Freight is charged on "Chargeable Weight," which is the greater of Actual Weight and Volumetric Weight. After reading this, you can take a pen and work out how many kilograms your shipment should be billed at.
First, tell the three weights apart
Actual Weight: the real weight of the cargo on the scale, in kg.
Volumetric Weight: a virtual weight converted from the outer carton volume. The more space it takes up, the more it converts to.
Chargeable Weight: whichever is greater, Actual Weight or Volumetric Weight, is what you are charged on.
One rule of thumb: small and heavy goes by Actual Weight, light and bulky goes by volume.
The Volumetric Weight formula
Volumetric Weight (kg) = Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ Density Factor
| Variable | Meaning | Notes on the value |
|---|---|---|
| Length / Width / Height | The three sides of the outer carton, in cm | Measure the outer packaging, not the bare cargo dimensions |
| Density Factor | How many cubic centimetres convert to 1kg | Express commonly uses 5000, air freight commonly uses 6000 |
| Volumetric Weight | The converted weight, in kg | Generally rounded up to 0.5kg or 1kg |
| Chargeable Weight | The final billed weight | The greater of Actual Weight and Volumetric Weight |
Why the Density Factor differs
The smaller the factor, the greater the weight calculated from the same volume, and the higher the freight.
Express space is expensive, so it uses 5000; air freight is relatively looser, so it uses 6000.
Ocean + Parcel does not use a factor at all; it is billed directly per CBM.
Before quoting, ask which factor the lane uses, otherwise comparing prices is meaningless.
Let's work through it step by step
Example: one shipment with an outer carton of 60×40×30cm and an Actual Weight of 18kg.
Step one, calculate the volume: 60 × 40 × 30 = 72000 cubic centimetres.
Step two, divide by the factor. At the express factor of 5000: 72000 ÷ 5000 = 14.4kg.
Step three, compare: the Actual Weight of 18kg is greater than the Volumetric Weight of 14.4kg, so take 18kg.
This shipment is on the heavy side, so it is billed at the Actual Weight of 18kg.
What happens if it is light cargo
With the same carton, if it holds throw pillows, the Actual Weight is only 9kg.
The Volumetric Weight is still 14.4kg, greater than the Actual Weight of 9kg, so it is billed at 14.4kg.
The extra 5.4kg is the price of "taking up space."
If the factor changes to 6000: 72000 ÷ 6000 = 12kg, still greater than 9kg, so it is still billed on Volumetric Weight.
Which cargo most easily has its profit eaten by Volumetric Weight
Down jackets, throw pillows, plush toys, shoe boxes, plastic storage bins, foam products.
Common trait: light, fluffy, lots of empty space.
Common solution: compress, remove packaging, switch to a smaller carton size.
How to bring Volumetric Weight down
Switch to a more compact carton: empty space inside the carton is money paid for nothing.
Vacuum-compress soft goods: most noticeable with down jackets and quilts.
Wrap odd-shaped goods separately: don't let one piece stretch out all three sides of the whole carton.
Put heavy goods at the bottom and light goods in the gaps: both stable and volume-saving.
Two common misconceptions
Misconception one: reporting only the Actual Weight is enough. Without the three side dimensions, a quote simply cannot be calculated.
Misconception two: the Volumetric Weight is set arbitrarily by the freight forwarder. It is determined by the carrier's factor, and different lanes use different factors.
