolidating cut the volumetric weight and therefore the bill. Over-boxing a light product is one of the most common ways importers overpay on air freight.
Air vs sea: different volumetric rules
Note the divisor differs by mode and carrier — air freight typically uses 6000, while courier and express services often use 5000, and sea freight works on CBM. Always check which basis applies before comparing quotes, because the same box can have very different chargeable weights.
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