Chargeable Weight & Revenue Ton Calculator

The air freight rule: 6000, or 1 CBM = 167 kg

Air volumetric weight is calculated as length × width × height in centimetres, divided by 6000. Because a cubic metre is 1,000,000 cm³, the divisor works out at approximately 167 kg per cubic metre.

The chargeable weight is the greater of that figure and the actual gross weight. On light, bulky cargo — furniture, packaging, plush goods, anything that ships in air — the volumetric figure usually wins, which is why repacking is a legitimate cost lever. Reducing one carton dimension by 30% can reduce the bill by 30% with no change to the product.

The rate per kilogram applies to the chargeable weight, subject to the airline's weight breaks. A rate quoted for "100 kg plus" is not the rate you get at 60 kg. Ask which break you are being priced at; the mechanics are set out on the air freight page.

The LCL rule: revenue tons, not per-CBM blindly

LCL is billed on revenue tons, defined as the greater of volume in cubic metres and gross weight in metric tons. A per-CBM quote therefore only applies to your shipment if its volume exceeds its weight in tons.

Dense cargo is where this catches people. A 4 CBM consignment weighing 6 tons is billed on 6 revenue tons, not on 4 cubic metres — roughly 50% more than the visible volume suggested. Calculate it here before you compare LCL quotes against each other, and read the LCL page for the fixed charges that sit around the rate.

What this calculator deliberately does not do

• It does not tell you how many units fit in a container. Nominal volume is not usable volume, and stacking limits depend on carton strength, weight distribution and how the load is braced. We publish no "20GP holds N units" figures.
• It does not price your shipment. Chargeable weight is an input to a rate, not a rate. Duty and fees sit outside freight entirely — see the shipping cost page.
• It does not handle palletised or irregular loads. For pallets, measure the pallet, not the cartons, because that is what occupies the space and what gets billed.

Constants used: length (cm) × width (cm) × height (cm) ÷ 6000, LCL is charged on revenue tons: chargeable weight = the greater of (volume in CBM) and (gross weight in metric tons).