Volumetric Weight Calculator

Volumetric weight (sometimes called dimensional weight) is a pricing technique that reflects how much space a shipment occupies, rather than how much it actually weighs. Carriers calculate it from the length, width and height of the shipment using a fixed divisor.

Multiply the length, width and height of the shipment in centimetres, then divide by 6,000 for air freight. For ocean LCL, carriers compare the volume in CBM with the weight in tonnes and charge on the greater (1 CBM ≈ 1,000 kg).

Chargeable weight is whichever is greater — the actual (gross) weight of your shipment or its volumetric weight. Freight carriers always bill on the higher of the two figures, so the volumetric weight calculator helps you predict your invoice before booking.

A pallet of feathers and a pallet of bricks take up the same space on an aircraft, but only one is heavy. Volumetric weight ensures light, bulky cargo pays its fair share of the capacity it consumes — otherwise carriers would lose money on every low-density shipment.

No. Full container loads (FCL) are priced per container, not per kilogram, so volumetric weight does not apply. It applies to air freight and less-than-container-load (LCL) ocean freight.

Use 6,000 cm³/kg for air freight, and weight/measure (1 CBM ≈ 1,000 kg) for ocean LCL — the two modes this calculator covers. Courier and express services often use a tighter 5,000 cm³/kg, so check with your carrier if you are shipping a parcel.