Volumetric Weight (Dimensional Weight)
A volume-derived "virtual weight" used in air freight and courier; the greater of it and actual weight is what you pay for.
Volumetric weight (also dimensional/cubic weight) converts a shipment's volume into a weight figure so that light, bulky cargo cannot occupy space for free. The air-freight standard is length × width × height in cm ÷ 6000 (IATA convention, ~1 CBM ≈ 167 kg). International courier carriers (DHL/FedEx/UPS, etc.) commonly use a divisor of 5000 (~1 CBM ≈ 200 kg).
Key points:
- Volumetric weight is an intermediate figure; you are billed on chargeable weight = max(actual gross weight, volumetric weight), rounded up.
- A smaller divisor produces a larger volumetric weight, penalizing bulky cargo more; courier's 5000 is harsher than air's 6000.
- Sea LCL does NOT use the 6000/5000 divisor — it uses the revenue-ton rule of 1 CBM to 1000 kg. Never mix the two.
Common pitfall: the same shipment yields a different volumetric weight by air (÷6000) versus courier (÷5000). Always confirm which divisor a quote uses before comparing.
Volumetric / Chargeable Weight
Chargeable = max(actual, volumetric), rounded up.
Actual equals volumetric
Calculations follow common industry rules and are for reference only; actual billing/liability is governed by your carrier, forwarder and contract.
FAQ
- Why ÷6000 for air but ÷5000 for courier?
- 6000 is the IATA air-freight convention (~167 kg/CBM); couriers mostly apply 5000 (~200 kg/CBM), which yields a higher figure and higher cost. Confirm the divisor for your channel first.
- If my actual weight exceeds the volumetric weight, does it still matter?
- You still compute it to compare. The chargeable weight is the larger of the two; when actual is larger you pay on actual, still rounded up.
Related terms
Sources: https://www.iata.org/en/programs/cargo/ · https://www.fedex.com/en-us/shipping/how-to-measure-package-dimensions.html