Logistics & shipping
Chargeable weight
The weight used to price a shipment — the greater of actual gross weight and volumetric weight.Carriers charge on whichever is higher between the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight, so light but bulky cargo is billed on its volume. This prevents low-density freight from occupying space disproportionate to its mass; in air freight the volumetric divisor is commonly 6,000 cm³/kg.
Frequently asked questions
- How is chargeable weight determined?
- You compare the actual gross weight with the volumetric weight and charge on whichever is greater.
- Why is chargeable weight used?
- So carriers are paid fairly for space: bulky, lightweight cargo would otherwise take up capacity without covering its cost.