Tools
Chargeable Weight Calculator (volumetric weight)
Compare gross and volumetric weight under each mode’s convention — selectable and editable — and get an auditable chargeable weight: air, express, sea LCL (with W/M minimum) and road by density and by loading metres (LDM).
Pieces
Classic equivalence: 1 EUR pallet = 0.4 LDM
Results
Legal sources verified on · Official source: IATA — TACT air cargo rules ↗
What is chargeable weight?
Chargeable weight is the value a carrier invoices a shipment on: the greater of the actual gross weight and the volumetric weight. The reason is simple: an aircraft, a truck or a container runs out of space just as surely as it runs out of payload. Light but bulky cargo occupies space that cannot be sold to anyone else, so volume is billed converted into weight.
There is no single factor per mode: there are market conventions. In air freight, the IATA convention divides the volume in cm³ by 6,000 (≈167 kg/m³); some charter contexts and legacy contracts still use 1:5,000 (200 kg/m³). Express integrators typically work with a DIM divisor of 5,000, and some services — especially domestic — with 4,000 (250 kg/m³). Every courier sets its DIM factor per service and revises it: that is why this tool lets you choose and edit it.
Sea LCL works on the W/M rule ("weight or measurement"): freight is billed on the greater of tons and cubic metres, with 1 m³ = 1,000 kg, expressed in revenue tons. In practice volume almost always governs — and LCL tariffs usually apply a minimum chargeable, typically 1 W/M, which this tool also supports.
Road is the mode with the most variance — and where both bases are needed. By density: 333 kg/m³ (1:3) is the usual starting point in international European groupage, but 300, 250 and 200 kg/m³ coexist by country, lane and carrier. By floor space: when cargo cannot be stacked, what it consumes is truck loading metres (LDM). 1 LDM = the truck’s full width by one metre of length, converted to weight at 1,600–2,000 kg/LDM depending on the carrier (1,750 as reference). The footprint math is (length × width) / 2.4.
Stackability changes the outcome: a non-stackable EUR pallet (120×80) is 0.4 LDM — 700 chargeable kg at 1,750 kg/LDM — while a stackable one counts half. That is why this calculator has a per-piece toggle.
Optimizing chargeable weight is one of the fastest levers to cut transport cost: tighter packaging, pallets without air and stack-friendly heights can flip a shipment from "volume governs" to "weight governs" — and make it cheaper immediately.
Frequently asked questions
- What is volumetric weight?
- The theoretical weight of a shipment calculated from its volume using a conversion factor (for example cm³/6,000 in IATA air freight). If it exceeds the actual gross weight, the carrier bills the volumetric weight.
- Why 1:6000 in air and 1:5000 in express?
- Each network has a different ratio of weight to space capacity. The IATA convention for general air cargo is 1:6,000 (≈167 kg/m³); some charter and contract contexts use 1:5,000. Express networks are even more volume-sensitive and typically apply DIM 5,000 — or 4,000 on some services. These are conventions, not laws — your contract may say otherwise.
- What are loading metres (LDM) and when do they apply?
- One LDM is one metre of trailer length across its full width (2.4 m). It applies when cargo is non-stackable or blocks floor space: the carrier then bills linear space, converted to weight at 1,600–2,000 kg/LDM depending on the market. A non-stackable EUR pallet equals 0.4 LDM.
- What does W/M mean and what is the LCL minimum?
- "Weight or Measurement": sea LCL bills the greater of tons and m³ (1 m³ = 1,000 kg), in revenue tons. LCL tariffs usually carry a minimum chargeable — commonly 1 W/M — so a small shipment pays at least that amount.
- Is road always 333 kg/m³?
- No. 333 kg/m³ is the most widespread convention in international European groupage, but 300, 250 and 200 kg/m³ coexist by country and lane, and with non-stackable cargo the criterion shifts to loading metres (LDM). That is why this tool lets you pick the convention, edit the factor and enable both bases at once: chargeable is the maximum of all.
- Will the results match my carrier’s invoice?
- Only if your carrier applies exactly these conventions. These are honest market references, not tariffs: every carrier may apply its own factors, minimums, brackets and rounding. Use the tool to estimate and audit, and always confirm against your contracted tariff.