Volumetric weight calculator for air freight
Airlines charge for the greater of two weights — actual or volumetric. Enter the dimensions and weight of your pieces: the calculator applies the IATA standard (divisor 6000) and the courier standard (5000) and shows which weight you will pay for.
Dimensions in centimetres, weight in kilograms. Everything runs in your browser — no data is sent anywhere.
Got your chargeable weight — get an air freight quote. The BTRANS team will match a flight and rate to your cargo and route.
Get a quote at BTRANSHow volumetric weight works
The IATA formula: volumetric weight (kg) = length × width × height (cm) / divisor. Divisor 6000 means one cubic metre equals 167 kg. If the actual weight is higher, you pay actual; if the cargo is light and bulky — you pay volumetric. It protects carriers from "shipping air".
| Standard | Divisor | 1 m³ = | Used by |
|---|---|---|---|
| IATA (airlines) | 6000 | 167 kg | scheduled air freight, consolidators |
| Express couriers | 5000 | 200 kg | DHL, FedEx, UPS and most courier networks |
Worked example
A 50×40×30 cm box weighing 7 kg: volume = 60,000 cm³. Volumetric weight: 60,000 / 6000 = 10 kg (IATA) or 60,000 / 5000 = 12 kg (courier). Actual 7 kg is lower — you will be charged for 10 or 12 kg respectively.
What you actually pay for: chargeable weight
Actual and volumetric weight
Actual weight is what the scales show. Volumetric (dimensional) weight converts the space a shipment occupies into kilograms. The carrier compares the two and invoices the greater one — that greater figure is the chargeable weight. Knowing it before you ship is what keeps the final invoice from becoming a surprise.
Rounding and minimum weight
Airlines normally round the chargeable weight up to 0.5 kg, express couriers to a full kilogram, and the dimensions of each piece are often rounded up to a whole centimetre. On top of that most carriers apply a minimum chargeable weight per shipment. That is why the invoice can land slightly above your own calculation — leave a small margin.
How to reduce chargeable weight
When volumetric weight exceeds the actual one, you are paying for air. What works in practice: remove the voids — a box that fits the goods instead of one bought "with room to spare"; disassemble whatever comes apart, such as legs, handles and protruding parts; swap bulky filler for dense protection, for example bubble wrap for foam corner profiles; consolidate several small pieces into one dense package if the goods are uniform; and check the height — on flat cargo it is usually the height that adds the spare centimetres. Re-run the packing options in the calculator above: the difference is often tens of per cent.
Volumetric weight in other transport modes
Converting volume into weight is not unique to aviation, but every mode uses its own factor:
| Mode | 1 m³ counts as | How it is rated |
|---|---|---|
| Air, IATA | 167 kg | divisor 6000 |
| Air, express couriers | 200 kg | divisor 5000 |
| Road, groupage | 250–333 kg | by volume, pallet spaces or LDM |
| Sea, LCL | 1000 kg | by CBM: volume or weight, whichever is greater |
| Rail | ~333 kg | depends on the operator and wagon type |
The values are indicative: an individual carrier may apply a different factor, always stated in the tariff. For road and sea, calculate the volume in our cargo volume calculator.
FAQ
Why does my light cargo cost like heavy?
Because it is bulky: an aircraft is limited by hold volume as much as by payload. A light oversized box occupies space that denser cargo could use — that space is what you pay for.
6000 vs 5000 — what is the difference?
6000 is the IATA standard for scheduled airlines (1 m³ = 167 kg). 5000 is the stricter courier standard (1 m³ = 200 kg) used by DHL, FedEx, UPS and similar networks.
How can I reduce volumetric weight?
Pack tighter: remove voids, use snug boxes, disassemble what can be disassembled. Recalculate the options in the widget above — sometimes new packaging beats paying for air.
Does this apply to road and sea freight?
No — road cargo is rated by volume, pallet spaces and LDM, sea by CBM. Use our cargo volume calculator for those.
How is chargeable weight rounded?
Airlines usually round up to 0.5 kg, express couriers to a whole kilogram, and each piece's dimensions are often rounded up to the nearest centimetre. Carriers also apply a minimum chargeable weight per shipment, below which the invoice does not go.
How is the volumetric weight of a pallet calculated?
The same way as a box, but using the outer dimensions of the loaded pallet including the pallet itself: length × width × total height. A standard EUR pallet 120×80 cm at 160 cm high gives 1.536 m³, which is about 256 kg of volumetric weight under the IATA standard.
Per piece or per whole shipment?
The carrier sums the volumetric weight of all pieces in the shipment and compares it with the total actual weight — the comparison is made for the consignment as a whole, not box by box. A dense piece can therefore offset a light bulky one within the same air waybill.