Chargeable Weight Calculator
Calculate chargeable (billable) weight: enter dimensions, carton count, divisor, and actual weight to see volumetric weight and the greater figure your carrier actually bills on. Divisor presets are carrier-published — confirm against your rate card.
Chargeable (billable) weight is what your freight bill is actually rated on: the greater of the shipment's actual scale weight and its volumetric weight. Carriers charge for the space a shipment takes as well as its mass, so a light, bulky shipment bills on volume — this tool runs both numbers and shows which one you pay for.
How it works
Enter the carton dimensions, count, actual weight, and your carrier's DIM divisor. The tool first computes volumetric weight (volume in cm3 divided by the divisor), then compares it against the actual weight and reports the greater figure as the chargeable weight. If the chargeable weight is the volumetric one, the shipment is volumetrically dense — smaller cartons or tighter packing lower the bill.
The formula
VW = (L x W x H x Q) / divisor converts volume to a weight-equivalent using the carrier's divisor in cm3 per kg. CW = max(AW, VW): whichever of actual and volumetric weight is greater is what the carrier bills.
Worked example
Ten cartons of 120 x 80 x 100 cm weighing 900 kg on the scale: volumetric weight = 9,600,000 cm3 / 6000 = 1,600 kg. Chargeable weight = max(900, 1,600) = 1,600 kg — the shipment bills on volume, not scale weight.
Frequently asked questions
What is chargeable weight?
The weight a carrier actually rates a shipment on: the greater of the actual (scale) weight and the volumetric (dimensional) weight. Dense freight bills on actual weight; light-but-bulky freight bills on volumetric weight. The comparison rule is stable across major carriers, but the divisor behind the volumetric side varies.
How do I reduce my chargeable weight?
If you are billed on volume, reduce the volume: smaller or better-fitted cartons, less void fill, denser packing, or splitting awkward items. Every cm3 removed comes straight off the volumetric weight. If you are billed on actual weight, the shipment is already dense and only lighter contents or packaging help.
Which divisor does this use?
Whatever you enter — the default 6000 cm3/kg is the general air-cargo (IATA) convention, and 5000 is common for express couriers, both carrier-published figures checked July 2026. Divisors differ by carrier, service, and rate card, so confirm yours before relying on the result. Our volumetric and dimensional weight calculators cover the metric and imperial conventions in more detail.
Does this apply to sea freight too?
Not directly. Sea/LCL freight is usually rated per revenue tonne — the greater of the shipment's cubic metres and its weight in metric tonnes — rather than by the parcel/air max(actual, volumetric) rule. Use our CBM calculator for sea and LCL volume.
Related tools
This is a planning estimate. Results depend on your inputs and assumptions; confirm against your own data before ordering.
- Dimensions are entered in centimetres and the divisor is in cm3 per kg, so the result is kilograms.
- All cartons share the same outer dimensions.
- No carrier rounding is applied inside the formula; carriers typically round dimensions and the final billable weight by their own rules.
- Actual and volumetric weight are expressed in the same unit before comparing.
- Volumetric weight is computed with the carrier's own current divisor.
- No final-weight rounding is applied inside the formula; carriers typically round the billable weight up (e.g. UPS to the next whole pound).