Chargeable weight calculator for air cargo, DubaiKnow what you will be billed on.
This free chargeable weight calculator and volumetric weight calculator from Airlift Logistics, an air cargo forwarder in Dubai, UAE, compares actual weight with volumetric weight for every piece in your shipment. It uses the IATA divisor of 6,000 for airline cargo, 5,000 for courier and express, W/M for sea LCL and 1:3 for road, and rounds air cargo up to the next half kilogram.
Chargeable and volumetric weight calculator
Add a line for each size. Enter the weight of one piece, and the calculator compares actual and volumetric weight for the whole shipment.
Airlines round chargeable weight up to the next half kilogram. Your quote confirms the final figure and the airline's own rules.
Actual weight vs volumetric weight
Carriers sell space as well as weight. Chargeable weight is whichever is higher: what the cargo weighs, or what its size is worth in weight.
- 01
Length × width × height in cm ÷ 6,000 for air cargo. A 120 × 80 × 100 cm pallet is 160 kg.
- 02
If that pallet weighs 100 kg, the airline charges 160 kg. If it weighs 250 kg, it charges 250 kg.
- 03
IATA airline cargo uses 6,000. Many courier and express services use 5,000, which makes volume cost more.
- 04
Air cargo weight is rounded up to the next 0.5 kg: 160.2 kg becomes 160.5 kg.
Three shipments, three answers
The same rule gives a different result for dense and light cargo.
| Shipment | Actual weight | Volumetric weight (÷ 6,000) | Chargeable weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 pallet, 120 × 80 × 100 cm, clothing | 100 kg | 160 kg | 160 kg, on volume |
| 1 pallet, 120 × 80 × 100 cm, machine parts | 250 kg | 160 kg | 250 kg, on weight |
| 10 cartons, 60 × 40 × 40 cm, samples | 120 kg | 160 kg | 160 kg, on volume |
Chargeable weight questions, answered
Last updated ·
See all shipping questionsSend my cargo detailsAdd one line for each box or pallet size. Enter the length, width and height, the number of pieces of that size, and the weight of one piece. The calculator totals actual and volumetric weight across all lines, then shows the chargeable weight for the whole shipment, which is how airlines bill a consignment.
- Switch units to inches and pounds if needed.
- Send the result to us with one click.
Couriers price space more tightly than airline cargo. IATA airline cargo uses a divisor of 6,000, so 1 CBM counts as 166.67 kg. Many courier and express services, such as door-to-door parcel networks, divide by 5,000, so 1 CBM counts as 200 kg. Light, bulky parcels therefore cost relatively more by courier.
- Check which divisor your quote uses.
- Heavy, compact cargo is not affected.
Multiply length by width by height in inches, then divide by 166. That gives volumetric weight in pounds, matching the 6,000 cubic centimetre per kilogram airline rule. To get kilograms instead, divide the cubic inches by 366. For courier services using 5,000, the inch divisors are 139 for pounds and 305 for kilograms.
- One inch is 2.54 centimetres.
- The calculator converts units for you.
Sea freight uses a similar rule called weight or measure. For LCL, 1 CBM is compared with 1,000 kg, and the carrier charges on whichever is greater, called W/M or revenue tonnes. Full container loads are priced per container instead, so chargeable weight does not apply to FCL, though weight limits still do.
- Road freight often uses 1 CBM = 333 kg.
- See our CBM calculator for container fill.