Volumetric Weight Calculator
Calculate dimensional weight, actual-vs-volumetric billable weight and cubic metres for courier, air freight and road freight shipments.
Live billable weight, volumetric weight and CBM.
Express courier divisor. DHL rate guides commonly round chargeable weight in 0.5 kg steps.
- Volumetric weight
- 14.4 kg
- Actual weight
- 8.0 kg
- Cubic metres
- 0.072 m3
- Divisor / density
- 5000
Carriers charge for space when the parcel is bigger than it is heavy.
Volumetric weight, also called dimensional weight or DIM weight, converts a parcel's size into a weight. The basic formula is length x width x height, divided by a carrier divisor.
The divisor represents the density a carrier expects. A lower divisor creates a higher volumetric weight, which is why express courier shipments often price higher than standard air freight for the same carton.
Useful formulas
- Metric courier: L x W x H cm / 5000
- Air freight: L x W x H cm / 6000
- Imperial courier: L x W x H in / 139
- Road freight: CBM x 333 kg/m3
Use the divisor from the service you are pricing.
These presets are good working estimates, but rate cards, domestic services and negotiated contracts can vary. If your courier gives you a different divisor, choose custom divisor in the calculator.
| Service | cm / kg | in / lb | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| DHL Express | 5000 | 139 | Express courier divisor. Some DHL Express rate guides round chargeable weight in 0.5 kg steps. |
| FedEx International | 5000 | 139 | FedEx publishes dimensional weight using rounded package measurements and a 139 divisor in inches/lbs. |
| UPS International | 5000 | 139 | UPS says to round package dimensions up. Daily Rates commonly use 139; Retail Rates may use 166. |
| TNT / FedEx Europe | 5000 | 139 | Express courier estimate using the common 5000 metric divisor. |
| Air freight | 6000 | 166 | General air cargo uses the 1:6000 volumetric rule. |
| Road freight / pallet | m3 x 333 | n/a | A common pallet/groupage density conversion. |
Billable weight is the number your shipment is priced against.
For parcel and air services, the carrier usually compares actual weight against volumetric weight and charges whichever is higher. A 4 kg product in a large box can therefore be billed as 11 kg if the box takes up enough space.
This is why packaging design, carton selection, SKU bundling and pick-and-pack process matter. Reducing empty air in the parcel can reduce courier cost without changing the product.
Common mistakes.
- Using product size instead of packed carton size.
- Ignoring dimension rounding on courier rate cards.
- Comparing express courier pricing against air freight divisors.
- Forgetting CBM when estimating storage and pallet movement.
Courier, air freight and road freight do not price space the same way.
Express parcel carriers are selling door-to-door network capacity, so their dimensional factors are usually stricter than airport-to-airport air freight. Road freight often works from pallet cube or loading space instead.
UPS and FedEx also publish dimension rounding rules, so a carton measured at 12.1 inches may be calculated as 13 inches. That small rounding difference can move the billable weight on bulky parcels.
If you are calculating parcel cost, storage and handling are probably part of the same question.
Rapid Pack can compare your current operation against outsourced fulfilment, including pick-and-pack, storage, carrier rules, packaging and switching costs.