Chargeable Weight Calculator
Carriers bill on the greater of actual and volumetric weight. Enter both and this tells you which one governs — and what you pay for.
Chargeable weight = max(actual weight, volumetric weight). Carriers bill the larger of the two. A 60 × 40 × 40 cm carton weighing 15 kg has a volumetric weight of 96,000 ÷ 5000 = 19.2 kg, so it is charged at 19.2 kg, not 15. Volumetric weight uses a 6000 divisor for air freight, 5000 for express couriers.
Billed on the actual weight — the greater of the two.
How chargeable weight works
Chargeable weight is simply max(actual weight, volumetric weight). The carrier works out both and bills the larger so that a big, light shipment can't travel cheaply on its actual weight alone.
Volumetric weight here comes from your dimensions and the divisor — 6000 for air freight, 5000 for express couriers. Dense cargo is usually billed on actual weight; bulky cargo on volumetric.
An example
A carton of 60 × 40 × 40 cm weighs 15 kg. Its volumetric weight on a 5000 divisor is 96,000 ÷ 5000 = 19.2 kg. Because 19.2 > 15, the shipment is charged at 19.2 kg, not 15.
Embed this calculator
Add this chargeable weight calculator to your own freight or e-commerce site. Copy the iframe snippet with its visible Freight Tools attribution.
Free to embed on your own site. The snippet includes visible Freight Tools attribution. If you independently recommend the calculator, you may add an editorial link in your own words.
Frequently asked questions
What is chargeable weight?
Chargeable weight is the weight a carrier actually bills you on — the greater of the shipment's real (actual) weight and its volumetric weight.
Why is my chargeable weight higher than the actual weight?
Because the shipment is bulky relative to its mass. When volumetric weight exceeds actual weight, the carrier charges the volumetric figure to cover the space the cargo takes up.
Is chargeable weight rounded up?
Often, yes. Air freight is commonly rounded up to the next 0.5 kg, and couriers may round to the next whole or half kilogram. Check your carrier's rules for the exact rounding.