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Air freight chargeable weight calculator
Chargeable weight is the greater of a shipment's actual weight and its volumetric weight. Volumetric weight is the length × width × height of every piece in centimetres, divided by 6,000 (IATA's standard factor), or in inches divided by 166 for US domestic air. Enter each line of pieces below to see both, and which one the airline bills.
- 835.0 kg
- Actual weight
- 682.0 kg
- Volumetric, ÷ 6,000 cm³/kg
- 682.3 kg
- Volumetric, ÷ 166 in³/lb
- 4.092 m³
- Total volume · 31 pieces
How chargeable weight is worked out
Volume = pieces × length × width × height
Volumetric weight (kg) = volume in cm³ ÷ 6,000
Volumetric weight (lb) = volume in in³ ÷ 166
Chargeable weight = the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight
- 6,000 cm³ per kg means one cubic metre counts as 166.67 kg, a ratio of about 1:6.
- 166 in³ per lb is the same density in imperial units: 6,000 cm³/kg converts to 166.1 in³/lb.
- Add up the whole shipment before comparing: total volumetric weight against total actual weight.
Worked example
One house air waybill, worked out.
Northgate Home's house AGLH-51003 is 12 pieces of 60 × 50 × 50 cm, 180.0 kg on the scale. Its volume is 1,800,000 cm³ (1.80 m³). Divided by 6,000 that's 300.0 kg of volumetric weight, more than the scale weight, so it bills at 300.0 kg. At $3.60/kg that's $1,080.00.
Measured in inches, the same pieces come to 109,843 in³. Divided by 166 that's 661.7 lb (300.1 kg): within 0.05% of the metric figure.
On the master air waybill the four houses weigh 835.0 kg against 682.0 kg of volumetric weight, so the airline bills the consolidation on its actual weight, 835.0 kg. The calculator starts with those four houses.
Volumetric factors in use
| Factor | In the other units | 1 m³ counts as | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6,000 cm³/kg | 166.1 in³/lb | 166.7 kg | IATA's standard for air cargo |
| 166 in³/lb | 5,997 cm³/kg | 166.7 kg | US domestic air freight |
| 5,000 cm³/kg | 138.4 in³/lb | 200.0 kg | Some carriers, often express and courier services |
Free tool
Chargeable weight questions
What is chargeable weight in air freight?
It's the weight an airline or forwarder bills: the greater of the shipment's actual gross weight and its volumetric weight. Dense cargo usually bills on actual weight; light, bulky cargo bills on volumetric weight.
Why divide by 6,000?
IATA's standard volumetric factor treats 6,000 cm³ as one kilogram, so a cubic metre counts as about 166.67 kg. Freight lighter than that for its size is billed for the space it takes.
Is 166 in³/lb different from 6,000 cm³/kg?
Hardly. 6,000 cm³/kg converts to 166.1 in³/lb, so the two give results within about 0.1% of each other. Use the one that matches the units of your dimensions and your rate.
Do I work it out per piece or for the whole shipment?
For the whole shipment: add up the volume of every piece, then compare total volumetric weight with total actual weight. In a consolidation, the airline bills the master air waybill's totals while each house is billed to its own customer on its own figures.
Do carriers round chargeable weight?
Most tariffs round up, commonly to the next half kilogram or the next whole pound, and some round dimensions first. The calculator shows the exact figure and the half-kilogram or whole-pound rounding; check your carrier's rules for anything else.
Do express couriers use the same factor?
Not always. Some carriers use 5,000 cm³/kg, which makes volumetric weight 20% higher for the same box. Check the divisor in the carrier's service guide.
Roadmark works out chargeable weight on every house air waybill.
And the margin a consolidation earns because its houses share space.
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Let Roadmark work it out on every load.
Bring a week of your own loads. We'll show you the detention, weights, classes and free-time charges Roadmark would have worked out from your ELD times, dimensions and terminal dates.
- Worked from your own loads, not a script
- Every figure shown with where it came from
- Runs beside the TMS you have today