Chargeable Weight Calculator
Air freight charges the greater of what a shipment weighs and what it occupies. Enter the pieces and this works out which one decides your bill — and by how much.
Cargo
Chargeable weight
This shipment is light for its size, so volume decides the bill. You pay for 140.00 kg more than it actually weighs. Reducing the box size — or filling the same boxes more densely — is what lowers the cost.
Air freight converts volume at 166.67 kg/m³ (1:6000 cm³/kg); sea freight uses 1000 kg/m³, which is why cargo that is economic by sea can be expensive by air. Chargeable weight is rounded up to the next half kilo. Final charges use the weight and dimensions measured at acceptance, not the figures entered here.
The formula
The break-even is 166.67 kg per cubic metre. Denser than that and you pay for weight; lighter and you pay for space. Sea freight's equivalent is 1000 kg/m³ — six times more forgiving of bulk, which is the whole reason light cargo goes by sea.
Worked example
Two pieces at 120 × 80 × 100 cm, 90 kg each. Volume is 0.96 m³ per piece, so 1.92 m³ in total → 320 kg volumetric against 180 kg gross. The shipment is charged at 320 kg: you pay for 140 kg of air. Getting the same goods into 120 × 80 × 60 cm cartons would drop the chargeable weight below the gross weight and cut the bill by roughly a third.
What this does not include
Minimum charges, weight breaks (the per-kilo rate usually steps down at 45, 100, 300, 500 and 1000 kg), fuel and security surcharges, and special-handling fees. Those are part of the rate, not the weight — and they are itemised on a quote rather than folded into it.
Frequently asked
What is chargeable weight in air freight?
Chargeable weight is the figure an air freight rate is applied to: the greater of the shipment’s actual gross weight and its volumetric weight. Volumetric weight converts volume at the IATA ratio of 1:6000 cm³ per kilo — 166.67 kg per cubic metre. Whichever is higher is what you pay for.
How do I calculate volumetric weight?
Multiply length × width × height in centimetres and divide by 6000. For a 120 × 80 × 100 cm piece that is 960,000 ÷ 6000 = 160 kg volumetric. If the piece actually weighs 90 kg, it is charged at 160 kg.
Why is air freight volumetric ratio different from sea freight?
Air uses 166.67 kg/m³ and sea uses 1000 kg/m³, because an aircraft runs out of volume long before it runs out of lift. The same light, bulky cargo that is cheap by sea is expensive by air, and repacking to a smaller cube is the main lever you have.
Is chargeable weight rounded?
Yes — up to the next half kilogram. A shipment computing to 12.2 kg is charged at 12.5 kg. Some carriers and lanes apply a minimum charge as well, so very small shipments pay a floor rather than a per-kilo rate.
Does the carrier use my figures?
No. The carrier weighs and measures at acceptance and charges on what it finds. This calculator tells you what to expect and what to declare; a discrepancy at the terminal is re-rated against the measured figures.
Know your chargeable weight? Next question is which unit it plans into.
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