Enter the box size and actual weight to get the dimensional (volumetric) weight and the chargeable weight carriers will bill, in kg or lb.
Chargeable weight
12kg
Billed by dimensional weight
Dimensional weight
12kg
Actual weight
8kg
Carriers round sizes and weights up in their own way (often to the next whole inch, lb, or 0.5 kg). Check the current divisor in your carrier's rate guide.
Dimensional weight (dim weight or volumetric weight) is the weight a carrier assigns to a package based on its size. Multiply length × width × height and divide by the carrier's divisor. You are billed on the chargeable weight: whichever is greater, the actual weight or the dimensional weight.
Metric: dimensional weight (kg) = L × W × H in cm ÷ divisor (5000 or 6000)
Imperial: dimensional weight (lb) = L × W × H in inches ÷ divisor (139 or 166)
Express courier, metric: a 50 × 40 × 30 cm box weighing 8 kg. 50 × 40 × 30 = 60,000 ÷ 5000 = 12 kg. The chargeable weight is 12 kg, not 8 kg.
FedEx or UPS, US: a 20 × 16 × 12 inch box weighing 18 lb. 3,840 ÷ 139 = 27.6 lb, which carriers round up to 28 lb.
Air cargo: a pallet of 120 × 100 × 150 cm weighing 210 kg. 1,800,000 ÷ 6000 = 300 kg, so the shipment is charged at 300 kg.
The divisor is set by the carrier and your contract, and carriers change it from time to time, so check the current rate guide. These are the common published values:
| Service | Divisor | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Air cargo (IATA standard) | 6000 | cm³ per kg (1 CBM = 166.67 kg) |
| Express couriers, international (DHL Express and others) | 5000 | cm³ per kg (1 CBM = 200 kg) |
| FedEx and UPS, US daily rates | 139 | in³ per lb |
| UPS retail rates, USPS | 166 | in³ per lb |
| Road freight (common in Europe) | 3000 | cm³ per kg (1 CBM = 333 kg) |
The metric and imperial divisors match closely: 6000 cm³/kg is about 166 in³/lb, and 5000 cm³/kg is about 139 in³/lb. A lower divisor gives a higher dimensional weight, so 5000 and 139 cost more for light, bulky goods than 6000 and 166. USPS applies dimensional weight only to parcels larger than one cubic foot.
Most carriers round each measurement up to the next whole centimeter or inch before multiplying, and round the result up to the next 0.5 kg or whole pound. A box measured at 30.2 cm is billed as 31 cm. The calculator shows the exact figure; expect the invoice to be at or slightly above it.
Put the final weights and dimensions on the commercial invoice and on the air waybill; differences between declared and measured sizes are a common reason for extra charges. See what an air waybill is for the document that carries them.
Multiply length × width × height and divide by the carrier's divisor: 5000 or 6000 for centimeters and kilograms, 139 or 166 for inches and pounds. Compare the result with the actual weight; the greater one is billed.
Both use 139 cubic inches per pound for their standard US daily rates. UPS retail rates and USPS use 166. Check the carrier's current service guide, as divisors can change.
Length × width × height in centimeters ÷ 6000 gives the volumetric weight in kilograms. One cubic meter therefore counts as 166.67 kg in air cargo.
The weight a carrier bills: the greater of the actual gross weight and the dimensional weight of the shipment.
Your package is light for its size. Carriers charge for the space it takes on the aircraft or truck, so a large, light box is billed at its dimensional weight.
Sea LCL uses a similar rule called weight or measure: 1 CBM counts as 1000 kg, and you pay for whichever is greater. Full containers are charged per container.