Volumetric weight calculator
Enter your box sizes and actual weight to see the volumetric weight and the weight you will be charged for by express courier, air cargo, US parcel services, rail and sea LCL.
Divisors are the carriers' published standards: DHL Express and FedEx ÷5000 cm³/kg, FedEx and UPS daily rates ÷139 in³/lb, UPS retail rates ÷166, air cargo 1:6, rail 1:3, sea LCL 1 m³ = 1,000 kg. Chargeable weights are rounded up to the next 0.5 kg or whole pound; carriers' own rounding and contract divisors can differ, so check your quote.
How volumetric weight works
Carriers charge for the space a box takes as well as its weight. Multiply the box's length × width × height and divide by the carrier's divisor: 5000 for express couriers in cm and kg, 6000 for air cargo. The chargeable weight is whichever is higher, the actual weight or the volumetric weight.
Worked example
A 60 × 40 × 50 cm box weighing 8 kg is 120,000 cm³. By express courier: 120,000 ÷ 5000 = 24 kg, so you pay for 24 kg, not 8 kg. By air cargo: 120,000 ÷ 6000 = 20 kg. By sea LCL the box is 0.12 m³, so it is charged as 0.12 revenue tonnes (W/M).
How to lower the chargeable weight
Use the smallest box that still protects the goods, avoid oversized outer cartons and empty space, and combine several small boxes into one where you can. For heavier shipments compare air cargo with express courier, and for large volumes compare sea LCL or a full container.
Common questions
What volumetric divisor do DHL, FedEx and UPS use?
For international express shipments measured in centimetres and kilograms, DHL Express and FedEx use 5000. For inches and pounds, FedEx and UPS daily rates use 139, and UPS retail rates use 166. Contract rates can use other divisors, so check your account.
Is volumetric weight the same as chargeable weight?
No. Volumetric weight comes from the size of the box. The chargeable weight is what the carrier bills: the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, after the carrier's rounding.
Why does air cargo use 6000 but courier 5000?
Air cargo generally uses the IATA ratio of 1:6, 6000 cm³ per kg (about 167 kg per m³). Express couriers use 5000, so the same box counts as 20% heavier by courier than by air cargo.
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