Free tool · Purchase and dispatch
Volumetric Weight Calculator
Work out the volumetric and chargeable weight of your cartons for courier, air and road freight
- Free
- No signup
- Indian rules
Carrier settings
The standard divisor at DHL Express, and one many other couriers use. Check your rate card.
Cartons
· outer size of each packed boxGood to know
- Measure the packed box at its widest points, bulges and handles included. Carriers re-measure at the hub and bill their figure.
- Couriers bill the higher of actual and volumetric weight, so a light but bulky box costs as much as a heavy small one.
- This tool compares the totals for the whole shipment, as IATA does for air cargo. Some express services compare each piece on its own, so check your rate card.
- Rounding is carrier-specific. IATA and many couriers round up to the next 0.5 kg; some round to the next whole kg. IATA also rounds each dimension to the nearest whole cm first.
Results
Chargeable weight
73 kg
Billed on volume: 24.6 kg more than the cartons weigh
Volumetric
72.6 kg
Actual
48 kg
Working
Carton 1: 60 × 40 × 40 cm = 96,000 cm³ ÷ 5,000 = 19.2 kg × 3 = 57.6 kg (actual 36 kg)
Carton 2: 50 × 30 × 25 cm = 37,500 cm³ ÷ 5,000 = 7.5 kg × 2 = 15 kg (actual 12 kg)
Chargeable = higher of 72.6 and 48 = 72.6 kg, rounded up to 73 kg
Estimate only. Divisors, rounding, minimum weights and per-piece rules differ by carrier and service, and your contract may set its own. Check the rate card before you quote freight to a customer.
How it works
What this tool does.
Calculate volumetric weight from length, breadth and height in centimetres or inches, with a divisor of 5000, 6000, 4000 or your own. Add several carton sizes, and get the chargeable weight, the higher of actual and volumetric, rounded the way your carrier rounds it.
Pick the divisor on your carrier’s rate card: 5000 is the standard divisor at DHL Express and one many other couriers use, 6000 is the IATA standard for air cargo, and some carriers use 4000 or another figure, which you can type in. Enter the outer size of each packed carton in cm or inches, its actual weight and how many cartons of that size you are sending. The calculator works out each carton’s volumetric weight, adds them up, compares the total with the actual weight and shows the higher one as the chargeable weight, rounded up to the next 0.5 kg, the next whole kg or not at all. Inches are converted to centimetres first. The working is shown line by line, along with the total volume in cubic metres.
Rules and dates last reviewed: October 2026
Volumetric Weight Calculator formula
Volumetric weight (kg) = length (cm) × breadth (cm) × height (cm) ÷ divisor. Common divisors: 5000 (express courier), 6000 (IATA air cargo, 6,000 cm³ per kg), 4000 (some carriers). For inches, multiply each dimension by 2.54 first. Chargeable weight = the higher of total actual weight and total volumetric weight, then rounded up as the carrier specifies, often to the next 0.5 kg.
Worked example
A Surat textile trader sends five cartons of sarees to a buyer in Delhi: three cartons of 60 × 40 × 40 cm weighing 12 kg each, and two of 50 × 30 × 25 cm weighing 6 kg each. The courier uses a divisor of 5000 and rounds up to the next 0.5 kg.
- Large carton: 60 × 40 × 40 = 96,000 cm³ ÷ 5000 = 19.2 kg, × 3 cartons = 57.6 kg
- Small carton: 50 × 30 × 25 = 37,500 cm³ ÷ 5000 = 7.5 kg, × 2 cartons = 15 kg
- Total volumetric weight = 57.6 + 15 = 72.6 kg
- Total actual weight = 3 × 12 + 2 × 6 = 36 + 12 = 48 kg
- Chargeable weight = higher of 72.6 and 48 = 72.6 kg, rounded up to 73 kg
- With the IATA divisor of 6000: 96,000 ÷ 6000 × 3 = 48 kg, plus 37,500 ÷ 6000 × 2 = 12.5 kg, so 60.5 kg (already on a half kilo)
The courier bills 73 kg, 25 kg more than the cartons weigh, because sarees are light for the space they take. Packing into smaller or fewer cartons, or sending by a service with a 6000 divisor, would cut the billed weight.
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Questions
Volumetric Weight Calculator, answered.
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How is volumetric weight calculated?
Multiply the length, breadth and height of the packed box in centimetres and divide by the carrier’s divisor. With a divisor of 5000, a 60 × 40 × 40 cm box is 96,000 ÷ 5000 = 19.2 kg. The carrier then charges the higher of this and the actual weight.
Why do some carriers use 5000 and others 6000?
The divisor is the number of cubic centimetres the carrier treats as one kilogram. IATA’s rule for general air cargo uses 6,000 cm³ per kg. Express couriers such as DHL Express use 5000, which makes the same box count as heavier. Some carriers use 4000 for certain services. Use the figure on your own rate card or contract.
What is chargeable weight?
Chargeable weight is the weight you are billed on: the higher of the actual weight and the volumetric weight, rounded up as the carrier specifies. A box of pillows is billed on its volume; a box of bolts is billed on its actual weight.
How do couriers round the chargeable weight?
Rounding is carrier-specific. The IATA rule for air cargo rounds up to the next half kilogram, and an exact half kilogram stays as it is: 25.1 kg becomes 25.5 kg and 25.6 kg becomes 26 kg. Many couriers do the same, while others round up to the next whole kilogram.
How do I calculate volumetric weight in inches?
Convert each dimension to centimetres by multiplying by 2.54, then divide by the usual cm divisor. A 20 × 16 × 16 inch box is 50.8 × 40.64 × 40.64 cm = 83,902 cm³, or 16.78 kg at a divisor of 5000. Some carriers publish an inch divisor instead, such as 139 for pounds and inches at DHL.
Is volumetric weight worked out per carton or for the whole shipment?
For air cargo, IATA works on the whole consignment, comparing total volume weight with total gross weight. Some express services compare each piece on its own and add up the higher figure of each. The two methods can give different totals for mixed boxes, so check your carrier’s terms.
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