In the air freight industry, customers often notice discrepancies between the fees charged by freight forwarders or airlines and their own weight calculations. This primarily occurs because air freight operations involve two distinct concepts: chargeable weight and actual weight.
Chargeable weight serves as the standard metric airlines use to calculate fees based on cargo density. For dense cargo (heavy goods), the chargeable weight equals the actual weight (gross weight). However, for lightweight, bulky cargo (often called "volumetric goods" or "low-density cargo"), the chargeable weight is determined differently, following these principles:
- 1 cubic meter equals 167 kilograms
- Fractions of a kilogram are rounded to the nearest whole number
The chargeable weight for lightweight cargo can be calculated using either of these formulas:
- Chargeable weight (kg) = Length (cm) × Width (cm) × Height (cm) ÷ 6000
- Chargeable weight (kg) = Volume of the cargo (in cubic meters) × 167
This calculation method ensures that during transportation, the impact of cargo volume on shipping costs receives appropriate consideration. The system better aligns with market demands and pricing mechanisms, creating a fair balance between carriers and shippers when transporting goods of varying densities.
