Volumetric Weight Calculator | ContainerMetric
Calculate air freight and sea LCL volumetric weight and chargeable weight instantly.
Air vs. Sea Volumetric Weight
Carriers bill on chargeable weight — the greater of your shipment's actual weight and its volumetric (dimensional) weight — so light, bulky cargo never travels for free. Air freight derives volumetric weight by multiplying length × width × height in centimeters and dividing by a volumetric divisor. The IATA standard divisor is 6000 cm³/kg, while express integrators such as DHL apply 5000 cm³/kg, which produces a higher billable figure for the same box.
A worked example: a 60 × 40 × 50 cm carton is 120,000 cm³. At the IATA 6000 divisor that is 20.0 kg of volumetric weight; at the DHL 5000 divisor it rises to 24.0 kg. If the parcel actually weighs 15 kg, you are charged on 20.0 kg (IATA) or 24.0 kg (DHL), because the volumetric figure wins in both cases.
Sea LCL uses a different convention. The weight-or-measurement (W/M) rule treats 1 CBM as equivalent to 1,000 kg, so the same carton (0.12 CBM) yields a sea volumetric weight of 120 kg. This 1,000 kg/m³ figure is a billing convention, not the physical density of your goods. The calculator returns the air and sea volumetric weights side by side along with the resulting chargeable weight for each mode.
FAQ
Which divisor should I use, 5000 or 6000?
Use 6000 cm³/kg for IATA general air cargo and 5000 cm³/kg for most express couriers (DHL, FedEx, UPS). Always confirm the divisor on your carrier's rate card, as it directly changes the billable weight.
Why is my sea LCL volumetric weight so high?
Sea LCL converts volume to weight at 1 CBM = 1,000 kg. For low-density cargo this often exceeds the actual weight, so you pay on volume — which is why consolidating dense and light goods can lower the average rate.
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Related Topics
- volumetric weight calculator
- dimensional weight
- chargeable weight
- air freight