Space is what you’re really selling
A van, a ULD in an aircraft hold or a container has two limits: how much weight it can carry and how much space it has. A box of pillows fills space long before it hits any weight limit. Chargeable weight makes sure you’re paid for the space a shipment uses, not just its mass.
The three numbers
- Actual weight — what the scale says.
- Volumetric (dimensional) weight — length × width × height divided by a divisor.
- Chargeable weight — the greater of the two.
Common divisors
The divisor converts volume into a notional weight. Lower divisors produce higher volumetric weights.
- Air freight: 6000 cm³ per kg (1 m³ = 166.67 kg).
- Express couriers: often 5000 cm³ per kg.
- Imperial: cubic inches ÷ 166 or ÷ 139, giving pounds.
Sea freight usually works differently: LCL is charged per “weight or measure” (W/M) — the greater of tonnes and cubic metres — and FCL per container.
A worked example
A carton measures 60 × 40 × 40 cm and weighs 8 kg. Its volume is 96,000 cm³. At a 6000 divisor, volumetric weight is 16 kg. Chargeable weight is therefore 16 kg, not 8.
Where businesses lose money
- Dimensions aren’t measured at receiving, so everything is charged on actual weight.
- Different staff use different divisors.
- Air rates use weight breaks, but nobody checks whether the next break is cheaper (the “break-point”).
How Logxa handles it
Every Logxa software calculates chargeable weight as you enter dimensions, with divisors you set per workspace. The forwarding software also applies IATA weight breaks and break-point pricing automatically. See rate cards.