Carriers do not always charge for the weight on the scale. They charge for the larger of the actual weight and the space the cargo takes up. Getting this wrong means surprise freight bills.
Air freight
For air freight, the space is turned into a "volumetric weight". The common divisor is 6000, which means 6000 cubic centimetres counts as 1 kg. Some carriers use a different number, so always check your carrier's rate sheet.
Set up your columns like this: A is length (cm), B is width (cm), C is height (cm), D is number of cartons, E is actual weight in kg for the whole shipment.
Volumetric weight in F2:
=A2*B2*C2/6000*D2Chargeable weight in G2:
=MAX(E2, F2)Example
10 cartons, each 60 x 40 x 50 cm. Actual weight is 180 kg in total.
- One carton: 60 x 40 x 50 = 120,000 cubic cm. Divided by 6000 = 20 kg.
- Ten cartons: 200 kg volumetric.
- Actual weight is 180 kg, so the chargeable weight is 200 kg.
Sea freight, LCL
For sea freight, the volume is measured in cubic metres (CBM). Convert from centimetres by dividing each side by 100. With the same columns as above:
=A2/100*B2/100*C2/100*D2Many shipping lines charge on a "weight or measurement" basis, where 1 CBM is treated as equal to 1000 kg. To get the chargeable figure in revenue tons:
=MAX(H2, E2/1000)where H2 is the CBM result.
Example
The same 10 cartons: each is 0.6 x 0.4 x 0.5 m = 0.12 CBM, so 1.2 CBM in total. The weight is 180 kg, which is 0.18 tons. The chargeable quantity is 1.2 W/M (the volume wins).
Common mistakes
- Mixing centimetres and metres in the same sheet.
- Forgetting to multiply by the number of cartons.
- Using 6000 when your carrier uses another divisor.
- Measuring the carton but not the pallet. If cargo is on a pallet, measure the whole palletized shape.
Cost per kg
Once you have chargeable weight, you can compare quotes fairly. Divide the total freight cost by the chargeable weight:
=I2/G2where I2 is the total quote. Always compare the cost per chargeable kg, not the cost per actual kg.