Air 1:6000 · courier 1:5000 · LCL 1:1000
Enter dimensions, gross weight and transport mode. See the volume in CBM, the volumetric weight, and whether you are being charged on space or on weight.
Gross weight is per piece. Volume is calculated on outside dimensions of the built handling unit, pallet included.
Chargeable weight is the greater of gross weight and volumetric weight. Freight forwarders quote a rate per kilo, then apply it to whichever number is bigger — so a shipment of pillows and a shipment of bolts with the same rate can invoice very differently.
Air freight uses the IATA standard: 6000 cm³ per kilo, which works out to 166.67 kg per cubic metre. Express courier is more aggressive at 5000 cm³ per kilo, or 200 kg per CBM.
Ocean LCL works the other way round. The trade uses a revenue ton, W/M, which is 1 CBM against 1000 kg — the shipment is rated on whichever produces more revenue tons. Most consolidated ocean cargo is volume-driven, which is why LCL quotes are usually per CBM.
European road groupage commonly runs 1:3, or 333 kg per cubic metre, though this one varies by operator more than the others do. Confirm the ratio in your rate sheet rather than assuming.
Measuring the goods instead of the built unit. Volume is calculated on the outside of the pallet as it is presented: shrink wrap, overhang, corner boards, the pallet deck itself. A 39 in tall stack on a 5.5 in pallet is a 44.5 in unit, and the forwarder measures 44.5.
| Mode | Ratio | kg per CBM |
|---|---|---|
| Air freight (IATA) | 1:6000 cm³/kg | 166.67 |
| Express courier | 1:5000 cm³/kg | 200 |
| Ocean LCL (W/M) | 1 CBM : 1000 kg | 1000 |
| European road groupage | 1:3 | 333 |
Chargeable weight is an international freight concept. A US domestic LTL shipment is not rated on volumetric weight at all — it is rated on density in pounds per cubic foot, which maps to an NMFC freight class. If your shipment is moving on a domestic LTL carrier, use the freight class calculator.