Learn/Pricing & Charges

Chargeable Weight in Air Freight: How to Calculate It

Chargeable weight is the weight an air shipment is actually priced on: the greater of its gross (scale) weight and its volumetric weight, calculated as length × width × height in centimetres divided by 6,000 per piece. Light, bulky cargo pays on volume; dense cargo pays on the scale.

The formula and a worked example

Volumetric (dimensional) weight in standard air freight = (L cm × W cm × H cm) ÷ 6,000, summed across pieces. Chargeable weight = max(gross weight, volumetric weight), conventionally rounded up to the next 0.5 kg. Example: 10 cartons of 60 × 50 × 40 cm weighing 12 kg each. Volumetric: (60×50×40)/6000 = 20 kg per carton → 200 kg. Gross: 120 kg. Chargeable weight: 200 kg — the shipment pays for the space it occupies, not what it weighs.

The divisor is called the DIM factor, and it varies: 6,000 is the IATA standard for general air cargo, many express/courier products use 5,000 (making volume more expensive), and the imperial equivalent is 139 (cubic inches per pound). Quoting with the wrong DIM factor is one of the classic ways an air quote silently loses money.

Weight breaks — where quoting gets strategic

Airline general cargo rates step down at standard weight breaks: Normal, +45 kg, +100 kg, +300 kg, +500 kg, +1,000 kg. Because higher breaks carry lower per-kg rates, a shipment just below a break can be cheaper if rated at the next break's minimum — quoting 95 kg 'as 100 kg' at the +100 rate. Good desks (and good rating engines) check the next break automatically on every quote.

This is also where air consolidation margin comes from: the forwarder buys the master waybill at a high weight break across all house shipments and sells each house waybill at lower-break rates — the spread is the consolidator's economics.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is chargeable weight higher than actual weight?

Because aircraft run out of space before they run out of payload. Carriers price on the greater of weight and volume so that light, bulky cargo pays for the cubic space it consumes. Dense cargo pays on the scale weight instead.

What DIM factor should I use — 6000 or 5000?

6,000 (cm³/kg) is the standard for general air freight; many express and courier products use 5,000, which makes volumetric weight 20% higher. Always confirm the factor in the carrier's rating rules before quoting.

How does chargeable weight work for ocean freight?

Ocean LCL uses a different convention: the revenue ton (W/M), the greater of weight in metric tonnes or volume in cubic metres, with 1 CBM treated as equivalent to 1,000 kg. See our revenue ton and CBM guide.

Can I reduce chargeable weight?

Sometimes — denser packing, vacuum compression for soft goods, or removing over-sized packaging directly cuts volumetric weight. For borderline shipments, ask whether rating at the next weight break's minimum is cheaper than the actual chargeable weight.