Chargeable weight meaning
Chargeable weight (sometimes called billable weight) is the weight a carrier uses to calculate the freight charge. It is not a physical measurement. It is the result of a rule:
Chargeable weight = the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight
Step by step: an air freight example
A shipment of 10 cartons, each 80 × 60 × 50 cm and 18 kg, with a 6000 cm³/kg divisor:
Actual weight 10 × 18 kg = 180 kg Volumetric weight 80 × 60 × 50 cm = 240,000 cm³ per carton 240,000 ÷ 6000 = 40 kg per carton 10 × 40 kg = 400 kg Chargeable weight greater of 180 kg and 400 kg = 400 kg
At a rate of 4.00 per kg, this shipment costs 1,600, not the 720 the scale weight would suggest.
Actual vs chargeable weight
When cargo is dense, the chargeable weight equals the actual weight. When it is light for its size, the chargeable weight is higher. The break-even point with a 6000 divisor is about 167 kg per cubic metre: denser cargo is charged on weight, lighter cargo on volume.
Rounding
Carriers round chargeable weight in their own way, often up to the next half or whole kilogram, and may round per piece or for the whole shipment. Rounding is a carrier rule, so check it with your forwarder.
Where chargeable weight is used
- Air cargo rates are quoted per chargeable kilogram.
- Courier and express parcels use dimensional weight with their own divisors.
- Sea LCL uses the related weight or measure (W/M) rule in revenue tons.
- Road groupage often uses a kg-per-CBM or kg-per-loading-metre rule.
Work out the chargeable weight of multi-piece air cargo with the Air Freight Chargeable Weight Calculator. For the volumetric side in detail, see Air Freight Volumetric Weight and Actual Weight vs Volumetric Weight.