International carriers usually compare actual and volumetric weight and bill the greater value. Divisors and rounding rules vary by route.
Three weight concepts
Actual weight is measured on a scale. Volumetric weight represents occupied transport space. Chargeable weight is the value used by the route for billing.
- Use the final packed weight
- Measure the final outer carton
- Rounding and minimum billing rules can increase chargeable weight
Common volumetric formulas
A common air-freight formula is length × width × height ÷ 6000, but routes may use 5000, 7000, cubic-metre rules or a custom divisor.
- Dimensions are usually in centimetres
- Measure the furthest outside points
- Irregular parcels may be measured as an enclosing cuboid
Worked example
A 50 × 40 × 30cm carton with an actual weight of 6kg has a volumetric weight of 10kg when the divisor is 6000, so the base chargeable weight is normally 10kg.
- 50×40×30÷6000=10kg
- Reducing height to 20cm lowers volumetric weight to about 6.67kg
- Do not compromise product protection to save space
Ways to reduce wasted volume
Remove unnecessary retail packaging, use an appropriate carton, compress suitable textiles and compare consolidation with parcel splitting.
- Vacuum compression is not suitable for every item
- Check route minimums and rounding
- Recalculate with final dimensions before dispatch
Frequently asked questions
Do all routes use a divisor of 6000?
No. The divisor and rounding rules vary by carrier and route. Always use the rule shown for the selected channel.
Should I measure the product or the carton?
Measure the maximum outside length, width and height of the final packed parcel.
What can I do when volumetric weight is much higher?
Review redundant packaging, compression and parcel splitting, then compare the complete cost because extra cartons may introduce additional minimum charges.